Wow, Roselee you have been busy! Timely post because you have inspired me to try roses. I've been looking at them and wondering how you get them to grow in rocks. Now I know to put them in containers like almost everything else in my yard.

So you want to see before pictures? Here's the latest from my yard:

LOL, what a mess! It will be a nice garden space eventually. The new garage on the right has changed the hottest spot into a shady area but there is a sunny spot for roses up by the driveway where the trash cans are now.

Shirley, what marvelous design do you have in mind for your side yard? It's going to be inspirational to watch the progression as you (hopefully) keep us "posted" :-)

As you know certain roses, especially antiques or roses of the Knock Out line, are great flowering evergreen shrubs in S.W. Texas. You'll enjoy having them.

Ooops, meant to post this on the other thread! Oh well, pretty much reflects the way it's been around here for the last couple months. The overall plan is to fence the area and plant all the deer favorites inside. The plants need to be shade tolerant so hydrangea is on the list and I'm sure there are others. Definitely need a fountain since the sleepy country road behind us turned into a busy expressway.

Lowe's marked Knock Out roses down to $4 after the freeze so I picked up seven of those because of recommendations posted here that they are pretty easy. I will add a few antique roses from ARE and a climber. The way they display roses as integral with other plants in the garden is the idea I plan to copy also.

This would be a good project to document so I'll try to keep you up to date.

I won't ever complain about rocky soil again! Dang!

All that stone was pulled from our yard! Hehehehe, just kidding. It was quarried up the road a bit, maybe three miles or so.

That dirt there on the ground is basically a thin film that can be scratched away, we're going to have to bring in top soil once I decide what to do.

Do post pictures when you get there :)