My local Low's has 2 full isles of "peat pot" and "bagged" roses in. Of coarse I had to go over and check everything out. I'm on the lookout for two particular roses (Charisma and Whisky Mac). When I go hunting for certain roses, I can bypass all others. Of coarse I'll let everyone in my neighborhood know that Low's has good looking roses in. I've got 20 bush's coming in a couple of weeks from K&M, so I have to remind myself every time I go up there. NO ROOM!!!!

Yeah its never worked for me i always leave with a rose if can

So funny!! Confessions of rose aholics! I must admit I have a bit of an obsession myself. Jan and feb are my worst months to want to order EVERYTHING I see online and then April hits and lowes starts carrying fully loaded bushes and I'm toast again. But it's truly a beautiful And relaxing hobby (except pruning!) and I love love love it! The only reason I can show any constraint is the need for food and shelter hahaha! I guess we can survive off rose hips?? :) My first barer roots arrive tomorrow from palantine and I'm soooo excited! Carry on with the obsession my fellow addicts!

Fortunately, we're way past bare-root season here in the low desert of Phoenix so most of the roses at the big box stores look more dead than alive unless they came in as bud & bloom. Easy to walk away from a rose that needs resuscitation; tough to come away empty handed when you might 'need' that rose and it's lovely bloom... if it's affordable, I'm rescuing it. If it's over my budget, I'm just an addict :).

Don't forget, not all roses need to be bought! Other than the ones which we should not propagate due to some licensing, if it's OK to do it, then share some with friends and neighbors or even strangers who can give you other rose cuttings.

This time of year is also good for plant trades that might be happening around your community. Roses may not often be on the list that someone offers, but go ahead and ask about it, too!

We were on a ski vacation, and given the $130/day lift tickets and the $50/day ski rental, I said that this equaled at least 7 new rose bushes a day. My spouse says that I think in RBU's...that's Rose Buying Units.

I must be coming down with the sickness as well...I think I'm in stage 2 of the progression kublakan describes having been unable to resist a new selection from Weeks most recently (Violet's Pride). I have 8 roses on order for spring, which for me seems like a lot but I realize is hardly anything for some of the hardcore enthusiasts out there. It doesn't help that I have a tiny shady urban garden with hardly any room, and I refuse to plant anymore roses in the front yard as the soil out there just isn't very good. Not to mention the various indignities my roses are subjected to out front - sidewalk salt, litter, bums who pee in the bushes, and kids picking my flowers (last year I found myself banging on the window at a little girl I saw reach over my fence to pick one of my Mayflower roses. I think I scared the poor kid out of her wits. I promised myself I wouldn't become one of those mean old ladies who shakes her cane at passersby, but it might be inevitable at this point).

Please come shake your cane at the paint crew that pressure washed my roses !

I just shouldn't have gone to my local garden centre yesterday, but I did. I couldn't resist buying a rose of which I already knew that I couldn't squeeze it in anywhere. The solution lies in sacrificing 70 square feet of lawn. At least that leaves me with three vacant spots to be filled in soon.

And less lawn mowing! Good decision, Hans.

That "Good Decision" sounds a lot better than admitting I was wrong in the first place.

Self control is not working! Just left the Heirloom site and couldn't pass up a couple of the roses they have on sale today. Usually their roses are more than I want to pay since they are more pricy but with the sale I got them cheaper than paying postage somewhere else. So nope, lost all self control today.

RBUs are funny Noseometer. I'm going to try this philosophy. Yes Hans, less grass to mow!! And, more colorful! I should talk... I just came back from Home Depot and I took the van. I'm sick! Two more rose bushes are in the lot. Gez.

Michigan Bulb has free rose today-St Patrick Rose, so I got one. :-)

Christmas Tree Shops has Cedar Wood Arbors for $59.99 84"x26"x63".

Now Livin' Easy is free + postage at Michigan Bulb. Comments on HMF say it's susceptible to black spot if that's an issue.

I bought two more pots...............

