I thought adding lots of peat moss to the soils would be enough. But looks like I need to add even more to "dilute" the soil's alkalinity. Jackson-Perkins used to grow acres and acres of roses in this area, with no special amendments. No peat moss ... when that stuff dries out, it turns into plastic and is extremely hard to re-wet. And, if you have a heavily-supplemented planting hole surrounded by native dirt, you will stunt the roots. They won't leave the hole. It's called "flower-potting" because you might as well have them in a pot. Soil Sulfur will lower the pH a bit, but more important, it frees up other minerals. Dig a planting hole a couple of feet wide and deep enough to hold the roots and have the graft at the correct level. Fill the hole with water and let it drain. This puts a reservoir of water under the roots to encourage them to go deep. Mix a cupful or so of soil sulfur into the dirt you removed from the hole, plant the rose in the hole at the correct level and pat the dirt down. Thoroughly water the plant in - a slow soak. Apply a thick mulch to the entire planting basin to hold in the moisture. Water deeply when you water, and use a moisture probe to tell you when you need it, until you get used to your garden's patterns.

Back with an update and more photos of the entire space. After being there it really will be a challenge to pull it all together. With your help I am hoping to pull it off. It just seems so "chaotic" in styles right now. The curtains have to stay in the DR and LR. The blinds are coming down. The trim will be painted all one color. Which one? Unfortunately, the floors are what they are. Money isn't flowing freely so the choices I make must be right the first time. From my research it appears that BM Shaker Biege is a safe wall color throughout. What do you think after viewing all the photos below? Here is the space I am working with: Upper Cupboards: Countertops: Office area: She DESPERATELY wants to have a RED accent wall. Could the wall with the teeny silver picture above water cooler be her red and then build a desk below?: Dining Room: View of living space: Fireplace in family room: TV armoire across from the fireplace: Flooring is laminate in the kitchen and real hardwood in the dining/living room. Really need your input on the kitchen cupboards! I'm baffled in where to even start? Color? Where to start and stop? Hardware will be changed out. If I go ahead and do that red accent wall in the little office, how about BM Raspberry Truffle? Moving onto the living room. How do you think the Shaker Biege would look with the fireplace brick? Can't touch the mantle or brick! Things I already know: * The furniture is a mish mash of styles. * she decorates with lots of little things * her pictures are all floating * I HATE that picture above the fireplace and although she won't admit it she does too. In an attempt to decorate they went out and bought it, paid a ridiculous amount for such a thing and now don't want to part with it. ugh! * They want an open airy feeling, but homey feeling! Does that make sense to anyone? Please remember that this is a rental they've lived in for a while and will continue living in. The landlord is allowing them (me!) to pick all the paint colors. Did I mention that I have to have all color selections by Saturday morning. YIKES! I WANT to hear ALL your thoughts, ideas and suggestions please.

I could't find a picture of portier drapes for an arched doorway on a quick search but that's one possibility for you. It's not a true door but can certainly close off an area visually and provide some privacy. A woman on another decorating site has or had one and I loved the look of the knobs following the arch with the fabric panel pulled back - very attractive. Here is a link that might be useful: Portiere drapes

The first I heard of this was from Thalassa Cruso's book Making Things Grow Outdoors. Basically that's all there is to it. Get something like the lid of a paper box - a shallow cardboard box. Fill it with soil and plant the plants in that. Then ignore it, and the box will rot. Depending on where you are, the box may need regular watering, but the tree won't encroach for a while. IMHO, this is overkill for hydrangeas near oaks around here. I just plant them.