Lovely pics, I really like Break O'Day.

I had not heard of Northern Encore, thank you for the introduction. It looks like a lovely climber.

Beautiful house and roses! The Austins look great, nice picture of the Pilgrim and Lilian Austin.

Masha

So nice to have you back posting---I always looked forward to pictures of your beautiful home and gardens.

Your roses are so lovely--

Hope you enjoy the garden tour.

Florence

Beautiful house and garden

Your home is just beautiful. And so are these pics of your garden.
The pic of 'Bredon' is great, with the perennials & rocks.
Your 'Lilian Austin' looks like it's glowing. Great photography.

Randy

Thanks so much for posting. Lovely to see your house and garden, and it's so interesting to see what thrives in Zone 4. I've only seen The Pilgrim as a huge plant in Sparks, NV - your blooms are just as beautiful, but it's hard to imagine it as a two-foot plant!

When was your house built? I grew up in a big brick farmhouse in Ohio, where my mother still lives - it was built in 1875.
Anita

As always, I love seeing photos of your beautiful home and yard, RRL. The roses look fabulous, esp. Break O Day...mine died over last winter unfortunately. I looked up Northern Encore and was interested to see that it is the same rose that folks have been discussing as a northern hardy standard, AKA "Polar Joy." While I have no interest in lollipop-style roses, I am always interested in a cane hardy climber so thanks for your photo. Bet everyone on the tour was impressed.
Anne

Thank you for commenting everyone. The tour was a great success. I seem to have started a small renaisance in rose growing in my neck of the woods. So many people tell me they have tried to grow rose here and given up. I truly believe that the problem is that no one knows what roses to grow and thus fail with varieties not suited to the climate.

I, being a bit of a passionate rose fanatic, trial roses based on research, the knowlege of cold zone growers on the forum, genetics and trial and error and have finally been blessed with a rose garden that pleases me, and apparently others, in a fairly cold climate. Canada's Capital, Ottawa,is said to be the coldest national capital in the world. Yes, colder than Moscow or Oslo.

Yes, the garden tour was a success. I gave away a few more propogated roses of varieties that do well here. Several of the local Horticultural Society members have begun to grow small rose gardens based on my results and recommendations. We had a rose ordering night the winter before last and then a cold zone rose planting seminar, over which I precided in May 2008. I got to see the results in two very experienced Horticultural Society members gardens last weekend and they are happy and want to plant more.

Anita, our house was built sometime between 1908 and 1910. I have been unable to find out an exact history, but plan to make an appointment at the regional museum. I have been told they have archives related to the town of Smiths Falls, Ontario, where the house is located. Smiths Falls was in the early 1900's the hub of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in Eastern Ontario and still has a significant rail yard and a small Railroad Museum. In additon, it was a significant manufacturing centre on the Rideau Canal in the 1800's.

The Canal was, last year, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built as a military supply route between Montreal, what became Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario (Canada's First Capital), between 1826 and 1836. The Rideau Canal was built following the War of 1812 and the project was undertaken due to the fact that the St. Lawrence River, between Montreal and Kingston was the border with the "American Rebels" and thus not secure. Smiths Falls is the administrative centre for the Rideau Canal which is managed by the Department of Canadian Heritage. There is the very interesting Rideau Canal Museum located here in the town which has a population of 9 to 10 thousand souls.

Our house was probably custom built for someone fairly high up in the area management of the CPR and is locally of note, though no one seems to know the early history. My wife and I have lived in it for 8 years. The couple who had it before us did a lot of restoration, as have we. But we have added the gardens and landscaping which were non-existent before we bought the house.

Much of Canada's pre-confederation history played out in this area following the American Revolution. The history of Canada and that of the young United States is much intertwined in Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Quebec and Upstate New York. I, as a Western born and bred Canadian have very much enjoyed reading about the history of the War of 1812 and visiting the sites in both countrys. Fort Ticonderoga on the Vermont, NY border is little known in the US but played a pivotal role in the history of North America, Canada and the US. Benedict Arnold took Fort Ticonderoga for the Americans during the war of independance. Later he was said to have been awarded a grant of land about 10 kms East of Smiths Falls on the Rideau River, for his assistance to the British Crown following his betrayal of the young republic. I've learned so much, both Historically and horticulturally since I moved here.