I have 9 on order which is a lot considering I live in a row home with a tiny yard. These will take up half my yard space. Yet I still had to talk myself out of ordering Purple Lodge this year. I have so many roses on my wish list I feel relieved when I find a reason to not buy one.

I did it again. Just could not resist the display of roses in my local garden centre.

My wife noticed that when I was expanding the rosebeds, I deliberately create vacant spots.

There should be some 12-steps programs for bad cases like me.

Hans, forget the programs, however many steps, just go for it!

I figure: You only live once and if it makes you happy, why not???

So, which did you take???

Sharlene

Sharlene, I took the Princess of Wales a pure white HT with some pink in the centre. It's not in the pictures above.

I couldn't resist that pretty set-up either Hans. I think you will like the princess! We are so bad are we not? I know I'm addicted and there could be worse things to be addicted to. I'm more addicted to roses, but you have to have companions...then I have alot of shade and you have to have shade plants and roses that will climb for the light and...ohh you get the picture! I will have my paradise in about 5 years! My DH will thank me for messing with his allergies :) He's coming around though..just slowly, he made the remark the other day about how pretty my roses were looking...

I gave up on self control. Well, at least when it comes to Roses. I have 125+ and that is if I don't count what are on order that aren't here yet. The majority of mine are in pots. Yesterday my daughter's Father In Law was here for Easter. He asked in a not so nice tone, "Just how much money do you spend on roses?" I just smiled sweetly and asked, "Just how much money do you spend on your Country Club so you can play golf 3 days a week?" He muttered something and walked off. When he turned his back my daughter gave me a high five. I don't keep track of what I spend because it is unimportant.

Great response Beth! Loved it! Alot of my roses are still in pots with more coming to :)

Finally got my pot ghetto, which I now call The Nursery, fixed up. Took off part of a horse pasture, fenced it in, had a little bridge built over the rock creek, put in a white wrought iron gate, tacked down nursery fabric. Got the roses lined up in categories - OGRs, hybrid teas, floribundas, Vintage, Austins, Buck, etc. They look marvelous, are easy to water and tend to. My friends laugh and say I should put up a sign in front saying Roses for Sale. I love having all my pots in one place so much I just made another order - this one from Edmunds. Still have more room in the nursery......so why not buy more? I have plenty of room for new beds, but working on the ones I have. Will eventually get a bunch planted but my rose buying addiction will probably always keep the Nursery full! My theory is - life is short, eat dessert first!

Good one Beth! And, I don't know Hans if we're ready for a 12-step program... I'm still having way too much fun. I found a new nursery in the next town over that carries Week's Roses and they are on sale - 25% off. The place is HUGE - 15 acres. I got that weird giddy feeling again... the roses looked so good and healthy that a Mr. Neil Diamond had to come home with me. But, if that wasn't enough he had to have the Pope come along too. Yup, Mr. Pope John Paul II.

I now have an even 40 roses with the two still coming in April. Then I'm DONE... right?

Not ready for a 12 set program. I just remembered the other day that I added 4 roses to my Austin order. Then promptly forgot about it. Got tired of waiting for them to be offered as own roots. As long as you're all confessing I've got 100 roses coming.

Any and all diggers welcome. Will serve lunch, snacks and beverages.

You know you have it bad when you order arose forget you've ordered it and try and order it again! Yep that's me!

Alameda, do you have any photos? It sounds really pretty. My husband said the same thing about my "nursery," that I still have room so I should get more. Dang Patty, I wish I lived closer - I'd help. :-)

Patty, you have 100 roses coming? I hope for your sake that you have help and that the plants don't arrive all at once.

Alameda, I also would like to see photos of your nursery. The bridge over the creek sounds lovely.

Alameda, I love that you call it your nursery. Pot ghetto sounds so negative. I just officially renamed mine the nursery thanks to you.

