Thanks Sherrycola. Seminole Springs is a wonderful place to get roses. In fact, that is where I got this one. I was just curipous because there seems to be some different versions of Louis out there. What nursery is the one only carrying Knockouts? Is it Taylor Gardens? That is where I got my three Double Knockouts. She had told me the old garden roses didn't sell well, which really surprised me. Carol, they sure can look alike! It sounds like some of the differences may show up at maturity, but my Cramoisi looks a lot like my Louis also. What tea roses do you think would look nice next to him? Any suggestions? Sandy

I have thought abut this space since I first saw it- it would pop into my head at weird moments. I like the idea of paths and plants, but I think it still needs a focal point. This is what I would do, since it looks like a very valuable space. First, I would get it level. A bit of terracing would help, and it doesn't have to be the whole garden that is leveled. You could dig from the left and move it to the right. Mostly the center part for what is in my mind. If you level the 2/3 to the left, you can garden on two levels, and your winding paths would work splendidly. Then I would lay a medallion walkway, split in the middle and reconnecting on the far side, to provide a space for a water feature, or a large pot planted with things like tall grasses, and vining things spilling over the edge. The center walkway can be any material you want it to be- stone, wood, mulch, whatever. Around the back of this patio/walkway, I would plant something that is in your face bright and beautiful. Here, it could be bougainvillea, all one color, but I am not sure that it would survive winters there. I think it is good to 25 degrees. A wall of esperanza would be beautiful, or you could do it in more than one level- esperanza and plumbago, for instance. I would just make sure that it is tall and thick, so that it makes a boundry with your woods in the back. And you can still have the winding paths and intense plantings. You will have added a centerpiece, is all. Not an overnight project, but you are young and have time and energy. And with your house, I think it would be fantastic. The link shows an example of what I am talking about, but I would suggest a slimmer walkway, not as wide as they have it. Imagine plant materials where the front door is. Janie Here is a link that might be useful: just a thought....

Oh yes, I have a fair amount of 'yard art.' It is definitely more to the informal, country, whimisical side, some might call it kitschy. For example, I have a sundial, 3 bird baths in various gardens, a 2-tiered fountain (these are nice), an old wagon wheel, an old water pump (country), a toad house, various statues peaking out here and there, quite a few bird houses on the fence posts, wind chimes, and even some old candlesticks (3 different sizes together) with colored marbles on top instead of candles. Oh also have a gazing ball. Many of these items were rescued from Hurricane Katrina and are not in the best of shape, (like the candlesticks) but they are valuable to me and each piece really tells a story. Like the wagon wheel was given to me by a dear neighbor, who we don't see anymore due to the Hurricane. But I am definitely a bit kitschy, even nailing my first Mississippi license plates to the fence (have a magnolia motif in the center) when they replaced the plates with the Biloxi Lighthouse (love those too). And don't forget a bottle tree with colored bottles to catch evil spirits, a very (informal) Southern gardening thing. I like the ideas that you have for your yard art, definitely more refined and I think would be lovely. I am not sure I would have the discipline to pass up all the cutesy novelties I see, I even recently had to retire a dying plastic pink flamingo! Laurie

