There is another garden in the United States that has similar qualities to RED ROSE RIDGE. Can't believe that I forgot, and it has been very well documented in a book written by Tovah Martin.

Tasha Tudor's Garden in Vermont.

Now I have to jump in again after hearing more kind words and from some people who mean alot to me. Cindi dear I think about your visit often too. I would so love to see you here again. You would have enjoyed being here with Carolyn. She is the most enthusiastic rose person that you can imagine. She was here for three days photographing. She took over my studio and spent hours making those bouquets. She had me up late at night trying to make a map of the garden and to chart it's history. She's just a joy, really your sort of person.
I wish so much that Jon my kindred spirit gardener could visit. I admire so much your inner passion and artistic/poetic vision. If I could make all of my garden like yours I'd be doing something wonderful.
Patrick, next to my friend Gregg you are my best agent. Your support has always meant alot to me. I agree about Maurizio's garden. We are both blessed by a fabulous back drop. It does inspire one.
Creating something like this garden requires a singleness of purpose. It requires something amounting to an obsession. This is actually not always fun. It's hard for me to explain. I am simply driven to it like I imagine many artists far greater than I are driven. I am so happy to say I've found my life's work. My entire heart pours into it.
Linda, about the statues, many of them are cement. Once in a great while we come across something that we feel is really beautiful even though they are semi mass produced. Cindi has the same Flora statue that we have. She is so beautiful, really past the usual. The lady that you like with the butterfly in her hair is mine. I'm so thrilled you liked it because it is the first one that I ever made. All the vases that Carolyn filled with flowers are things I have made in clay. Of course they are much more unique.
I have been a gardener all my adult life. As a child gardens and the natural world were everything to me.
Carolyn wrote an article about my garden for Rosa Mundi the journal of the Heritage Rose Foundation. It is coming out in this months issue. I'm not sure if you can buy individual issues. It's worth joining this organization if only for Rosa Mundi.
Again, thank you so much.

Pam, this is so beautiful. I am transported back to my visit last spring, and this reinforces my dream of returning next year.

I spent the afternoon in the Sacramento cemetery rose garden with Ann Bird (president of England's Royal National Rose Society, who is speaking this Sunday at the HRF event at Garden Valley Ranch). She enjoyed her visit to your garden so much. Anyone who loves roses, or beauty of any kind, would feel the same. Thank you for creating such splendor, and sharing it with others.

Hope to see you this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Anita

Pam,

I must ask. What is your secret to such healthy looking, beautiful roses? What type of soil do you have and what amendments do you use? My soil is heavy red clay over solid rock so I must raise the beds and amend,amend,amend with everything I can get my hands on.

Again, I must say your garden is a heavenly dream!!!!!! Such beauty!! When I shared the pictures with my husband, he was in awe also. I think it will be easy to talk him into more roses since he saw your garden!!!!

Thanks again for sharing your garden with us.

Betty

I am totally overwhelmed. I don't have words to amply describe such a beautiful scene. Such healthy roses.

I'm trying to defeat these feelings that tell me to just give up. Those voices..."You can never have a garden like that."

Just momentary. I'm thinking positive now. Pam's magic has quickly cured me and will spur me on.

Thank you Pam.

I saw a coffee cup with this message on it: Bloom where you're planted. Though I admire Pam's garden very much I am glad to have my own garden to play with, and to see it change and grow.

Pam, I do like the lady with butterflies in her hair but the one I was talking about is Teodora. I really like the statue of the girl with the frog in her hand and the one under Cl. Iceberg too. Of your vases I think my favorite is the green lady...it looks like her hair is tree bark and leaves maybe..she looks like a tree spirit and my cousin Mona. I wonder if you made molds and casted these or sculpted them. Do you sell your work?

When I was a kid the outdoors had a big effect on me as well. Some of my earliest memories are of streams, rocks, a grassy hill, my Mom's flat of dianthus.
Linda

busy packing my stuff so I can come live in the garden. It is awesome, Pam!

