How I wish we could have been there!

Jeri

I would love to join all of you---maybe next year----

Florence

Connie is a terrific hostess and her garden gets better every year (and so does Robert's). The potluck is great, far better than the average potluck. The best part is being able to talk roses non-stop with people also want to talk roses non-stop--sort of like an AA meeting where everyone can get drunk.

This was our first visit to the gatherings, but it won't be our last.

What a wonderful day we had! Robert took so much time giving us a tour of his garden and answering our ten million and one questions.

So many things to see in such a short time. I felt that I could have wandered for days trying to take it all in and still miss a lot.

He has it all. Roses, companion plants, sun, shade, a greenhouse, chickens, so many beautiful garden ornaments, a fish pond by his patio, plus a HUGE fishing pond with roses growing right down to the water! Beautiful orchids! Numerous seating areas, the awesome enclosed glass/screened outside kitchen, the famous rose tunnel, I could go on and on!!

Was that a swan I saw wandering around?

Then, on to Connie's. I had so enjoyed her pictures, but to experience it IRL was WONDERFUL!

The owner met us in the driveway. (That would be the cat.) The other 2 owners graciously welcomed us into their BEAUTIFUL home. (That would be the greyhounds.) They promised to give us the extended tour package next time.

What to do first? Hmm...eat the scrumptious food? Meet the roses?

That's a no brainer. You can eat anytime!

I thought I would be the one saying, "I like this one, and that one, and that one, and WAIT! I like that one, too!"

I may have thought it, but I wasn't the one saying it. DH was!!!

Now remember- This is the ANTIQUE rose forum. So, what kind of rose do you think DH liked the most?

Antique, right?

Nooooo, he fell for almost every Hybrid Tea Connie had!!
There is nothing wrong with HTs, but I love antique roses.

I should have known. Last year he bought me 'Peace'. It promptly died. When it comes to HTs I have a black thumb.

So, if he wants them, he will have to learn how to keep them alive, because I can't.

Back to the party. After everyone got a rose fix to get them through, we ate the best meal ever! I'm not sure who made the barbeque, but you're my new best friend!

And I thought I had died and went to heaven when I ate the cake!!!! Everything in between was delish, too.

Other than meeting all of my fellow rose lovers as well as so many new roses, my favorite part of the day was hearing Robert's tale of the goat fiasco. I missed the first part because we were at different tables, but the laughter drew me in.

My Goodness! That had to be a true story. Nobody could make that up! My stomach hurt from laughing before he finished. I thought I was going to fall out of the chair and I hadn't drunk any sangria!
A very special day to remember. We add our thanks to Robert and Connie for taking the time from their busy lives to open their homes, gardens and hearts to us and sharing their wealth of knowledge with us.

Jim, Thank you for teaching us so much. Alfred and I agree- we don't want you to move away. We just found you!

I'm so happy to finally be able to have faces to go with the names of my rose friends.

DH wants me to share some of his favorite parts of the day, but I will have to do a Part 2 later. I can't hold my eyes open any longer.

Betty

Did anyone take pictures? Would love to see all of you and what we missed.

Celeste

Everyone,

It certainly was another wonderful time...even though 95% of my roses didn't have a single bloom, I enjoyed sharing them.

Let's keep it going!

Robert

Thanks, Everyone.

Jeri, Florence ... you are welcome in my garden and in my home any day, any time. (as Betty already mentioned, we're dog friendly. The Dalmatians could be greyhound with spots.)

It is always wonderful to get the core crew together, to eat and talk roses and gardens until we can barely talk. (This rendition of Robert's goat story WAS the best I've heard yet.) We had a couple of new-comers in the mix, which is always a pleasure. (A GW lurker and a soon-to-be GW member joined us, along with our lovely Betty and her husband.) I'm nervous when a rose gardener brings a not-so-rosy spouse along ... Alfred, you did great.

Don't even get me started on the food ... pot-luck food is the BEST, and I'm always amazed at the variety of stuff that everyone brings. Who made the salad with the Chinese noodles in it?

The barbeque was mine. It's a pork butt in the crock pot, on low overnight, cooked in a solution of 1 cup ketchup and 1 cup apple cider vinegar. In the morning, pour off the liquid, shred the pork back into the crock pot, and add a little of the liquid back in if you need to so it's not too dry. Serve with cole slaw, BBQ sauce of your choice, and buns. It's THAT easy.

I love hosting real gardeners, because they don't hold my garden to the high standard that non-gardeners seem to expect. As Kathy said, my spring flush is mostly finished. Everything was about 10 days early this year, and the 90+ degree temps earlier in the week finished off what was left. Rose gardeners want to see flowers, of course, but it's okay with them if there aren't any because the shrubs are just as interesting to them. My garden is huge, and the weeds are a constant problem ... combine that with our difficult winter and lack of pruning and/or training on the ramblers ... you get the picture. Gardeners come here and they see what I am working toward, and the planning that's gone into garden. No one mentions weeds, except to commisserate, because all of us are in the same situation.