I love to come sit on the patio and just look out over my pots. I have 113 in pots and plenty room for more. I don't mind watering them but hate to leave town and ask anyone else to water them. Grandson is 15 miles away and I usually get him to come take care of them when I need to leave. He doesn't mind doing it for gas money. He's coming over next weekend to dig out some shrubs to convert a bed to roses.

My whole family are enablers so I know the nursery will continue to grow.

i love reading all of your stories!! my garage (where i overwinter my 52 roses) is filled up (well i've ordered about 10 roses this year) - that's all i can fit in the garage for overwintering. but my husband said something about buying shelving!! bahahaha!!

i love having my roses in pots because the flowers are all at nose level. i don't have to bend down to the ground to enjoy them. roses make me giddy. every time i go see them in the backyard (in summer - not quite yet) (about 6 times/day) i just am giddy and passionately in love with all of them. aren't roses marvelous!!

carol

Beth, I too didn't much like the name pot ghetto. It was suitable when I had pots scattered all over creation for the best sunlight or sunlight protection but it was a hot mess. Now.......this is organized, truly beautiful in my eyes and I can go down the rows [yes, I know where each rose is w/out looking at the tag!] and check each one. Here are some photos. They are not in full sun, but get differing amounts of sun throughout the day and are protected from the super hot afternoon sun that is Texas. I have room to the left of the gate where I plan to put [what else?] raised rose beds with cinder blocks. I have it all planned out - just need the time to go place them exactly, then haul in the soil. Today I am potting up just arrived bare roots! I still have to paint the fence boards a beige like my horse barn, which is nearby. I plan to put in along the sunnier areas near the fence some purple crepe myrtles, and along the backside of the fence will be old garden roses - noisettes, etc. There is a small patio to the right of the gate, inside the fence, that I am refurbishing. Lots of projects!! Got miniature horses, and 100 chickens that reside in newly done "chicken condominiums" - I call it Cluckingham Palace. No idle days for me and I love it! Oh, and you all with just rose addictions........I have one for daylilies as well! Note the potted ones in the photo and I have more to bring in that are potted. Another name for it is The Playpen......my granddaughter's big sandpile is to the far right so she can play while I tend the roses.

Cluckingham Palace, I love it

Dang, I wish I had a flat open area like yours Alameda! Lots of room to add more roses! LOL My property is sloped and we have about 10 frickin' 60-90ft pine trees all around the place. I hate the pine needles and pine cones with a passion! People say ya gotta love the trees if you live up in the Sierras. Hah! That's BS! If I could afford to cut down all the trees I would in a heartbeat! I'm just so happy we had to cut down the 4 other big trees in the backyard last yr when we had to re-do the septic tank and leach lines. That opened up a huge sunny area where I'm working on planting roses that have been in the pot "nurseries" for yrs. I have several areas that are still going to have potted roses once I get the old ones planted out. I'm trying to cut down on the potted areas to make less work for myself... but I know once I get done with all that, I'll gradually add new ones to those spots. After all, if I do get most of them planted... I'll have dozens and dozens of empty pots needing to be filled with something!

And I have to laff at you guys talking about ordering a rose that you forgot you already ordered... I've done that a few times!! One yr I ordered TAWNY TIGER from Pickering and then ordered it from Hortico, because I forgot I had ordered it. That' ok now tho, cuz I'm starting another "oddball color" bed, so the second one can go in there. Oh, and last yr after the septic dig-up, I thought I had lost TABRIS and SHEER BLISS and then GREAT CENTURY died back to the bud union. So I promptly ordered a TABRIS from Hortico, and SHEER BLISS and GREAT CENTURY from Heirloom (when they had a sale) to replace them. Darn if I didn't find both TABRIS and SHEER BLISS... and then GREAT CENTURY suddenly sprouted new canes. So now I have duplicate roses and I could've spent that money on something I didn't already have!!! Impulsive spending.... gotta stop it.... yeah right....

Oh my gosh this is too funny, I'd love to live next to you alameda.

