The Goldilocks Situation of Our Current Home & A List of Roses
Happy June, Everyone! While I’ve been enjoying all of our conversations on Instagram so much I missed being able to dive a bit deeper into some rosy topics so here’s a post for y’all. Before I get into that, I wanted to take a moment to apologize for the ads. Believe me, I probably hate them more than you do, but keeping a website up and running is expensive. We had over 10 years of ad-free posting but I guess all good things must come to an end. 😉
It’s strange to imagine that since I started blogging back in 2010, we have lived in 3 different homes, each with a very unique garden. I promise it’s not because we think moving is totally rad; It’s just been due to the various twists and turns of life. Our current residence is quite different from the last, which sat on a multi-level, heavily wooded acre at the top of a mountain. Turkeys, bears, even coyotes visited us regularly among many other small mammals, hawks and songbirds. The biggest concerns there were too much shade cast from the giant Poplar trees, fallen trees and limbs in those powerful southern storms, the network of voles eating roots of our plants, the swarms of subterranean termites entering our home, forests of poison ivy and the neverending battle to eradicate the Japanese knotweed.
Now, however, we’re planted squarely in the ‘burbs on a 1/4 acre lot. Here, our struggles are not just a lack of privacy. We also contend with the dulcet tones of the neighboring highway, various landscaping equipment, work trucks, and charming garden views of fishing boats, trucks and R.V.s parked in various driveways. The problem with the location of our last garden was it was too wooded and remote. The problem with this suburban garden is it’s too busy. (I should mention that the noise level here is probably fine for most people but I struggle with Misophonia and some days are very challenging.)
So yeah, for us, neither one was or is awesome. While we knew that we wouldn’t want to be here for long, we’ve bumped up the timeline in search for our forever home. Sadly, as I’m sure you’re all painfully aware, the housing market is insane right now so it doesn’t look promising. (But as someone who had housing insecurities for much of my young adult life, I am so grateful to have a roof over my head. Trust and believe.)
We’ve made the best of it, as one does, and have created a little oasis for the local wildlife. I am really pleased with how much it’s filled out–almost too much–in such a short period of time. I hope that someday a new homeowner will love what we’ve created and enjoy it for many years. If you’re also trying to find your forever home in these crazy times, I am sending you a hug in solidarity!
Since a few people have said that a list of the roses we are currently growing would be helpful, I’ve included it at the bottom of this post. To see an aerial view of the main part of our garden, see this post. To see more photos of this garden, follow along on my personal Instagram: @HedgerowHome
Happy Gardening to all of you and sending you my best wishes for a wonderful summer!
Roses in Our Garden (Broken up by beds/borders. + Indicates multiples in that border)
Driveway Border:
Rosa Mundi
Pomponella
Queen of Denmark
Mme Hardy
James Galway
“Grapevine” Bed:
Tuscany Superb
Unknown Gallica
Unknown Gallica (R gallica splendens?)
Earth Angel
Plum Perfect
Gallica Hedge:
Charles de Mills
Rose de Rescht
Cardinal de Richelieu
The Bishop
Ombrée Parfait
Henri Martin
Belle de Crécy
Back Fence:
R rugosa ‘Rubra’
Dark Desire +
Erinnerung an Brod
Léda
D’Aguesseau
Baltimore Belle
Mme Plantier
“Woodland” Garden:
Chestnut Rose
R glauca
R hugonis
Mme Hardy
Celsiana
R alba semi-plena
Sombreuil
Munstead Wood
Side Fence:
Harison’s Yellow
Agnes
R spinosissima
R virginiana
Desirée Parmentier
Agathe Incarnata
Ispahan
R canina Inermis
Fantin-Latour
Ghislaine de Féligonde +
Veilchenblau
Seaside Terrace Garden:
R rugosa ‘Alba’ +
Blanc Double de Coubert
Rugelda
Snow Pavement
Seaside Bed Corner 1:
Great Maiden’s Blush
Ivor’s Rose +
Malvern Hills
Workshop Wall:
Apple Blossom
Burgundian Rose
Cornelia +
Seaside Bed Small:
Thérèse Bugnet
Basye’s Purple
Ivor’s Rose
Belle Poitevine
Ann Endt
Seaside Bed Main:
Buffalo Gal
Moje Hammarberg
Sarah Van Fleet
Dagmar Hastrup
Scabrosa
Ivor’s Rose +
Seaside Bed Corner 2:
Belle Poitevine
Front Garden:
Geranium
Mme Abel Chatenay
Arcata Pink Globe
Ghislaine de Féligonde
Ginger Sylabub
Cornelia
Lady of Shalott
Mme Anisette
Colette cl.
The Generous Gardener
Rhode Island Red
Chicken Barn:
James Galway
Garden Gate:
Cécille Brünner
Containers:
Cornelia +
Mother of Pearl
Jude the Obscure
Darcey Bussell
Comtesse de Rocquigny
Princesse Charléne de Monaco
Sweet Mademoiselle
R gallica officinalis
James Galway
Olivia Rose Austin +
Apricot Candy
Antike 89
Allotment:
St Swithun
Buff Beauty
Lyda Rose
Veilchenblau
Boy do we ever hit the ground running with our gardens every time we move! It’s been an absolute joy to create another home with you, love (even if it’s not the ideal home). Here’s to us finding that forever home with a lot less noise without having to live in the wilderness!
Couldn’t have done it without you! Hopefully we’ll be creating our dream space soon….or at least before we go totally bonkers from all the stress. 😉
Wow! I’m totally impressed with all that you guys have done, and you have an incredible collection of roses in such in short amount of time. Everything looks incredible! I love have you designed your space too. Thanks for the list of roses, I learned about ones I’ve never heard of before. I’m glad your blog is staying put, even with ads, it is worth it for the treasure trove of roses and rose information!
That is so kind of you, Cole! Thank you so much for your continued support and encouragement. It means so much to us! 🙂
Do you take roses with you when you move? you have so many planted, I would have a really hard time moving to a forever home and leaving those behind!
We took what we could and what I couldn’t take with me I purchased again once I got here. Now that we’re considering another move I’ve begun propagating again. It’s a pain but worth it in the end! 🙂
I so appreciate your blog. I’m impressed that you have that many varieties in a city lot! Did you kill the lawn before putting in beds, or do you have patches to mow? I also noticed the galvanized cans. I’ve attemtped to do this for a few years, but end up with dead plants in July. I plan to try again next year, in a shadier location. Do you have any other tips for using these?
Thank you Carrie! 🙂
We put cardboard over the lawn and then soil (or sand or gravel) right over that. The cardboard breaks down rather quickly and the lawn doesn’t come back. We have some patches of lawn still because the chickens like to graze on it….otherwise I’d probably make the whole thing a flower garden. The galvanized cans…well the only advice I can give you is what I tell everyone when it comes to containers and that is its all about having proper drainage. We drill many drainage holes (my rule of thumb is make more than you think you’ll need.) More container plants are killed because of improper drainage than anything else. Hope this helps!