Terry that is gorgeous! Wow! I love the color mix and the rose companions planted. They all look so happy :-) I look forward to seeing your pictures of this garden in the spring.

It's wonderful how these small roses are blooming so beautifully. You've done a wonderful job of mixing the roses with companion plants. I do believe next year is going to be awesome.

Ingrid

Terry, that is a great bed full of beauties.

Carla

It looks lovely, and I'm curious how you prepared the bed. I have a large area I'd like to turn into a garden bed, but am looking for an easier method than the dig until your back breaks method.

That looks great--sunny location--you did an excellent job. Do you have a good place to sit and enjoy it?

Kristin - it really wasn't hard. We didn't till the existing soil because of erosion concerns, but sprayed Round-Up to kill off the existing grass at the end of March. The grass decomposed over time and really hasn't been a problem at all with trying to regrow.

We had 80 cubic yards of oak mulch delivered, and we spread the next week. When my roses started arriving the third week of April, we dug the holes individually, amended with cow compost, planted, and watered.

DH used a post hole digger for the big bareroots, but a shovel worked just fine for the bands. And I just added the companion plants as I went along. It's been a lot of fun; especially picking out the roses!

That looks beautiful! Your slope is not as steep as mine, maybe 35 degrees? whereas mine is about 45 degrees but not as wide.

I'm leery about opening that up but I need more room for the roses I crave but am holding off wondering if I can keep it up. I also have the option of stone tiers (would settle for less but prefer dressed stone to match what is in back and expensive). But could be opening a can of worms, want roses that get quite tall and wider, so it might not look good.

Thanks for telling us what mulch you used, smart to lay it down first. Post hole digger, couldn't do it, but was a neat idea, still very hard work.

You left lots of room for your plants to expand (I tend to crowd things too much, got the last roses right but put the perennials too close) and fill in which is smart, and are those ever blooming nicely already!

You did a beautiful job---Can't wait to see it next year.

Florence

Jennifer, it would made me sick too. I've lived in my present home for over 22 years and each plant or tree I have planted over these years is family to me. Some of them were given to me for Mothers' Day or as birthday presents, and my husband has built all of my rose trellis or raised gardens. I just can't imagine living anywhere else and hope I never have to.

But you have a great project ahead of you and your new house looks beautiful. Do you have hardwood flooring?

One of my friends has an Arts & Crafts bungalow, and I adore it. I saw a segment on HGTV where they restored a condemded A&C house and did the landscaping, and it was amazing when finished. They used hydrangeas, japanese maple, wrought iron fencing, and it was gorgeous. Your landscaping will be spectacular too and I wouldn't worry about taking out the lawn...who needs grass, anyway?

BTW, going to root up the wisteria we talked about before I send them so they will be sure to grow for you. Will toss in a bunch of clematis and other goodies also. I'll let you know when the wisteria is ready to ship, so you'll know when it's on its way :>.
Take care,
Terry

Terry, I think you posted a msg for my thread to your thread! lol!

I wish I had the space that you have! What fun to be able to do so much planting. We have a lot that is... lemme think... about 45x110 or something like that. My mom visited from AZ and she has tons of property, and she couldn't believe how narrow our lots are. Funny thing we always want what we can't have--She has all this space and can't keep a thing green (that doesn't stab you to death when you touch it), and I have a lot of green but not enough space to put all of it. :)

I cannot wait to see how your slope looks next year. The filling out process should be great (but it is so hard for me to wait!).

And thanks for your generosity and help with my new yard. :)

Jennifer - you're right...too much iced tea! I DID post to the wrong thread. Too bad there's not a cut & paste feature LOL. I think the final length is actually about 135 ft. long and the width varies..it's like a wedge-shape.

You're right about wanting what we can't have...on hot days and when I'm picking JBs, I feel overwhelmed sometimes and envy folks with just a few bushes, or when I'm doing fall and spring clean up..it takes days...I wish I wasn't so greedy and had less! But then the work is done and I get to see the blooms and I'm so happy I am a gardener.
-terry

What a great way to utilize a challenging space. Very nice work indeed. I bet when people drive down that road they can't believe what a bunch of pretty roses are growing there.

Kate

Terryjean, that's beautiful! You're going to have a real showplace in a year or two. You'll have to sell tickets to drive by your house! But the perspective of your photos has thrown me. Is that a full-sized arbor? In the photo it looks so small compared to the plants. Maybe the downhill photo distorts the reality of its size or maybe you have a miniature arbor? Which is it?

