What a stunning view you have-----Even though you have gardening problems it is well worth all your effort---

I guess we all have problems just different ones---Your roses are so lovely

Never had a squirrel for a pet-----

Florence

I would release the ground squirrel far far far from home. They can dig up a garden as thoroughly as a gopher can.

Lovely garden!

Ingrid, I look forward to seeing your beautiful photos. Your gardens look so lovely and the view you have is amazing. I would love to work out in a garden with such a wonderful view.

Thank you for sharing your photos.

~Tj~

Gail, strangely enough, even though we have ground squirrels all over the property, they rarely touch my plants. My theory is that we've left so much wild area that they're not as tempted to come near the house. They do snack some, as do the bunnies, but it's manageable. The gophers are another story!

Ingrid

Ingrid, your garden is lovely. What a wonderful view.

The roses are lovely as well, beautiful colors and fragrances.

Sammie's cute!

Ingrid. The more pictures the better.
Sammie looks like a very happy boy, and your roses and views are lovely.
Daisy

Here the little ground squirrels do things like bite into drip irrigation pipe looking for water. They've never bothered my plants either.
Would you classify your garden as a dersert garden? I was thinking about the contrast between yours and Robert's. They are equally lovely. The dry places have their own unique beauty and fortunately you are well aware of that and are not fighting it so that your garden looks very fitting where it is located.

Pam, technically speaking we are not in the desert, since the native flora includes many live oaks, and avocado trees thrive here. We do have low rainfall but I think the strong maritime influence keeps it from being a desert.

After seeing pictures and slides of Robert's garden I naturally feel that his is much better! It's been compared to yours and I can certainly see the resemblance. I hope that time will be my ally and give me at least a few big, gorgeous roses.

Thank you for your comment about my garden looking fitting for its landscape. That has always been my goal and something I don't want to lose sight of.

Ingrid

Very nice pictures: it looks like your garden's coming along really well! I too like it a lot that it fits in the landscape. Your garden looks good.
Melissa

What a lovely garden in such a beautiful spot! It looks like you created your own bit of paradise.

Ingrid, what an oasis of a garden! The borrowed landscape is, of course, an exqisite background to your plant combinations and you've blended cultivated plants so attractively - nice eye for design! I love the proportions. Sammy has a perfect environment for pampering.

Sue

Your garden is just as lovely as your beautiful home. Thank you for sharing these wonderful pictures. So beautiful. Every garden has its drawbacks, but your garden seems to have overcome and its beauty by far outweighs any pestulence or little critters. You have really painted a beautiful still life onto your gorgeous canvas which you have brought to life in the desert.

I could import you some blackspot, cercapsora, anthracnose, rose mosaic or rose rosette disease, flooding, drought, snow and freezes around Easter, termites, thrips or aphids, voles, moles, squirrels, Japanese beetles, rabbits, chipmunks, humidity, tornadoes, diamond back rattlesnakes, cottonmouth moccasins, copperhead moccasins, brown recluse or black widow spiders, hurricanes, coyotes, alligators, hail and drunken Alabama football fans, just so you know what it is like to garden in the south? Every region has its drawbacks.

I am just kidding. I would certainly not do that to your beautiful garden. You have some great roses and a beautifully done garden.

Well said Pat...give or take the alligators...you almost sound as if you live in KY!!!! I agree, Ingrid, you've made a slice of Heaven there and how nice it is to view it and enjoy it! Just beautiful!!! Any chance you want to spend a winter in Kentucky...ah..come on...we HAD the worst ice storm of the century(so far)..this winter...why I doubt that you would even see significant snowfall...how about it???

Yeah...I didn't think so...can't blame me for trying!!

You are all so terribly kind, I'm really touched by your remarks. Patricia and jljohnson, it's so nice of you to offer me the amenities of your respective locations, but I feel I must regretfully decline. I hope you won't take offense. However, I am in awe of the fact that you manage to have rose gardens with all those obstacles to overcome. I'd probably grow plastic flowers.

Ingrid