I am officially a gardener without a garden. Hedgerow Rose is moving!
I’ve been overtly hinting for a while now that change was in the air, and after many, many months of hard work and planning, my husband and I will be taking up a new residence in North Carolina. I’ve lived in Pennsylvania for the past 18 years so this is very exciting! The mister will be in a new position that begins at the end of March and I am chomping at the bit to get down there as soon as possible–hopefully by end of April? I have been feeling angsty this winter knowing that I’m leaving this beautiful garden that I’ve tended and cherished these past 5 years and not having a new garden, yet, to plan for.
Because normally this time of year, I’d be reserving my roses, sowing my seeds, ordering new plants, sketching the layout for the veggie garden, yadda yadda yadda. Instead, all I have is a sad little collection of indoor potted bulbs and every day I poke and peer at them, desperate as I am for something to tend. It’s been a real lesson in restraint to not just say heck with it and reserve plants, anyways, but I’m not sure where they would go yet!
In the garage, I’ve tucked away potted baby lavender, boxwood and roses, the dahlia tubers and some iris rhizomes. I’ve also carefully collected and stored a ridiculous amount of seeds from our cutting garden last summer. Before we move, you better believe I’ll be taking cuttings from all the roses and I’m hopeful that all of these baby plants and seeds flourish at our new home, but I’m ready now to get started! I’m an optimist, but I never said I was patient. 😉
Dear readers, give me something to think about other than this seemingly endless waiting and tell me all about what you are planning for your garden this spring. Have you seen this new introduction from David Austin? I’ve decided It’s going to be the first rose I buy for the new garden, wherever that may be!
Welcome to life in the South!!! I wish you a smooth transition and a beautiful new garden!
Thank you Mia! 😀
Oh my goodness, congrats on the move! I’m not exactly a patient gal when it comes to certain things either, so I can totally relate to feeling antsy 🙂
Thanks Jo! It’s going to be fun to plan once we get to that point! 😉
That’s great! I grew up in North Carolina – which area will ya’ll be living in? I grew up in the Asheville area on the border with Tennessee. You’re going to love the better climate, sweet tea and southern hospitality. Can’t wait to see your new garden! The Albrighton Rambler looks really cool – I almost purchased one, but I’m already over my rose “budget”. Hope your move and transition goes well!
Well, this is kinda funny because it’s Asheville where we are moving to! (Possibly an area outside like Candler if we can’t find anything in Asheville proper.) What a small world!! 😀
Very cool! Asheville is an amazing place, tons of people are moving there. It’s beautiful and has a strong “arts” feel now. Your jewelry line will be very popular there, in fact there are folks that sell things like it downtown. You and your husband might consider Weaverville, East Asheville and Hendersonville for homes – all great areas with lower prices than Asheville and only 10-15 minutes away. If you guys have any questions about the area, don’t hesitate to ask – happy to help you in any way.
PS – The Rose garden at the Biltmore Estate is one of the best in country, it also is one of a few sites for the International Rose Trials – you’ll want to buy a season pass so you can go all year – it’s an incredible place.
Thank you Cole!! I am very excited about visiting the Biltmore’s rose garden. I imagine they will get sick of seeing me there. 😉 We are looking into Hendersonville, too, so it’s helpful to know what you think of it since reading reviews online about various cities can give someone a very skewed version of the place. I will probably be picking your brain over the next few weeks! 🙂
PS I know what you mean about being over rose budget. Too many times I justified just one more purchase! 😉
Wow! The possibilities. And the impatience. I totally understand.
That David Austin looks lovely.
Wishing you all the best!
Thank you Anne! Can’t wait to build up a new rose collection…I know you know what that’s like! 😉
Welcome to North Carolina! Asheville is absolutely gorgeous, and the growing climate (from what I saw of it on my honeymoon) is fabulous. I’ll be several hours east of you, so don’t be alarmed if you remember any of my wistful laments about how stuff dies here. That’s probably equal parts me and zone 8a. 😉
Hope y’all have an uneventful move and can get to work on the garden of your dreams.