Thanks again evryone. Betty, about the roses: Part of the reason they are so large is California. They get more warm days to grow and less bad weather to harm them. The soil here is clay which when amended is great for roses. The terraces help with drainage also. When I plant a rose I dig a very big hole. I first put in gypsum because it helps lighten the clay and adds calcium, which clay soil lacks. With the dirt going back in the hole I include alot of composted steer manure, a mixed organic food(like Whitney's or Mill's Magic)and some Osmacote just to start them off. I top dress all roses with compost and alfalfa pellets. In the early spring I toss around slow release nitrogen( I think it's called Nutra-form) After first bloom I feed with liquid fertilizer. The roses that are on a drip get a weak solution of liquid fertilzer everytime they get watered. When I spray for fungus I put soluable seaweed in the mixture. I try to make sure my roses are well watered.

I know it will embarrass him, but I must give a great acknowledgement to Michael. In the short time I've spent with the two of them I understand the vital spark that Michael provides.

Pamela would make a great garden anywhere, because the garden is within her. Sometimes we need someone to help it come out.

Best wishes
Jon

Truly stupefying! For an opportunity to step physically into those photos, I'd gladly spend HOURS dead-heading or doing whatever other grunt-work I was directed to do!

. . . And thanks to whomever took the time and care to actually identify all those roses. That effort (which is a real rarity in garden photos) greatly enhances the viewer's experience & appreciation.

I am speechless (rare). That is most exquisite. Do you get a lot of rain in your climate? I would love to hear more about your art also.

you MUST make this into a book....this is breathtaking...thank you so much...

do you have visiting hours in the spring? Also, my friend, who is on the phone with me, (equally breathless) would like to know the name of the yellow roses that are seen in the fifth from the bottom image.

thank you..

Even better...a dvd tour of your garden for those who don't get to travel often like myself.

I can't seem to stop drooling over those rose pics. My roses are 1 year old. How long will I have to wait until they reach the size of yours I wonder.

I even thought of getting a new digital camera ( Canon EOS 400D) because memories are precious and they are bound to fade as we get older.

Magickal!!

off to reacquaint myself with my old friend the pick-ax now.........

I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life! What joy it must give you to look out over such a sight every day! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

Elaine

Pam, from the time I first saw pictures of your garden on the forum, I thought it was rose paradise. It's so uniquely beautiful and has to be one of the dreamiest, most romantic places on earth. All the love and hard work you've devoted to it has culminated in a place that inspires reverence. I look at your pics over and over again and never grow tired of it - they make me feel connected to beauty. I hope the book gets published - I will buy it!

Pam I have always thought that your garden was a piece of heaven on earth, those pictures just prove that to me once again.

I know if I ever got lost in your garden I would find delights beyond my wildest imagination. I would love to touch each and every piece of your garden art and smell those wonderful roses and just sit and stare out at your wonderous scenery. The garden is a true masterpiece, you are an artist for sure and I adore your creations.

Valerie

Pam your garden is spectacular. Not only are you an incredible gardener, in some ways California looks like heaven on earth for growing roses. I wish I could see it in person!

Jon, Thanks so much for praising Michael. I couldn't have built this garden without him. There is so much of it that comes from him no matter if he planned it or dug it. His support and influence are the greatest things in my life. And that spark. Everyone who knows him basks in the warmth of it.
Andie that yellow rose is Climbing Gold Badge, the same one that is on the arch on the left. About visiting hours. What we do is have a huge open garden party on Memorial weekend when the roses are at or near peak. You're invitited if you'd like to come. It's a more the merrier sort of party. I'd be thrilled to see any GW friend there.
Redsox, We get a lot of rain but only from October through April. The rest of there year it is dry. My artwork generally reflects my feelings about the garden. It's clay sculpture that most of the time includes flowers leaves and insects usually surrounding a face. I've made alot of those vases that Carolyn took photos of also wall pieces and sometimes decorated signs that have poetry or quotes on them related to roses or the garden.
Jimmy be patient with your roses. I've found that it pays off. You should diffinately get a digital camera. You will enjoy it so much and then you can post photos of your garden on the forum and we'll all tell you how much we like your roses.
Valerie I wish you could come and get lost in my garden.

I have really been enjoying this post. Pamela so deserves these accolades. She is a magician in the garden, but unlike the performer, her garden is not slight of hand. It is like walking in a dream.

