Sorry about you troubles, Altorama, but I'm glad you got to keep your roses and are happy in your new home. Don't worry about the labels. As they bloom you'll figure them all out again. And if you find out you got one or two in the wrong spot you can always swap them around next spring!

Good for you, altorama. That ability to make the most of things will see you (and your roses) doing well, I would think.
I live in public housing too and there has been considerable satisfaction knowing that if my roof blows away, a phone call to the council suffices.
Sure, I had to suck it up during the last 20 years when all my home-owning friends made more money just sitting on property than they did from their salaries (and I have the scars from where my head fell on the table with boredom during innumerable dinners and get-togethers when property prices where the only topic of conversation).
The absolute best of luck to you and yours.

Altorama, it's wonderful you had the roses to keep your spirits up. Your upbeat attitude is amazing and will carry you far. The roses will be amazing no matter what. Sometimes even when you know the name of a rose they don't perform as expected in your climate or you get a dud so you're probably going to be fine with wherever you put them.

No one with eyes to see would have thought stuffing Complicata into a station was foolish, Altorama. Roses more than once have helped me over a hump in the road. You hang in there and best wishes to you and yours.

Altorama, it's so great that you have such a feisty spirit! I think you did absolutely the right thing keeping your roses. Living plants have a huge impact on our surroundings, and knowing that you have your old favourites with you are going to make a big difference. Let us know how the transplanting worked out - who knows, they might do even better than before ;)

Yes, your spirit is inspiring; that's a lot to go through, and am so happy that you get to keep your roses, you most definitely deserve them!

I hope I did not come across as "poor me" because honestly I don't feel that way at all! I'm happy, kids are happy, mostly I just kind of surprised myself with how much determination I had to get those roses! LOL! And how silly it was for me to think I'd be able to ID them! I took all my clematis too (of course!)
Thanks to ALL OF YOU for your kind wishes, didn't expect that, you all made my day! I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Altorama, you definitely did not come across that way at all! I think we are all just impressed with your tenacity and attitude. :)

What is the saying, "it's not what happens to you, but how you handle it", (or something like that!)

Alida, I'm so sorry to hear that you've had difficult times... it's good that you are able to keep your roses, they are wonderfully therapeutic. Best wishes in your new home and garden.

My daughter has been going through something similar---just had to sign her home over to ex--very painful---I will share your story with her----You are an inspiration--and I admire your determination to keep your roses.
can't wait to see your roses when they share their blooms with you after the move----did you move all the plants by yourself ?---
Good luck and please keep us posted----Florence

Thank you all for your words of support!
Zeffy, I'm sorry about your daughter, like I said before, I really thought losing my home would kill me..but more important that my children and I were safe-but still, it was very hard. However things sometimes have a way of working themselves out. I guess a lot of it is fear of the unknown, an uncertain future. Please give her my best wishes.
Oh and yes, I moved them by myself-for one thing I wouldn't trust anyone else with them-but the other thing is-I was too embarrassed! I'm sure anyone I would have asked would have asked me if I was nuts!

You didn't sound "poor me" at all, but rather a blend of practical, self-reliant, and cheerful. I wish you and your kids every happiness in your new home, but honestly, I don't think you need my good wishes. You sound like a person who can make happiness where ever she finds herself.

Let me wish you a wonderful garden, though, even though you are making that for yourself as well. Making your surroundings beautiful is a true gift, and it is one that you will be sharing with your neighbors. And it will very quickly make your new housing into a true home.

And if you have some of your roses planted in the wrong place, well, you can just move them. Like people, roses are pretty flexible about that kind of thing as long as their real needs are met.

Rosefolly

I agree with Rosefolly---You sure did not sound like a "poor me"---You sound like a very healthy and strong lady who will always have beauty around her---Keep up the good work----I'm sure your children are very proud of their mommy---

Even when I was young and strong I doubt I could have moved the big climbers----that is amazing

Wishing you the best----please take some pictures as your roses respond to your TLC.

Florence

I like the way you bounce back, Altorama. Can't wait to see photos of your new garden. Congratulations on getting re-situated and glad the roses and clematis and you and your kids are safe.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Our house burned in Feb. 1994, divorce followed in April. Tough times to be sure, but I dug up all my plants and moved to a much nicer home that I adore and still live here. My old Dortmund and Champneys Pink Cluster that I brought with me are full of buds and blooms, the poppy seeds I collected and saved have reseeded and are blooming as are the Louisiana Iris I brought with me, and I still have some daylilies [of course have added many more!] Most of my old hybrid teas/floribundas got old and died, but I have replaced and am now heavily into old garden roses. 18 years later....I have a nursing degree, a marvelous boyfriend of 10 years, 2 grandchildren and life is great. Let some time go by, get on with life and you will be amazed at how happy you will become. You already sound like you are.....good luck to you, and you will recognize your roses when they bloom!

