I already mentioned my latest project on Juliet's post, but I did want to lend some support to yours. I think getting a place with a garden that's been trashed is great because you are not then stuck with living with someone else's visions and ideas. It sounds like you are doing all kinds of lovely things and have alot to look forward to. Good luck!

This is the second year in my home and last year we had some green schrubs dug out..it is the only warm spot in our yard..and I started my rose garden. It's yellow and orangeish on that side. Sky's the limit, Vavoom, Marvelle, Valencia, Crown Princess Margaretta, Lady Emma Hamilton, Gold Metal, Sunset Celebration...I am going to move my Julia Child and Living Easy over there..move them from the pots they are in..and now I have started my pinks!

It looks like you have a great start zyperisis! I will be tearing out some green shrubs myself this spring to make way for roses :)

Mendocino, you're definitely right, I love being able to have my own vision, and not having to work around someone elses!

I wonder how many avid gardeners do other project like laying concrete and staining patios and such?! I hope I can do as good of a job with these other projects as I with gardening. At least, so far it seems that I am doing a good job gardening hehe

Congratulations on your home and the beginnings of your garden. You will be very, very busy!

I think most gardeners do other project like laying concrete, etc. I know I do, and I hear of others stacking stone walls, etc.

This winter has seemed so long to me. I had planned to put in a climbing rose garden, but my plans have changed numerous times and I think I'm going to work on a different part of the yard this year. So, it's back to the drawing board. Just waiting to see if we can afford to get the (quite large) arbor I have found. :)

Don't forget to take before and after pictures! We would all love to see your progress.

Holleygarden, you sound so much like me! I have been so anxious this winter, and my plans have changed and expanded at least 4 times! I still have the pictures from before we even moved in, and a few from the yard. I will definitely have to start a before and after album :) I am tryin to afford all of this myself, I keep coming up with more ways to spend all of our savings! Good luck with your plans!

It seems like I get an idea..and I have to brood and think about it for weeks. That is part of the fun. I have been thinking I really need to downscale my plans..and when I went outside and really looked at my new rose garden..I have lots of room to grow. Plus I can use pots for more. I have ordered a Mystic Beauty rose, Bolero (for a pot) 2 Double Delights from Roses Unlimited...and I have a Pickering order..I can't even remember what I ordered! I have a Glamis Castle, Parole, Gemini and a Golden Budda to plant. I believe Gemini and Golden Budda are going in pots. I have plans for 2 John Pauls..with maybe a climbing pink and white in between (havent decided yet) I also have a baby Darlow's Enigma that is going to the back of my property. Today I planted some Calla Lillies, and Oriental Lillies near my roses. I have nothing combined in the garden yet to go with the roses. I found a really cool orange Calla that I planted with my Vavoom..I don't know how this is all going to work..but that's the fun right? Oh yah..I bought 3 ceramic pots today for the Double Delights. Since they are so picky..I am putting them away from the other roses..so if I need to spray them alot I can. I am trying not to use to many chemicals. This was my way to get fragrance in my garden. I have to try and pick easier roses to grow..and I don't always get fragrance.

Natalie,
Since you mentioned budget limits in another post, I think you're a prime candidate to learn how to root cuttings....ummmm (scratching head) of course you'll have to find a volunteer to send you the cuttings. I can't, I'm in Italy. If you can find a source of rose cuttings, older roses that you can legally propagate and that root easily, you can get a lot of roses for no more than the cost of your labor. And your patience, because it takes time. I offer this as an idea, adapted to these frugal times. A good number of my roses are ones I or friends propagated. I have a number of gardening buddies who are mad propagators, as I am myself, and we all share our seed- and cutting-grown plants around.
Melissa
P.S. My project this spring is simply to continue pruning and cleaning the mess that resulted from a nasty winter. We do our planting in the fall; from now until October we mainly do maintenance.

