Hi le Jardin, we moved here for several reasons.. my partner is English and had a career opportunity, I wanted the chance to go back to school, and we have family here. I've always loved England anyway, so I was actually more excited than my partner! I love it here. Hi Diane, thanks for looking at the photos, I'm really glad you enjoyed them. Hi albertine, Yay! Another corgi fan. I've had two as well and they really spoil you for other dogs (although, there are many others that I love as well). We see a lot of Jack Russells, Greyhounds, Westies, occasionally an English Bulldog or a Bull Terrier. There are also some type of herders that I'm not familiar with that remind me of skinny versions of Australian Shepherds. If I ever see Lilac Rose looking lonely at a garden centre, I'll probably go ahead a pick her up anyway, but she's not something that I'm going to seek out, there are far to many recommended roses to get first! Andrea! We really have to meet up, I think you might be my soul sister! :) I picked up Mr. Fairchild and Alan Titchmarsh together last autumn, the first to roses that I purchased here. I have mixed feelings about A.T., like your', mine tends to have such heavy flowers that they go right to the ground. On the other hand, there are so many of them! For a first year rose mine must have produced 30 or so roses so far this year. I noticed that if I let the branches hang, like pegging I'm getting new shoots popping up and already there are buds on them too, so I'm just going to let him do his thing and see how it goes. Mr. Fairchild, by comparison, has been less vigourous; but I much prefer the flowers, scent, and bush shape. I really like this rose. Wow... going through your wonderful list: I grew Gertrude in California and didn't really like her. I smell some scent, but my nose doesn't register the scent that everyone else raves about. I had the same problem with Comte de Chambord, so I guess I'm just not wired for that group. Shirifa is in a nice pot, I am hopeful. Jude I adore, I'll have him again soon. Lady Emma Hamilton really surprised me at Austin's, not my colour, but I loved the scent. Summer Song is totally out of my colour range, I wish I had smelled it though.. bananas!?! I really liked Young Lycidas, it is one that needs to be seen in person to really get the subtlety of the colours, and yes.. WOW, what a scent! Love WM2k, so so about Golden, but love the Prince. This is one of my favourite photos of him from my California garden: I saw Dark Lady and Prospero for the first time this trip, both nice but undewhelming. I really liked Munstead Wood. Also saw Radio Times for the first time, it was nice but didn't bowl me over. Now, I had the Alnwick Rose high on my list, but was disappointed in the scent! I chose Sceptre'd Isle over it this year during my small bareroot purchase, and had been wondering if I had made the wrong choice. The way you describe it though, I really out to love it, so maybe it was just the wrong time of day, or I had been overwhelmed by other scents. I grew Evelyn in California and I liked her delicacy very much. I've yet to meet Ab Darby, isn't that strange!? Princess Alexandra and Jubilee are the two top on my list right now, I'll keep my eye out for Rosemoor. Gentle Hermione is the other bareroot I ordered this spring, and she just had her first flowers this week. I like her, and true to Austin's word, she held up beautifully in the rain this morning, and even held water in her cup through the whole day without falling over or apart. I used to grow Tamora as well, but in California it was a rust magnet, I swear it was nearly copper coloured by the end of the season. Thanks for sharing your list, it's helped reassure me about several choices that I'm interested in. Here's a shot of Tamora and Evelyn: Carla, it's so kind of you, thanks for the good wishes. Here's a hug for you... (((Carla))). Hi Joanne, it's nice to see you! Apparently they have redone the "Lion garden" and will grow roses with perennials, thank goodness, as much as I like roses I much prefer them mixed with other roses. Mottesfont is still the gold standard for me. Megan thanks you, and sends best wishes to Maggie. Hi Aliska 12000, thanks for looking, and good luck with your Wisley, ultimately, it really comes down to each of our gardens, what does poorly for David Austin might be a gem for someone else. That's a lovely photo! Hi Sue, thanks for your good thoughts, they are much appreciated. Thanks Beth! Cheers everyone! I'm delighted that you have enjoyed these photos.

Here's some of ours. We now have 112 roses (and we have small yards!), some are waiting to be planted. Hey, there are roses that are even shade tolerant, even ones that can climb up a tree! As seen from walking on the sidewalk: Front view: For more pics of our sides, front and back yards and more rose-y pictures too, Check out my Picture Trail: careytearose Here is a link that might be useful: look in the Landscaping Projects 2007 and Favorite ROSES we grow albums

Thank you for all your lovely comments. The combination Hakonechloa and Hosta is perfect, but I have potted up almost all my hosta's because of the slugs and snails. Luckily Hakonechloa isn't on their menu. Yes, there is quite a difference in growingspeed and in size between the cultivars. The fastest grower and the largest plant is 'Albo-striata', but it is also not as beautiful as the rest. It is a bit of a sloppy grower, shoots al over the place and not a neat, dense clump. 'Naomi' is like a smaller 'Aureola', but also fast growing. The all green H. macra is an excellent plant, very upright growing. 'Nicolas' is also all green, but a little smaller with better colour in fall. 'Beni Kaze', 'Greenhills' (a small all green) and 'Sunny Delight' (multicoloured) haven't been here for more than 2 seasons.

I did the vehicle full of plants last time I moved, but that was just across town. I don’t know what I will do this time. Maybe I will move the plants and let a moving company take care of everything else. ;>\. Or perhaps just order tons of new plants when I move. :>) It will likely be at least a couple of years before I leave - I am committed to staying a minimum of a year and may stay until I hit 65, depending on what happens with housing and health insurance. My job may be portable, especially since I can work remotely if the internet connection is good, and my boss spends time in WI not far from my family, so it may be doable. My sister is retired but her spouse is still working and we haven’t made any decisions on where we want to land in the final consideration. I feel no need to make decisions now. I will definitely continue posting regardless of when and where I end up. DH wasn’t into holidays as different from other days, so I don’t anticipate feelings of loss will be any different than other days, and those ebb and flow. Taking things a day at a time. I did get all the grassy fields mowed this year, and planted and harvested a fair amount of veggies, though because I wasn’t around in September I didn’t get the final harvest in before our early frost. I converted all heat to propane rather than wood (I don’t use a chainsaw), so that reduces the work load as well. While DH was sick, I found someone to mow the lawns, and he has continued that for me. So the work is manageable solo and I can stay as long as I want. But as I continue to age, the likelihood of serious health issues increases and I would prefer being near family for that as well as ongoing support and interaction going both ways. I can’t imagine not having a garden of some sort as long as I am not bedridden!