I find that my interests move in long cycles never quite forgetting old enthusiasms even when they are on the wane and then reemerging a number of years later stronger than ever. And so it has been with old roses. I joke that I will always garden, even if someday it must be in a petri dish.

Cath

My interest in acquiring more roses has waned, but my enchantment with mine when they look beautiful never will. There's a deep connection, which has lasted decades, and which I doubt that I can adequately verbalize. I often feel a sense of deep wonder that such beauty can exist and that we are privileged enough to be able to own it and see it in our gardens, up close and personal.

I love some of the roses at home, particularly Barbara's Pasture Rose and Crested Moss, but I haven't had much desire to add to the plantings for years. But I have continued to work hard to build and improve the Sacramento Historic Rose Garden. I got very worn out last year when fighting city hall over their direction to remove all of the climbing roses and move or cut back so many other roses - it nearly broke my heart and spirit, and I fell out of love with the garden. It was like sticking with a bad marriage for the children - I hung in there to make sure that the garden and its roses survived, but the thrill was gone. A wonderful trip to look at roses in Australia last fall was very healing, and then we had simply wondrous bloom in California this spring because of all of the rain that we had. It was nice to find that the love was still there. I don't think that I will ever lose it.

:) This made me chuckle to myself because I am one of those newbies, "overdoing herself, planting too many old roses too close" :) I hope I never lose my enthusiasm for old roses.

I've been thinking about the lifespan of gardening interests lately too. Like Cathz, the attention and time I can give my interests fluctuates, but my key loves haven't changed. I "rediscovered" some OGR roses I planted over twelve years ago...children and a new job ate up my time for quite a while. This spring was the first summer w/o children at home, and I reintroduced myself, water and mulch to my old friends :) They bloomed gloriously!

Sunny

I have a lot of plants in the garden beside the protagonist roses, and like Cath cycle in and out of passions and projects: try, half-fail, learn, modify, try again. I think I'll love roses and gardening as long as I love anything at all. One aspect of my gardening the last few years (aside from that this entire year has been devoted to getting our young plants alive through the drought) is that I've collected intensively for several years, and have worked intensively on soil preparation and our basic plantings, so that I've actually given relatively little time to experiencing my roses. I'm hoping for a sweet spot, a period in my life when I can look closely at my roses, and other plants, after the major planting is completed, and before the whole thing falls apart because I no longer have the means--strength, energy, money--to maintain it.

"The love of gardening is a seed that once sown never dies." Gertrude Jekyll

This surely applies to me. I can't imagine not loving roses. I started as a child, and I've gardened through tragedy and triumph and three children and very busy job and I'm going to keep at it as long as I can.

Like Cath and Melissa I cycle in and out of gardening interests. I also love beech trees, Itoh peonies, yew, water, pelargoniums, lavender and clematis and have begun collections or special specimens of each that have received fervid attention from time to time. Roses are a constant thread that I can remember from childhood.

When my interest in roses cools I've found that winter is just long enough to revive it. I work in the garden so much during the growing season and I and the plants need the downtime. I think it really helps me to have a cold climate and a leafless dormant period. During the winter I don't see the garden in the same way. When spring comes the picture is truly fresh and with it come new ideas and a renewed appreciation for what I have.

We have four seasons here, too, and I like that aspect of the once-blooming roses as well. I enjoy pruning time when they're dormant and I can look them over.