It really is important to think about the projects. I have been trying to figure out how how to move into my pinks, as the one side of the house is the only place I can grow roses. I started with my hot colors. I think I am going to get a obelisk (hope I spelled that right) and plant a clematis..then perhaps a bird bath..just a break in the colors..Then I will go into pink and white and lavendar. I have pots for red..I have the three pots on the other side of the fence..and I plan on planting my double delights..and now maybe I have decided on Ingrid Bergman. Now I need to start adding some perennials on the yellow and orange side.

zyperiris, I am also thinking about what to plant with my roses, and you have some great ideas! I bet your garden will be so colorful, and especially fragrant with those double delights! That is my mothers favorite rose, she a sucker for scent (aren't we all?)

Melissa, I'm sorry to hear you had a nasty winter, it has been snow and ice here for the past 5 weeks, and I am sick of it! I have been thinking about rooting cuttings, it is definitely a great way to save money, which is very important for most people right now :)

Well, back to work for me! Thanks for all of the response!

Natalie- I'm interested in your trellises. You said you're making them yourself...what are you using? I also am trying to work on a small seating area. I have some antique bricks that I want to use under a little tea table and chairs. Budget constraints are always an issue, so I'm trying to do a lot of it myself (or with my husband's help with the heavy stuff).

Sometimes, it would be nice to just go out and buy everything you want and get it right now, but where's the challenge, there? (LOL) My bricks are from an old road in a nearby town, so there's a lot of history there. The trellises I'm trying to build (not a woodworker, unfortunately) may end up being pvc pipe and lattice, but I may try to paint the pipes brown, so they blend in with the wooden lattice. White plastic lattice would be easier, which is what I use at mom's little cottage, but it doesn't go with the rustic look of our farm. The trellis is for two Zephirine Drouhin roses I ordered last week :)

zyperiris: I have similar situation. Between my pinks and gold-orange-reds, I have purples and blues, mostly by clematis and perrenials. It works for me.

Dear Lavendar Lassie;
I dont know if this idea will help but here is what I'm doing to construct three trellises that are rustic looking and strong but not terribly expensive.
We built the outside frames of two of them 10 feet tall by 5 feet wide. Used 2x2 cedar which I stained. Once these were attached to form a rectangle. I drilled holes 1 foot apart on both the long pieces. In one we cut copper pipe ( half inch) to fit and slid it through the holes. At the ends we attached fittings which they sell at home depot with the copper pipe. The second one was done the same but rebar was used. rebar is way cheaper but a problem to cut. gary did it as i couldn't.
the third trellis is just copper tubing with fittings at the edges. if you go look at the piping and fittings at home depot you will probably figure it out. they had a gizmo to cut threads in the tubing that was reasonable and gary says we have to also use glue.
its a work in progress..hope to have them done by june. Hope I helped and didnt confuse you.
Jeannie

Jeannie2009-
Thanks for the trellis info b/c I was wondering how to do the same thing with roses I've ordered this season,too. My husband has a welding machine & using rebar is a good idea. We bought our 1st house in July 08 & in addition to completing my 45'x 5' old fashioned fragrant garden, I would like to till/do terraced raised vegetable beds in my backyard, plan on paving (ourselves) the 15'x15' area under our deck & I am also growing @ 60 annuals from seed in my basement. I love spring & summer! Natalie- since we moved in I have had more of a blank slate & have concentrated on slowly doing perimeter foundation beds along my house. That way, I have plenty of time to envision the "bigger picture" before I do something I regret later. I'm interested to know how the patio thing goes/what type of stone you use since we're doing something similar.

I think hand making things to use in the garden is cool. Also old things..gives the garden more character. I am pretty sure I am going to use an obelisk to break up the colors. Let's keep this thread going with photos and how it all works out for us

Lolaky...I'm glad you found my post helpful. I have such a difficult time trying to explain what we're doing. And so far I'm technically challenged and cant upload pics. My daughter-in-law promises to help me this spring with that so maybe I'll be able to do it too.
Take care and happy gardening.
Jeannie