Well, that makes me glad I decided to take the "wait and see" approach on this project. I will continue to monitor the new growth's progress and I'll post pictures in here every once in a while. Hopefully it survives! (Off-topic, but thank you very much, Al, for your writings in the forums about soil structure in containers. Since I've been applying those ideas, I've been having much better success with my plants, and I don't feel like I have a "black thumb" anymore!) ~Pixel_Pepper

catsrose, trust me, having blooming roses doesn't make a whit of difference. I'm still seeing all the weeds and everything that's less than perfect (that would be the whole garden). Tomorrow I'm having a rosarian friend over who's never seen my garden before. I worked today (the kind of job they pay you for), and I'm tired, but I know I have to go out there and do "stuff". Of course I stopped at the nursery on the way home to try and fill up some of the bare patches. Just realized that some of the bare patches are in mostly shade and what I bought isn't suitable. Now I'm even more tired. And yet.... there are times when I walk outside, usually in the morning or in the slanting late afternoon sun, when it all looks gorgeous to me and for a little while I'm proud that I've created this (I should say we since there would be no garden without my husband digging endless holes). Or I'll look at a bouquet of old roses and be thrilled that this rare beauty is a part of my life. I don't know if we'd appreciate it so much if we didn't have to work so hard to achieve it. That's what I tell myself. And I love being addicted and like most addictions the feeling only gets stronger over time. Ingrid

Good heavens, Ingrid - how did you manage to have torn rotator cuffs in both shoulders together? I'm a week out from my surgery for rotator cuff repair from a fall I had a full year ago. I tried my darndest to get by on cortisone shots and physical therapy, but it just wasn't healing (couldn't be hauling those 50 lb. bales of alfalfa all summer, could it??). Before the surgery EVERYONE kept telling me how painful rotator cuff surgery was, both at the time and in recovery, but I've genuinely found it to be a breeze so far. All the exercise and flexibility you certainly get from your roses and the rest of your garden undoubtedly put you in good shape and well able to handle surgery if needed! Hang in there, but if the injuries limit your activities - particularly important things like gardening - you might consider that next step. Life's too short to be unable to do the things we love. Then you can wave your pruners threateningly at Mrs. BR Cant and tell her to shape up or else! I'll bet with the rain you finally got to some extent, she'll shape up in no time. Cynthia

Thanks for the reply zzackey. I didn't realize the homesteading forum would be so quiet, and figured I'd get more responses by now. I appreciate your encouragement... think maybe I'll post this in another area of GW too soon if I don't start to figure out how to clear before hand.