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I moved to Pittsburgh from The Bay Area seven years ago and discovered the Antique Roses forum after a couple of years. I am doing my best to embrace my new climate, although I am sorry not to be able to grow noisettes. As a freshly-minted single mom, I moved to a new (old) house three years ago (smallish city yard.) In my previous garden I had, oh, perhaps 150 roses and a supporting cast of perennials and other shrubs. After moving to this house, it took me a while to catch my breath and start from scratch (the yard was a miasma of overgrown weedy grass.) Aside from planting some cherry and plum trees and improving the condition of the grass, I laid low until this year, when my "inner gardener" asserted itself once more.

I have taken the plunge and tilled up the entire front yard and a good part of the back (who needs grass???) and started reading the Antique Roses forum again. On one of my many trips to buy amendments to have tilled into the soil, I was asked if I had a farm!

Right now I only have tomatoes, berries, and rhubarb planted in the back, but that will change... In the front I now have many baby perennials (including ~200 lavender plants), shrubs, clematis and other vines, and 27 roses. I only have two varieties of roses so far: Jude the Obscure (15) and The Prince (12), planted in groups of three. I am planning to add many more old favorites and new experiments. Having a blank slate is quite fun, and the Antique Roses forum is a great community.