Kay, it is not the size of the rose garden, it is the garden you create with your roses. Do not worry that your garden is smaller than some others you see on this site. Your garden can be every bit as glorious as any you see.

I've just learned that no matter how large or small your garden, someone else has one larger or smaller. It's not the size, truly. It is just a lot of fun being a small part of a community that loves roses and gardens.

I can drive myself as crazy choosing roses for a 10' strip of roses as I did in another state, with a half acre. I think your garden spot is beautiful already. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

Thank you so much for your answers so quickly. I have ordered some Chinas from Vintage and some shrub roses from Vintage and Heirloom.

After reading a couple of your posts, I ordered Reine des Violettes from Antique Rose Emporium. I do love fragrant roses. I'm sure I have made some mistakes in my choices, but that will just be room to try another rose.

kay

I was really taken with your area as it is now and the roses you're planning to add will make it even more beautiful. Did you have plans to add plants other than roses? A variety of other plants around the roses can make a garden even more interesting and attract insects, birds and other beneficial creatures to your garden. We look forward to hearing more about your garden as it progresses and of course more photographs.

Ingrid

Personally I would remove the tree trunk completely first. One thing that can happen is that the tree will get some shots from remaining trunk if it still is half dead only, what can be annoying to deal with and rob your rose from nutrition (since with trees concern is not only shade, but also spread of roots). Another thing is that the dead trunk will rot rather fast - in 3-4 years it will fall apart and probably will timber together with your climber, breaking the rose in the process.

I think the tree will die if you top it. My two cherry trees did and one of the trunks stood for 10 years, the other is still standing. They will probably fall sooner in a warmer climate. However, rotting tree roots breed fungi and they are a nuisance in the lawn. I had roses growing on the tall stumps but they didn't do well, whether because of the fungi or because the site is wet, I don't know. I had Chevy Chase and Eden Rose on one trunk, New Dawn and R. mulliganii on the other and had connected the trunks with a swag of thick rope. I know that the idea of a mulliganii sounds ludicrous to most of you but this is cold Sweden so it never grew much before it died. Now I have four clematis in light and dark blue there and they do wonderfully. I've left the fallen trunk on the ground for one clematis to ramble over it.

I think it really depends on the tree kind. I am not that familiar with dogwood (at least I assume it is not that kind of dogwood that grows in North-East Europe forests, which are small and short lived trees), however we had some sour cherries cut and the trunks did not last even 2 winters, fell before we got to dig them out. I suppose it also depends on the cause of the tree's demise and generally how healthy the tree was before it got cut (which is not the case here probably) - also if the cause is not the tree itself, it may affect anything else that gets planted in the area.

I have nothing useful to say other than I think your site is so very very beautiful. It will be great when you're done!

One thing IÂve learned is some roses like sun more than others. While most around here will take as much as they can get, some look better with a little protection from all day sun. How does this advice apply to you? It doesnÂt specifically, itÂs just my 2 cents.

I think your site looks lovely already---lots of personality----very pleasing to the eye.

Can't wait to see what you do with the roses

Florence

i would also go with the stump removers, I'm afraid since honeyfungus or coral spot or indeed, a number of fungi which flourish on dead wood are nothing you would want to encourage in a garden. As there is a fair bit of space around the tree, you could hire a stumpgrinder or ask around for a decent landscape contractor. Another method is to use a winch and a vehicle with a towbar and literally drag the tree out of the ground. If all else fails though, you can do it manually by digging and trenching all around the tree, preferable as near to the dripline as possible and then excavating as much soil as you can. Use a crowbar or landscapers bar to get some leverage to push against. This is a job for a vigorous youngster so maybe bribery? I could, not knowing anything about soil conditions in your area, be completely off base but FWIW, a dead stump can cause problems later down the line.

Aren't you so nice!thank you for your lovely comments. Elemire, the reason the tree is down to one branch is that there is a fungus, anthracnose, that has attacked dogwood trees across most of their normal habitat. It is a shame because they are lovely trees.

This tree has been infected, and is already dying. There is but the one live branch, so cutting the top out will finish what is left. It is far too ill to survive, regardless.

I leave the trunk as habitat for some of the birds that need such.

kay