What Carolyn has caught is the garden crafted out of nothing. Pamela and Michael's home sits in the valley surrounded by a wilderness of golden hills. To come up the crest of their property and look down and see unbelievable color is mind boggling and breathtaking. To rise early in the morning and see the fog enveloping the area with sun breaking through and highlighting the garden is beyond magic. It is perfection. I have been in this garden in the dead of winter and it is beautiful. Not lush, like in May, but one can see the bones and the structure.

What amazes me about Jon's commentary is how he totally understands. The garden is as important to Michael as it is to Pamela. Michael loves roses and that can not be understated. He is a gardener, he grows vegtables and there is nothing I love more than having them visit in the summer and Michael brings whatever is ripe to the table.
I also know that the garden is both a huge source of pleasure for Pamela and one of pain and worry about pest infestation, water, bad winters, never ending.

Pamela's garden is more than plants, it an art gallery of ceramics and statues and fantasy ponds and memorials. There is never a dull moment walking around and it is easy to get lost in the garden, in one's mind. To read a little ceramic plaque or look at a bloom, to see roses that I have only read about.

I can only wish that all of you get to see this garden someday. Because there is nothing else like it in the world. And the most amazing fact is that it is a vision of a dear friend.

We are fortunate to have this garden and to have Pamela who is so gracious in her sharing.

Carol

Love you Carol.

I think the first time I saw the pictures of your garden, I made up my mind I had to see it in person so many miles away. I came back with a vision of loveliness in a setting beyond description.

Carol that was a lovely description of RED ROSE RIDGE.

The next big vacation is planned around a visit to Pam and Michael's rose garden. Unfortunately, I honestly don't know when that will happen because all our money and time right now is going into home renovation projects. The good news is that I can visit in spirit through Carol and Pam's photographs.

A hardcover book detailing RED ROSE RIDGE would be a most welcome addition to my horticultural library. I'd really like to read about what inspired Pam and Michael to create the rose garden, the gardening habits that have worked well for them, and where they think the garden is going in the future.

Best wishes always,

Patrick

I had to wait to view this when I had time to load the pictures and quiet to view them. I have previously seen pictures from when Sue and company visited last spring. Having Met Carolyn while she was photographing Anne Belovich's amazing climbing rose garden, I knew I was in for something special. Words fail me. This I am going to have to see for myself. A work of Art photographed by an Artist. I am sure this is going to come out in a book and we can all own a little piece-if you could possible own something so magical. Thank you so much for sharing.

patricia

I happen to be one of the lucky ones who has a piece of Pam's art.

I will treasure this always---

Thanks so much Pam------My dream is to one day be able to visit your gorgeous garden.

Here she is with a bouquet of Albertine---

I have her inside for the winter and move her around my garden during the summer.
{{gwi:315742}}

Thanks again Pam---

Florence

Delicious photos and tributes to Pamela and Michael. Thanks to you both and to Carolyn for this feast. Inspiration for a perfect fall day.

Cass

Carolyn Parker's article on Pamela's garden is in the current issue of Rosa Mundi, the magazine of the Heritage Roses Foundation. This is always an excellent magazine. I read each issue from cover to cover. I heartily recommend that anyone who is not a member sign up so that he can get this magazine, if for no other reason.

Besides, you'll get to read all about Pamela's garden!

Rosefolly

I think I should add that Rosefolly herself has written a wonderful article about our garden. It will be published in the American Rose magazine. We're just not sure when yet.

Now Carol, I didn't know you had it in you! What a wonderful description. I felt like I could see it with my own eyes while reading your words.

LA and Carol have promised to take me to visit your garden some day. God willing, I will have the opportunity to walk those paths with my friends and meet the creators of such a special place. :-)

I can't wait to read Paula's article!

Carol

I am entirely overwhelmed at the beauty of the garden and the creative spark of the gardeners. It is breathtaking. Awe-inspiring. Magic!

I just had to come back and look again at that link (which I've now book marked). I ran the program while listening to "China Roses" by Enya. Ahhhhhhh, what a dreamy experience! I can just imagine what it must look like on an quiet May morning in the very early hours when the mists roll in leaving just glimpes here and there of the glowing roses.