Not sure it will work, but am trying to enclose a photo of my poppies blooming.....

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I just said 'WOW!' when I saw those poppies and everyone said "what? what!?" haha. They are beautiful!
You are all so nice, I remember why I used to spend so much time here now!
I just went and got my iris, some shade plants, lillies, everything isn't up yet so I'll just keep checking. Also took all my bricks, cobblestones, flagstone and rocks.
It will be great gardening without a HUGE maple overhead and those little green worms. I'm sure I'll be moving roses around, but I always did that anyway-they always manage to surprise me and grow differently than they are 'supposed to' don't they?
Alameda, great that you moved your garden too! It must be wonderful to see them in bloom every spring.
I did have a hard time with all of this at first, but as soon as the woman said "here's the yard, lots of sun, great if you garden" my attitude did a 180. I said "I can plant things??" and she said I could do whatever I wanted. She looked at me funny when I told her how many rose bushes I would bring but said "Well, I'll probably come over and pick some then!"
To each one if you, a thanks is not enough for your replies. What a great group of people you are. Thank you.

I will not miss the neighbor who would insist that I named the roses myself, and thought any male name was an old boyfriend. Every spring she would say "So whatever happened between you and William Baffin?" :/

I started gardening after going through one of the worst patches of time in my life. People who know my responsibilities ask me why on earth I have taken up something that takes up so much of my time. The garden, and without question - the roses, are my saving grace. When life seems to be handing out its worst, roses reward us with something so unbelievably beautiful and heartfelt, and they have the ability to transport us to a place of hope and happiness.

When life most challenges us, we have the option to live in the pain, or create a place of hope for ourselves. One of my mom's favorite sayings throughout my life has been "When the going gets tough, the tough get going".

It takes great strength to make the choice to embrace the side of "hope". There are some impressively strong people here. Thank you for sharing - I'll bet you have no idea how much hope your words here have and will give to others in similar or parallel circumstances. Here's to "getting going!"

Almeda---that is a great picture----it warms my heart when I read about women who bounce back and get on with their life----
Harmony--I love what you said about the garden---and your mom is right

Alida---I got a big chuckle about your neighbor---that is so funny---LOL LOL----BTW---what did happen between you and Wm Baffin AND all those other guys-?-----LOL

you moved all your rocks --bricks---flagstones---I remember doing all that kind of work prior to back and hip surgery so enjoy your health and strength while you can----

can't wait to see pictures--

Florence I'm "rooting" for you---no pun intended-----LOL

Life goes on and sometimes it goes to a much better place than you ever could have imagined.

Well just think, you'll be surprised every time a rose blooms!

And LOL at your neighbor. DH just asked me a name of a rose and I told him and he said I was pretentious. HA! I didn't name the rose.

Pretentious? Hahaha. Well, apparently I was a tramp!
Harmonyp, thanks so much for your post. I guess you find lots of solace in gardening as well.
Mendocino rose, yes life goes on, things change for the better, thank goodness!

It will be exciting to see which rose blooms where. I didn't have that to look forward to last year!

Hi altorama: I love your strong spirit and sense of humor. I like your attitude toward life(enjoy whatever comes). Reading these posts make me realize that things can be taken away from us, but no one can take away our choice and freewill. The Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl(?), wrote a book that while in concentration camp, everything was taken away from him. He found happiness nevertheless: he chose to be happy, and to enjoy the simple things in life: to be alive and breath in air!!

I live in an apartment when I was young and single. Frankly it's hard to find anything enjoyable in a noisy apartment. But there was: I enjoyed others' gardens for free through my long walks. I also went to rose gardens and pubic parks more often. Now I have a garden of my own, and it's WORK-WORK-WORK. Like shoveling 4 cubic yards of dirt into 5 raised beds until my elbow aches. And there are tons of weeds and unwanted grass to pull.

The more isn't the better, it's the ability to enjoy whatever we have on hand is what matters to one's happiness. Thank you, altorama, for this lesson that you imparted to us. About the NOT-HAVING-A-HUBBY part: it's nice to please oneself, rather than someone else. My hubby complained day-after-day about my bad cooking. If I live by myself, cooking is much easier, I only have my palate to please.

"So whatever happened between you and William Baffin?"

You could have replied, "Oh, he was too prickly." ;)

Here's to a happy future!

Thanks for your post Strawberry Hill!!

Hoovb- why didn't I think of that???