Patty, I don't suppose 'air' fare comes with the lunch, snacks and beverages? Melodye :-)

Would that be from AUSTRALIA. I think I might rather ditch the roses and come to your neck of the woods.

Yep, Patty, probably cheaper and just think, our winters are milder on the whole. You could start a whole new rose garden AND the dog and I would help you dig the holes. Lol Melodye. ( who has 30 roses coming, little or no room and no self control whatsoever)

Alameda, that looks great. Thanks for posting the pictures. It's nice that you have outdoor seating to enjoy the surroundings.

Thank you! I have just started this project and have plans to fix it up more and edge the fence with blooming old garden shrubs. But just getting all those pots in one place - heaven! Think we would all be dangerous if we were neighbors........I don't have any rose buddies who live nearby, but have a couple who are long time dear friends and rabid gardeners, so at least I have friends to take plant road trips with. We are going to Tyler tomorrow for the Azalea Trail - am sure we will hit a couple of nurseries so are taking the truck!

I think we should petition whoever produces the tv show Hoarders - maybe they would put some rose people on - seeing zillions of roses blooming would be way better than seeing the filthy trash they show now....... So nice to know I am not alone in my addiction!

Alameda great idea! "Rose Hoarders" would be so much prettier!

NO! They would take them away from us. At least if we were all neighbors you would know were to look if a rose came up missing.

All perspective; It occured to me rose collecting is a museum of living art . Who knows what tomorrow may bring, there needs to be knowledgeable Curators willing to build up an exhaustive collection ; preserve, show, talk about , so on and so forth. It only seems excessive to people that can't see over the top of their hoarded posessions to enter the rose garden.

And No, I won't accept I'm in denial .

From a different perspective-
I'm feeling a little concerned how to deal with shopping the few weeks before Mothers day. Have you got a strategy to avoid buyers remorse ? I thought my attention could all be directed toward bagged dirt, compost and fancy organic fertilizers...who am I kidding. Maybe I need a lock down rehab clinic over Mothers day.

I try to hold strong, but my husband is the WORST enabler! I show him a pretty picture, and he promptly says, yes, we need that one. I'm all, yeah, but where will it GO? He just laughs. I asked my daughter back when I had less than 200 roses, at what point does one go from happy hobby to mental illness? She looked around and said, I think we're there already. Turd. Lol

I wish I had a more organized ghetto, but there isn't enough shade to set them out so pretty like that. I'm inspired though. I've got stuff all over the frigging place and it really needs to be hit with the pretty stick.

I'm with Beth, Alameda - your gorgeous unfilled garden space is all that I'd need to turn me from a rose maniac to truly obsessed. You see, I think having 342 roses ordered to arrive this spring is merely manic, since they're all spaced out nicely in arrivals over the next month and a half and require no more than 50 or so planted in any given weekend (11 already planted Sunday thanks to Ludwig's no-wait policy on shipments).

Obsessed would be, hmm, welllll, I hate to put a number on it because I might get there one of these days. Obsessed might be spending all my time thinking about roses. Nope, only all my online responses are limited to roses on GW, but I actually do other things with free time, and my family isn't neglected (much). My teenagers are finally old enough to not only genuinely help in the garden, but cook dinner mostly independently, which conveniently leaves me more time for...oh, maybe I am obsessed with roses, but in a good way. I can stop any time (sure...) but who'd want to? Even my non-gardening husband has started his chorus of "the flowers sure look pretty" already this year, and that warms my little heart. Gee, I'd hate to disappoint him.

Cynthia - on track to break into true "rose nut" territory of over 1000 roses this year

Self control is out the window. Remember how I said I had 9 roses on order for my tiny yard? Well I impulse bought 3 kordes roses at Lowes and I just added another rose to my mail order. So that is 13 new roses this spring. 6 have been planted and 7 are coming in May.

I have self control when it come to purchasing clothing, food and vacation type things. This is necessary it order to save for the important things in life. ROSES!!!

I should have mentioned above that I do indeed possess self control. I just don't have my priorities straight.