Oh Mel...are sure you want to get me started????? It's going to be LONG LONG LONG. It would distract you from your woes .... this house is a doozy and you'll think you're rolling in clover in comparison. (A lot of this story may sound pretty sad but it really isn't - we've gotten past most of the sad bits and we're determined to get the job done and live happily ever after) A little background on how the house got in such a state of disrepair. My parents bought the house in '63, in Carmel by the Sea, a pseudo rancher at the cutting edge of contemporary design. Not my forte but lots of folks would find it pretty cool. Just after I went off to college my parents moved to the middle east where my dad was Chief of Surgery in a hospital in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert for over 5 years - I spent an unbelievable 4 months out there but that's another story. While there they rented out the house which turned out to be a huge mistake. Upon their return the house was pretty trashed but my mom had just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's and my dad spent every minute taking care of her rather than making repairs. My parents were in there 40's when they had my brother and me, so mother was in her early 60's when diagnosed but she had suffered a serious head injury in her 30's, so the Alzheimer's was not familial but due to the head injury - not uncommon. Mom took 11 years to die, and after that my dad wouldn't let any of us touch anything because it was the way my mother had had things. Really, it was very sweet on his part but it sure didn't help the house any. When ever one of us tried to do anything he quipped "it can wait until I'm dead". Well, you can guess the next part. Actually, daddy died at the ripe old age of 85 and the way he wanted. It was just after my husband and I had spent a week with him that he decided it was time to go - so he went, by sheer will power on his part as far as we can determine, in his favorite chair with a good book in hand. After my mom's slow and horrible demise I have to credit my dad for passing as he did. He had been a trauma surgeon for over 35 years and would have loathed having tubes in every orifice and/or being on life support. Still doesn't make it any easier but I understand. So then the house went into probate - dad still had my mom's name on the latest greatest will and the attorney's wouldn't let us touch a thing until recently. It will be two years in June since daddy died. Not only has that contributed to the problems but my brother, who is chronically ill with inoperable brain tumors (not malignant but needs regular chemo and radiation to keep them small) and now has Parkinson's (I KNOW - it sounds worse than any soap opera I know of but he still manages to work as an assistant golf pro) lived in the house keeping an eye on dad and continues to do so with a 160 lb Great Dane named Titus. Cleaning is NOT by brother's forte, so the house is not only falling apart - it's filthy. Okay, now comes the commute, destruction, and process of reviving a house that should sell for close to a million. Have you heard of anything so OBSCENE??? The one good thing is after paying of the mortgages (dad quit work to take care of mom) and splitting the profits, my brother plans to move east and buy a house - cash upfront - and will put the rest in a trust. If we see this thing through to the end he'll have enough to be able to live comfortably and without much worry. So how bad is the house?? I've been restoring beat up abused disgustingly dirty old houses since college and this one takes the cake. What's been a bright spot in all the despair is the tradespeople. Not only have they come to our rescue but charged us less because they knew my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. One corner of the foundation had collapsed and sunk almost a foot and the repair estimates initially came in at 75K to 36K. That kind of money would have been a huge chunk of our budget (I'm still paying dad's mortgages) and we would have had to sell the house pretty much as is. We then found Dave Potter, bless the man's soul, who not only raised and rebuilt the foundation but put in french drains all around the house to prevent any further damage, all for under 9K - 3K less than his lowest estimate. Same for our termite/structural contractor - he's letting us do as much as we can and will sign off on our work if it's done to code. Guess I must have done something right in a previous life. And boy is there work! HUGE 4X6" floor joists that are swiss cheese, holes in vinyl (yuck!) flooring and the 1 1/4" subfloors, the cork flooring throughout has completely disintegrated despite being covered with carpet for 40+ years, a tub and half a bathroom that is that close to falling into the crawl space due to water damage, 1970's paint that needs to be primed and redone inside and out, termite damage to outer sheathing and ceiling beams, kitchen and both baths that need to be gutted and rebuilt from the ground up, and a once beautiful garden that is nothing but weeds, except for a few diehard troopers, and now needs to be completely regraded and replanted. To make things even more difficult ...there's just so much of it. How's that for frightening? Feeling better? It's not ALL bad for we are now making progress. I quickly taught myself how to install hardwood flooring, showed my husband, and the two of us working together are making good progress. We've been painting what seems like forever - big rooms and lots of them with 16' vaulted ceilings. The plumber is redoing all the piping and he too has been WONDERFUL. They will be hooking and unhooking things in phases without charging extra, and working around my brother's living in the house. We've one bathroom gutted and I may be able to start tiling as soon as this weekend. We completely destroyed the kitchen last weekend - unbelievably therapeutic despite the 20 mummified rats under the cabinets. I hate to admit it but I ran when I saw the first one and refused to participate until they were removed. But my husband's running commentary on rat removal would beat any Jay Leno monologue hands down! We try to laugh as much as possible,luckily I'm married to the funniest person I've ever met and he keeps me smiling - even through the tears. After a little more drywall removal we can start on the kitchen. Lowe's told me that since I'm acting as General Contractor they'll give us a break on all the cabinets and appliances, tile, etc. so that will help as well. We've been pulling weeds and trimming trees so even the yard, can't call it a garden yet, is looking better than it has in years. Even my brother, as ill as he is, is trying harder and things are a little cleaner. All in all it will be worth it in the end. I get to use some of my creative skills outside the usual constrictions of restoration which is really exciting, and both my brother and I will be more financially secure. I'm sure daddy's smiling about that one, he really thought he was leaving us nothing. Barbara