You did a fantastic job. I love the idea and the results of your labor.

Sherry

terryjean, I have an craftsman bungalow, think that's Arts and Crafts, I love it. But it needs complete restoration, have plugged away at it over the years and try to maintain the architectural integrity, can afford some of it but not a complete restoration and landscaping like I've seen in magazines plus add a loft. I would never turn the whole landscaping part over to a landscaper, could use help with planning but would want serious input into what gets planted and where.

But it's not just about money. The disruption. Over the years, my tolerance is worn down for big projects, just having the roof done set off my nerves for the week or so it was being done. And you have to tend to the serious stuff like furnace, etc., first. Hardwood floors and brick fireplace. It could be a dream house. When you live in a place long enough, you become intimately acquainted with the flaws though, some minor, some major.

The floor plan isn't the best for a narrow lot, a replacement would face one street that wasn't there when mine was built. Plus it was during the depression and doesn't have real plaster walls but this horrid thinnish stuff. I've had parts of it drywalled, needs more and smooth finish not what I let them do, the rough finish, but not all of it, and a lot of the original woodwork and register covers got ruined in that process. My casement windows, I don't know how I would ever replace those with the nicer, new types they have now, some of it wouldn't be the same at all.

I'm so attached to my plants and trees, I know exactly what you mean, they are like family and pets, I gave my family and survival for us my all during my best years, no time for gardening with a full-time job and kids, now it is my turn in the time I have left.

Wow, your bed looks great! Glad to hear you are growing Dragon's Blood. You will have to let me know how it does; I love that rose!

Sherry - yep; it's a small metal arbor. It straddles the metal culvert that runs under the road. I was eyeing a huge one at Big Lots, but after I paid for the mulch and roses, I was poor. So.....maybe next year. I have Pinata and Golden Showers on one side; and accidentally planted Dream Come True on the other, thinking it was another climber. But DCT seems happy there, so I may just leave it for the support.

Shannon - actually planted 2 Dragon's Blood. Wasn't sure if one was going to make it, but it was taken off like gangbusters. Blooms are pretty petite but the colors are striking. Plus the foliage is so cool...it is green outlined in red. I like it for the leaves alone. Pretty neat.
Here's a pic of the blooms.
{{gwi:230827}}

Aliska - I know what you mean about remodeling. We've been heen here 22 years and are constantly remodeling. We've had 2 major disasters; water and a fire, so we're no strangers to huge messes. Plus we just went thru a kitchen remodeling, which created HUGE mountains of dust. Hopefully there's nothing left to redo in the house and we're done. But then there's that sunroom I've been thinking about for years....LOL.

terryjean, big chuckle (about the LOL). Yeah, can't stop me from dreaming even if it never gets done or just the way I want. You've been through worse than me, have been through kitchen remodelling, needs it again! Mainly wanted to acknowledge your reply and don't want to take the thread off on a tangent any more than I already have.

It's so nice you have all that room, those photos are gorgeous, rose looks so healthy. Doubtless you'll want to make some changes as time goes on.

I sure hope you'll share some more photos and keep us updated as your plants mature because I enjoyed all your sharing with us.

Terry,You have done a great job of making a slope look beautiful.All the roses seems to be getting the best care seem to be thriving.How many roses are there ? Keep posting pictures.I would love to see them grow.
What bucks have you planted?I have been planting one every year.So far I have country dancer,distant drums,Quietness and I have added honeysweet(on your recommendation)this summer.I have ordered music maker from heirloom.Iam considerind prairie harvest for next spring .Which bucks are thriving for you?I like flowers with more than 30 petals and smell.Can you recommend some buck roses that fit the bill.Thanks.
Dana

What a great idea for a bed! I love it and can't wait to see the progress next year.

Hey Dana - here's my Buck list.

I planted 2 Distant Drums last year, but neither made it through the winter. I did winter protect them too; I was really bummed because they had gorgeous blooms. Hope you have better luck than me.

All my Bucks are own-root; not sure about Honey Sweet though since both came from Hoerrs. All were planted either last year or the year before, so they are still young roses.

