On a cold February day, I decided to build a formal rose garden. It was my birthday and I couldn't think of anything I would like more than to be outside doing a project I could enjoy all year long. I’ve always loved roses and have a few scattered around the yard, but suddenly the appeal of a formal rose garden was irresistible.
Sod and weeds had to be cleared. I decided I wanted an area large enough for 12 rose bushes, that way I would always have a dozen roses.
I also wanted an obvious delineation that this area was different from other areas in the yard, a “room” so to speak. I added edging pavers and planting compost for soil amendment.
I bought some hedging material. The hedge is Scarlet Ovation Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum ‘Scarlet Ovation’). I liked the leaf color and shape plus the small pink flowers in the Spring are a bonus. In a couple of years, the plants will grow together and make a very pretty hedge.
The color theme for the rose garden is pink and yellow. Therefore, all the roses are either pink or yellow or a combination of the two. Last year I planted a Princess Anne English Shrub rose so that one fits into the color scheme just fine. However, the second one from last year was from another place in my yard and has been moved around a couple of times. It’s tag is gone and I cannot remember what it is. So this year I will be watching closely and if it doesn’t fit the color scheme, it will be moved once again.
The rest of the roses list is:
Michelangelo – Hybrid Tea
Peace-Hybrid Tea
Bewitched-Hybrid Tea
Falling in Love-Hybrid Tea
Eyeconic Mango Lemonade-Floribunda
Gold Medal-Grandiflora
Midas Touch-Hybrid Tea
Sheila’s Perfume-Floribunda
Radiant Perfume-Grandiflora
Pink Freedom-American Shrub Rose
I decided to try a tree rose in a pot to add some interest. There are a couple of enormous rocks that I decided to leave for the same reason. I added a couple of stone turtles for whimsy, Bertie and Gertie.
Some stepping stones and a fence finished the job. That is because I have a 16 month old German Shepherd who is fondly nicknamed Max the Destroyer. Those enormous paws of his can dig up something in about 15 seconds flat. In order to give the rose garden a fighting chance at survival, it has been surrounded in fencing. Obviously, once the roses grow, the thorns will defend the plants just fine, but until then, a fence will keep plants and animals separate.
Overall the project took me about 6 weeks working on it on the weekends. I’ll be posting pictures as the roses start blooming. Be sure to check back to see how its going. Hopefully this has inspired you to build yourself a birthday garden! Warmly, Nicole
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