Thank you! I hope to love it. I think their winters are very similar to what we experience here in central PA, but I heard they have a slightly earlier spring and later fall, so I’ll take it! 😉
Beautiful city. Wonderful part of the USA. Look me up and I will send you all the cuttings you want!
PS: you have the mountains AND the beach AND the Appalachian Trail. That’s a lot to focus on. Research places you wanna visit.
Susan
Thank you Susan! It’s very kind of you to offer cuttings. I just might take you up on that! 🙂
Congrats on your new beginning! Since you will be going in April, perhaps you will be able yo dig up some of your roses to take with you?
I have done this successfully with some that were quite large, just cut them back to make them manageable and then put them in large black nursery pots, almost as big as wine barrels…they did fine. Some are still in them and it has been 4 years! I still have not gotten them all in the ground! (Still designing the garden spaces…) wishing you the best of luck and how fortunate to be in Asheville!
Thank you Holly! 🙂
I may be able to take a few roses, but I have to be careful that I don’t bring our rose midge nightmare with us. It may be better just to start fresh!
Oh, good point!! We don’t have rose midge problem where I am in Cali…so maybe the cuttings are your best best.
Or maybe spray with organic pesticide whichever ones you do take. So much to think about, so exciting!! I love new beginnings…
me too!
I’m excited to see your next garden!
I’m slowly working on our little yard. I feel like I still have so much to learn about growing things here in Texas!
Thank you Jessica! It’s a learning curve starting a garden in a whole new climate and I can’t think of a bigger change than your move from Chicago, aka Winterfell. 😉 BTW, I still have those seed pods you sent me. Every now and then I like to give them a good rattle–I get such a kick out of them!
Everything I’ve heard about the area you’re moving to is positive. I’m so excited for you! I think you’re going to have a great place to garden. I’ve been waiting for news about your move and I’m really looking forward to what you’ll be sharing. I totally understand the patience required in all this, as we’ve spent so much time looking, planning and budgeting for what now is finally taking off. Whew! Hugs, Nancy P.S. The Albrighton Rambler is am-AZ-ing! Oh, I can’t wait to plant roses around our new place. Maybe this spring or summmer?
Thank you Nancy! I have been hearing lots of positives about that area, too, but I’m still nervous because I’ve never been there! I’m up for an adventure, though. I can’t wait to see the progress on your new home, too. Now that they’ve finally broken ground things should really get cooking…and you can start planting your garden! 😀
Hi am happy and sad for you. Happy that you are moving somewhere so interesting and sad about what you have to leave behind.
The process of planning your new garden will be an amazing writing opportunity. We (your readers) will learn loads from it.
I have little to contribute as far as distractions go, but lets just say that I am planning a major garden expansion, with a lot of grass transforming into beds.
My goal is to not be too influenced by what other people are buying. I have the knee jerk reaction to want anything that looks good in someone else blog as far as roses go, but really I don’t have much space left to had roses and I really need to focus on the fact that I want to add a nice purple floribunda. I just don’t know which is best : )
I can;t wait to see the new jewelry you make there. I still can’t wear my ring, my anniversary is at the end of the month!
juju
Oooh, “major garden expansion” you say? How exciting! I do understand completely that knee jerk reaction. It’s so easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm and difficult to stay on a budget! (Speaking from experience…) Hmmm, purply floribunda…have you thought about Night Owl? It’s classified as a climber but gets bushy. Maybe that wouldn’t be suited for your zone, though. If I ever have the room, I’d plant Veilchenblau. It’s a massive rambler type, but I’ve yet to see a rose more classic-ly purple.
Enjoy your ring! ♡
Congratulations on your move! I will be anxious to see what you decide to plant. I am sure you will find inspiration once you find a place to live.
Thank you Adrienne, I hope so! 🙂
I can’t wait to see your new garden, and watch it grow. I already know it will be beautiful!
Thanks Mom! ♡♡♡
Congratulations on your move. The wonderful thing with gardening is that you never get dull (well for me anyway). You are constantly learning new things every year. No two growing year are identical. Now you have a “clean slate” to grow– have fun shopping for all those lovely new plants!!
Thank you! I love that about gardening, too, there is always something new to learn. 🙂
Congrats on the move and all the best with your new garden!
Thank you Deborah! 🙂