Gee Whiz,Wild Ginger,Pearlie Mae,Mountain Music,Folksinger,
Earth Song,Serendipity,Golden Unicorn,Honey Sweet,
Prairie Sunset,El Catala,Prairie Sunrise,Sevilliana,
Piccolo Pete,Country Music,Allamand Ho,Polonaise,Brook Song,
Musicale,Spanish Rhapsody,Bucred,Iobelle,Prairie Princess (climber),Mavorneen, & Pipe Dreams.

Probably the one that has surprised me the most when it bloomed is Allamand Ho. The blooms are such a striking bi-color yellow and pink; it really glows in the garden.

Polanaise is new this year; was a small band but has rapidly grown and has started blooming non-stop since the beginning of July and hasn't stopped. All the rain has helped also.

That is a great way to treat an otherwise hard to handle plot of land. It will look really beautiful as it matures and fills in somewhat. I am surprised you used an herbicide and haven't had any deleterious effects on your newly planted plants.
When I put in a new bed I just rent and use a sod cutter from a rent-all place or sometimes a large hardware center will rent them. The sod cutter removes the top layer of sod to the roots and you just go back afterword and roll it up and do with it what you wish. You are left with a solid plot of clear soil. Then I spread my amendments like composts, composted manure, pearlite, peat moss, PH adjustment amendment of whatever type you need to maximize your PH level, and alfalfa based fertilizer pellets and then I just rototill them all in as deeply as I can. I do all this in the late fall of the year and then let it "sweeten" as I call it over the winter. Then the next spring I will till it all one more time with maybe a little more compost or composted manure or whatever else I want to add.
Then it is a simple matter to use your shovel or post hole digger or even one-man gas auger to dig your holes to put in your new roses or other plants and then I lay in my drip irrigation system and add my top layer dressing of compost and mulch. Voila!! I have a super good new garden bed and the new plants love it and grow like crazy.
Oh, one more thing that I generally use before laying in the drip irrigation and top layer of mulch is weed matting to keep weed growth to a minimum. Very easy and super helpful and time saving not to mention saving my back from constant stooping to weed all the time once things start growing. I didn't do it on my last rose bed I put in and am regretting it mightily since I am weeding this bed about 8 times more often than the others I did put weed matting down in. I am considering adding it now and then putting down another top layer of mulch. I will have to temporarily pull back my drip irrigation system in that bed, but the little trouble it will be may well be worth the effort involved.
Good bed preparation is absolutely essential in making a successful and vigorous growing flower bed. If you skimp here in this step at all you will suffer for it all the time you use that bed and regret it mightily. I don't want to brag, but my roses look great and most of it is due to the attention I paid at bed prep time. It is quite a time saver now as well. I don't have to fertilize and weed nearly as much especially in the first five or six years the bed is in existence. Every year I put on a layer of compost and new organic mulch.
Good luck with your bed preparation.
John

Well we didn't put down any weed matting in ours and yes, we are constantly pulling weeds and grass out of ours. It infuriates my Hubby b/c the project was expensive.

Len, can you tell us more about this weed matting material?

Fantastic Terryjean - you really have been a busy bee! Knowing how hard it is to grow roses, in your climate with long cold winters and hot and humid summers I am really amazed. I look forward seeing pictures of your roses growing and which ones that will perform well over the coming years!

John, thanks for the comments. We did think about using a sod cutter but decided against it because of the fear of erosion, and wanted the turf to help hold the mulch in place until it had settled so it wouldn't slide down the hill when it rained. I also wanted to the mulch to settle in fairly quickly so I could walk around on it without sliding and falling down...I only managed to have a landslide once, and no roses were damaged in the process; only my pride!

And indeed, haven't had any ill effects of using RU. I did read up here on other threads about others who had used RU and was fairly confident that I let enough time lapse between usage and planting that any ill residual effects were probably minimal. I added the mulch deep enough also that any grass that might have tried to grow died off, and I haven't had any problems with weeds growing through to speak off....an occasional mound of crabgrass sprouts up but it hasn't been bad at all.

I have many other perennial beds throughout my 2.5 acres and have never used any weed barrier...just mulch. Since I'm the type of gardener that likes perennials to naturalize and spread, I don't use because having a weed barrier in place prohibits "good" flower seeds from germinating. I do, however, truck in 80 cubic yards of mulch every fall, so this acts as a weed barrier. But I notice if I miss a year and the mulch decomposes to the point where it is just plain soil, then I get weeds.

I'm looking forward to the next couple of years when the bed fills out..the daylilies and irises will also come into their own and complete the look I was hoping for.

-terry