Thanks Carol and Pam. It has been a hard day at work and this is a nice way to start my busy evening. I didn't even notice how much my feet are hurting.

Best wishes always,

Patrick

Magical. Breathtaking. Heaven. Stunning. Romantic. They are only poor words that can barely touch the beauty of Red Rose Ridge. I look at these photos in awe knowing that this is a garden I can never have living where I live - and yet I do not feel envy, only a sense of wonder that this faerie land really does exist and that it has been shared with us even if only in photographs. Thank you Pam and Michael, and thank you Carolyn.

And yes, most definitely a book from this collection would be treasured!

Anne

Anne, please take seriously the invitation to come west and we'll take a trip to Pamela's garden. You'll only have to stay for a month or so! Right, Pam?

Sue

Well, you know how I feel about that! I am so happy though to see any of our friends during full bloom. I just hosted 2 of the "Madame Presidents" This time of year it's a nice garden. During full bloom it's over the top. I can't imagine what people really think this time of year.
Anyway I am determined that you and Marji are here for Rosalia and stay here for a few days. Now you have to since you bought that vase.

We're looking forward to it! We have photos of the Rose Lady that I look at every day and imagine at our house. It's going to be so special to have your art in our garden and in our home.
{{gwi:315743}}
Not quite like living around the corner from you but as close as we can be!

Sue

Oh My ---that is a beauty------thanks for sharing with us.

Florence

Sue, you are a dear. I *am* very serious about trying my best to arrange such a trip (well, maybe not for a whole month, LOL. I think the boss would frown on that - even if I told him it was for ROSES.)

Pam, you are so gracious. Don't be surprised if I do tag along with Sue and Marji someday. That would be a trip to remember all my life!

(This is me now, shaking my piggy bank and sharpening my pencil!) ;-)

Anne

Sue, I'm so glad you got a photo of her with the Kathryn Morley's. Gregg sent me a photo of Steven holding the vase(a treasure!)I went home and worked in my studio for two days which has been a luxury not allowed me for weeks.

Somewhat like this?
{{gwi:315744}}
Wasn't that a great bidding war over your vase?! And I won! I'm so thrilled. Does anybody want to see photos from the symposium? Marji took several and I'm happy to start a thread over on the gallery if you'd like.

Anne, I'll throw my piggy bank proceeds in just to have you join us.

Sue

Oh is that cute! Yes you should start a thread of photos from the conference. I thought about starting one here just talking about the value of these events. What I mean is the wonderful people. I hope you've had a chance to get to know Steven. What a guy.

He is great, isn't he? I loved the bidding wars over Steven's and Gregg's offers of rose pruning. So much fun! I can't remember when I laughed so hard.

Rosefolly

I'm absolutely amazed. I've never seen anything like it, and am just sitting here dumbfounded, stunned at the beauty portrayed in those pictures. From the comments of those lucky enough to have seen it, I know it's even more incredible in real life. This has been a total inspiration for me. Now I have to get super creative and figure out how to capture a minute part of its spirit on a tiny city lot!

I ran across this thread by accident and had to play the show again. Sigh ... almost too beautiful to be real.

Patrick

Patrick, thanks for bringing this back up. I don't know how I missed it the first time.
Pam your garden is amazing!!!!! WOW!!!!

Lisa

A heartbreakingly beautiful garden, and superb photography. Just looking at it, I felt all stress falling away from me...

Ah, Patrick, you enabled me into an hour-long reverie, thinking about Pamela and her garden while looking at Carolyn's photographs. I can't wait to walk down those pathways once more. April, here were come!

Sue

This is what I want my garden to look like. Your garden is amazing.

Thank you folks who made kind comments. I went back and looked at Carolyn's gallery yesterday. With the garden all sticks it looked like someone else's garden. Patrick if you ever do make it out here I'm not going to allow you into the garden unless it's at the right time when things are blooming. You would be so dissappointed otherwise.

Pam,

Never fear. When I visit it will be during the garden party you throw every year. I remember reading about it in Rosamundi. Isn't it named after an ancient Roman festival?

Patrick

Image of AUTUMN DAMASK by Cactus Joe at Hortiplex.

Yes you are right Patrick, Rosalia the festival of roses.