Anne, I have become quite enammoured with the Brownell roses this last year. I found a plant of Orange Ruffles this spring which has become one of my favorite roses. We shall see how it deals with an Eastern Ontario Winter. I plan to add V for Victory, Helen Hayes and Doctor Brownell to my collection next spring, now that I have pondered long and hard on their merrits. You have been a rose growing inspiration to me since I moved to Eastern Canada. You need another Break O' Day.

My reply seems to be getting a bit lengthy, as usual, so time to sign off.

Cheers,

Rideau Rose Lad.

I'm happy the tour was a success. You are to be commended for your love of roses and spreading that love around.. Many people think they are unable to grow roses simply because they are growing the wrong ones---Your neighbors are blessed to have you to help them learn about the beauty of roses that do well in your zone.

I love you little history lesson----

I remember other pictures of your home and gardens--

How wonderful to be able to live in your beautiful home and appreciate the value of an old home
Thanks for the pictures---

Your roses are beautiful

Florence

Rideau Rose Lad, I enjoyed reading your comments about the history of that area. Very interesting.

Randy

I, too, loved hearing about the history and the rose renaissance you've initiated. Thanks so much. I'm glad the tour went well.
Anita

Hi RRL,
LOVED YOUR POST! What a beautiful beautiful house and such beautiful flowers. That house has character! Loved your running comments on the different roses. Lots of valuable information there to tuck away for future use. Yes, you prove that ONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Great to hear about your rose enabling and how your educating the area has paid off well for others. Lots of good deeds there, LOL.
Thanks again so much,
Jim (East Coast)

Rideauroselad, your home and garden are both lovely. I've always looked forward to your posts and photos, and have bought a few roses based on them. I see you are now 'enabling' in your neighbourhood, as well as on this forum! I especially like Prairie Sunrise, and Bredon....there, you've done it again:)

The history refresher was wonderful too, since I'm getting pretty rusty! Very interesting post!

Judith

Lillian Austin is gorgeous and I love the color with your home. My brick is almost the color of yours and I always loved her blooming nearby. Lillian is a real favorite. My 3 favorite Austins: Heritage, Lillian and Pat Austin.

This comment may be many years too late but I love your garden. The next house I move into have to be a corner lot home.

jjpeace, thanks for digging this one up!

I love Lilian Austin. I just got that one this spring and it has its first bud. I can't wait to see its blooms.

My climate is so different from yours that I doubt we share much besides a love of roses and gardening, but I always love your posts. Your house and garden are so very beautiful.

Quelle surprise: to see this old post back up on page one! It is also a bit serendipitous to see it on this particular day. My DW and I are putting the old house up for sale, sign goes up today. She is 112 years old and we have spent the past 13 years renovating and loving her. But when we moved to the East all those years ago, the plan was always to move back west to our home Province of British Columbia. That is where all of both are families are, so the time has come to go home.

It is a bitter sweat time in our lives. Leaving our grand old home, my zone pushing garden and dear friends we have made here in Ontario. I am also very maudlin about all the roses I grow which will most likely perish without my fanatic care and winter protection. But that is life. I will not miss having to go to all the work of winter protection and spring cleanup growing tender roses here requires. I look forward to growing roses in a warmer climate again, but his well be the third garden I will have to build from scratch.

Thanks for bringing the post up again jjpeace. Paula, I expect we will soon share more similar gardening climates. We will likely end up in the South Okanagan of British Columbia, an arid zone 7.

Cheers, Rick

I've always enjoyed you lovely gardens and appreciated all your work----Hopefully when you have settled down you will again post some pictures of your gardens---good luck with your move home-----I know what it is to be homesick and it is good you and your DW are both from the same area-----Please post and keep us informed about your progress. I'm sure your new gardens will be gorgeous.

Florence

I was tickled to see this old post brought back up as well, allowing me once again to "stroll through" your beautiful yard, Rick. Having put lots of myself and lots of love into several homes that we sold and left behind over the years, I know how you feel moving on. But funny thing is, the new will soon claim your heart and you'll be deep into plans and ideas for shaping it up, where ever it ends up being. Good luck on a speedy sale of the Ontario property so you can get back to all your family soonest, and I second Florence's hope that you keep us up to date on your new gardens out west.
Cheers to you, too!
Anne