Gatherings like this are an opportunity to share what we know with others. There's always someone here who knows more about roses than I do, and someone who knows less. We talk, and compare notes, and we all come away better for the conversation. It's better in person ... it's not quite the same here online. THAT'S why I preach about getting out and meeting your fellow rose growers. Make real friends out of cyber friends. It doesn't matter what your house or garden look like (no one mentioned that my house is a wreck ... that's just how garden friends are. I guess the dogs were a good diversion and no one noticed.)

I carried my camera in my pocket all day, and I only remembered to take one photo. I like it because it shows people doing what I like best ... visiting in the garden.

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Thanks again, everyone, for the compliments. You make me blush.

Connie

Connie--you sure sound like my kind of person----I like what you wrote about "real" gardeners---we don't look for perfection ----soon I will post some pictures of my "Elba" which is a real disaster---LOL

I like your recipe for pulled pork----much simpler than the one I just made--
do you make your own BBQ sauce?

Congratulations ---your party sounds like a success

Florence

The pork recipe is one to remember.
I'm going to write that down and try it.

Jeri

Sounds like a good time was had by all! Too bad I'm not closer. Question about the BBQ Pork - Should the pork butt have a bone in it or boneless or doesn't it matter. Thanks!

Friends are indeed precious. So glad we were able to spend time together.

Hugs to all.

Kathy

Hi Guys:
I read this forum but don't post much. I wish I could have been at the garden gathering last week-it sounds like it's full of kindred gardening spirits. Maybe next time! I can't wait to get to Hartwood. I'll have to find time to drive from Staunton some weekend. Regards to you all. Cindy

A few years back I'd have found my "Rosie Road Trip Partner" and been there, too - but regrettably it's not so easy to make happen these days. Still, I remember the joy of GW gatherings I've attended in the past and talking non-stop roses to like minded folks. There's nothing that compares! If more of us would make the effort to open our homes and gardens to fellow GWebbers around the country, there would be more opportunities for everyone without having to travel halfway across the continent. Wouldn't that be wonderful to have your pick of GW open houses to attend? Sigh. Well, my heart longed to be with you all and to see both those wonderful gardens. Like so many, I'm making that wish: "Maybe next time!" :-)
(At least I get to try Connie's easy recipe for bbq'd pork. Thanks, Connie!)

I wish I had written down everything DH told me he wanted me to post about his impressions of the day, because now I can't remember it!

He listens more than he talks.(Has to, I never shut up and he can't get a word in edge-wise!) But, when he does talk it's all good. He really fell for Connie's and Robert's gardens. These are the first personal gardens of any size that he's been in. And he loved it.

I'm not good enough with words to do either of these gardens justice, but I will try.

When our GPS said we had arrived at our destination we both were looking around thinking that it was wrong.

The first thing DH said was, "I don't see any flowers."
But, there were cars so we squeezed in at the edge of the driveway and headed around back.

Let me tell you- there's a "whole 'nother" world behind Robert's house! I don't know how many years he has been working on it, but it is so lush. Lots of structures and many roses overhead.

There are mature trees that give much needed shade on a hot day as well as the mature roses.

We couldn't take it all in. I walked around with my mouth hanging open. There weren't many blooms left, but we expected that. There was still so much to see. Alfred asked me later how many houses Robert had, that he thought he counted at least 4.

I only saw 1 actual house (And maybe an apartment over the garage. If there was another I missed it), but at least 4 other buildings that Robert had used to create different garden areas.

Oh why didn't I have the presence of mind to take more pictures?

I know that some of us have dial-up, so I will just post this one here and post the rest on the gallery. I tried the smaller size, but it didn't show up well enough.

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Please forgive my amateur 'point & shoot' photos.

When I took this I was sitting on Robert's patio with my back to his house looking down across one area of his back yard. On my left (out of pic) is a tall garden wall with a see through iron gate that connects his house to his garage.

Through the gate and across the driveway is a small greenhouse and a HUGE rose garden with a rose tunnel as well as other structures for the roses. On the other side of the rose garden is a 'Ginormous' (that's what my grandkids would call it) fishing pond!

Just out of the pic in front of me and to the left is a shady area with a small fish pond providing the cooling sound of water. So peaceful.

On my right is the wonderful outdoor 4 season kitchen. A true room (floor, ceiling, walls wrapped in windows) with all of the amenities-sink,fridge,cabinets,tables,chairs, including a huge brick fireplace. I can just imagine sitting in front of a roaring fire looking down across the garden watching it snow.

Behind the kitchen is another large patio with a pergola. You can catch a glimpse of the end of it.

Below Robert and Jim and to the right a tiny bit is a dining area that will be enclosed when the roses and companion vines grow over the arches. You can see some of them and the umbrella over the table if you look really hard!

Lots of thought, planning and hard work went into this garden. I can't wait to go back.

Since I've written a book here, I'll stop for now.

See you in the gallery,
Betty

Connie,

I think Marina made the dish with the Chinese noodles. If you get the recipe, please share it. YUM!

Also- I will be posting some pics of your roses in the Gallery with lots of questions. I would like to surprise DH with the ones he fell in love with for Father's Day if you have them.

I'm posting them there instead of in an e-mail because they are beautiful and I want to share them with everyone here.

Betty