so much work but what a difference!!! Good luck with the new step of your project :)

~Andrea

Woodyoak that all looks great. It's so amazing how the look of an area changes as you open it up. What a lot of work you've been doing!

Your chains are interesting. Are they white metal or plastic? I have been wondering how to train my 2 sweet autumn clematis UP and across my porch, but honestly haven't worked that hard at it! They wind up rambling over all the shrubs. It's amazing how much space they can eat up. The chains would be a great solution for me and something I would have never thought of.

Thyme - DH did all the hard work! The chains are white plastic. A traditional swag would be heavy rope but the chains were easier. I went with plastic because metal would be heavy and I was afraid it would retain and transmit too much cold to the rose canes in winter. The chains should work well for the clematises too because they should find it easy to wrap their petioles aroun the links I think.

Those were beautiful clematis.

Sometimes, a renewal can do wonders. I hope your renewal process makes it better than ever!

I love your new idea for the swag, tho today i was browsing and found newdawn in bloom at a nursury, i totally wish i had room for that rose!
I love your arbor, was it bought that way or homemade? Its perfect for that space.

lilyfinch - the arbour was built for that spot. I designed what I wanted and hired someone to build it. (DH is not into construction, although he did put up the swag posts for me - they were a later addition to the arbour, to attempt to control New Dawn :-)

out of control clematis and roses? i wish i had your problem! looking forward to see how it all turns out.

They were beautiful, but I bet your husband isn't going to miss the pruning! I think the clematis will look very nice :)

Woodyoak, thanks for the info on the chains. I think they would blend in for the spot I'm thinking of and will definitely do this next year. I really like the idea. So, DH did all the work, but you were the brains behind that opeation, 'eh?! LOL!! Sometimes I think the mental "work" of gardening is harder than the actual grunt work!!

Wow! As someone just starting out with gardening with the ultimate goal of having an arbor covered with clematis and roses, it is beautiful, both before and after. The chains are a great idea too..

Is your arbor wood? We're trying to decide between wood and vinyl, and am curious about the upkeep of a wood arbor.

Thanks

Thyme - When it comes to the garden, I'm Management and DH is Labour :-) (although we both manage and labour in the garden...) He's well aware that it is MY garden! :-) He's a great and willing under-gardener though.

amemm - The arbour is painted wood. The gate portion is in need of repainting but the rest is fine other than needing a scubbing. It went up in October 2002. I primed and put two coats of high quality exterior latex on the wood and then the guy that bult it used the painted wood to build it. After it was assembled in place, only a bit of touch-up painting was needed. It was a lot easier to paint the wood before it was built than it would have been to prime and paint the finished structure! Here's a photo of the painting - done in the garage in September 2002 :-)

ok woody oak, i have one last new dawn question. Is it flexible enough to run along the top of a fence? I have another blank area and i think ive fallen for that rose, monster it may be!

lilyfinch - ND is flexible enough when the wood is still green. But, if the fence is the one on your arbour thread, I'd have the same concern as with the wisteria - i.e. ND is a BIG, heavy rose and, after a few years, if you didn't keep it rigorously pruned to the size you want, it would be too heavy for the fence. It looks like the fence would be easily accessed from both sides (?) so, if you were prepared to be very diligent about keeping the size controlled, you could make it work I think. But I wouldn't be surprised if, in the end, you'd do what I just did -.e. remove one completely and cut the other back severely, which might be a tempory reprieve only - we'll see... If you don't already have a good pair of rose gauntlets, I recommend you get some! :-)

Woody, there's always something interesting going on at your house. I wish I lived next door and could get a bird's eye view. lol Isn't it hot to be digging up huge rose bushes?

PM2 - Randy is a lunatic and works in the heat! (Actually he did most of the work early in the morning or later in the afternoon when the alley is in shade.) We are also usually 'cooler by the Lake' so that helps a bit. I keep him supplied with water and only work when it is less than 25C!

I can't wait to see the finished projects. Yes, there is always a cool period if you get out there early enough. Our weather has been the same, the same, the same. Hot, humid, sticky for about 3 weeks straight. Yesterday it was like breathing soup. At least we finally got some rain. Glad you two are staying busy and definitely sounds like you are enjoying yourselves! :-)