Sorry I'm not much of a photo diarist. Most of the pics have my daughter in them. I never seem to think to take before/during/after pics. Click on the thumbnails to get bigger photos. This project had been on hold for a while:

First two years: Have baby, redo interior completely, incl. learning how to build kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, floors.

Third year: Clear out overgrown weeds (privet, eleagnus, holly, etc.) and wait to have enough money...

Fourth year: ...to build an extension with a second full bath; pull ivy and begin native woodland garden.

Fifth year: Construct courtyard rose garden (not shown - later).

Sixth year: Construct front rose garden (below).

I'm grateful to this forum over the last couple of years for all your encouragement, your advice to others, which I've taken for myself at times,

and your good 'spirit' -- THANKS!!!

Below are the east and west ends of area in front of the house. This is to become a big (?) rose garden. A thicket made by a white climber, with large clusters of 1-in fully double flowers has taken over the west corner.

Unbeknownst to us for a couple of years, there is a red, double flower, with golden-stamened center in the middle of it. (In the second picture, it arches over the center.) Both are unknown cultivars. The white one reblooms some; the red hardly ever reblooms. No odor. The second picture shows the beginning of the project: a stone border around the existing roses,

and, on the left, a Madame Isaac Pereire sent by mistake, a band planted the previous fall (2006).

Over the winter 2006/07, the site for the wall is excavated (with a shovel and wheelbarrow). The wall is begun in spring. Luckily I have a helper, who finds the whole proposition amusing.

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After the wall is done, I spend several weeks digging the clay. When it rains, my daughter finds mud can be fun. Especially red clay mud. I saved some clay; mixed it with water; let the sand settle out; poured off the muddy water;

let the clay settle out; poured off the water; dried the purified clay; mixed it with linseed oil and got a fairly decent stain!)

I contructed a path out of gravel and flagstone. I constructed steps out of very large stones. The last phase was a short wall and path down the side of the house to the back.

The roses, most planted fall 2007 and too small to see yet:

From the middle to the east: Left side: Apothecary's Rose, Blanc Double de Coubert, Rosa Mundi, Spice, Mutabilis, Darlows Enigma.

Right side: Secret Garden Musk Climber, Autumn Damask, Rival de Paestum, R. rugosa rubra, Swamp Rose.

To the right of the steps: New Dawn.

By the gate: Buff Beauty (left), Rosa bhutan (right)

To the west of the middle: Madame Isaac Pereire, Alba semi-plena (in front),

Behind the unknown white amd unknown red: Camaieux, Gruss an Aachen, Sissinghurst Castle.

Thanks again,

Mike