timbu - I like playing with 'making pictures' too and usually have to rework them when they turn out wimpier than I expected them to, or as growth and maturity of the plants change the picture. Jekyll also had a 'pretty incidents' category - for small groupings that she didn't consider worthy of the label 'picture'. I'm not sure where the line gets drawn between those two, so probably a lot of my pictures are just incidents! I try to keep a lot of the pictures fairly simple in terms of a limited number of plants but try for striking but comfortable color effects. I like her comment: "In the case of my own garden, as far as deliberate intention goes, what is aimed at is something quite simple and devoid of complication; generally one thing or a very limited number of flowering things at a time, but that one, or those few things, carefully placed to avoid fuss, and to please the eye and ease the mind. In many cases the aim has been to show some delightful color combination without regard to the other considerations that go to the making of a more ambitious picture." And this comment: "If I have dwelt rather insistently on matters of color, it is not that I underrate the equal importance of form and proportion, but that I think that the question of color, as regards its more careful use, is either more commonly neglected or has fewer exponents. As in all matters relating to design in gardening, the good placing of plants in detail is a matter of knowledge of an artistic character. The shaping of every group of plants, to have the best effect, should not only be definitely intended but should be done with an absolute conviction by the hand that feels the 'drawing' that the group must have in relation to what is near, or to the whole form of the clump or border or whatever the nature of the place may be." By 'drawing' she meant "a right movement of line and form and group" that is necessary to provide "life, spirit, and reasonable justification" to the thing shown. (She also said "I am only too well aware that to many this statement may convey no idea whatsoever.") I'm not sure I understand it all either, but I do try to aim for what I think it means! I think many people have a very simplistic idea that Jekyll was all about masses of colorful flowers, when she was advocating something far more carefully considered than that.

I have never grown Gertrude Jeckyll, but my experiences with Austin roses--Lillian Austin, Tradescant, Golden Celebration, the white version of Heritage--have all been positive. Do you want more of a shrub or a climber? If a shrub, I could not recommend Lillian Austin more strongly. If a climber, go outside the Austin box and seek out 'Dr J H Nicolas'--it's a classic, medium pink, delightfully fragrant, and the globular blooms would harmonize well, I think, with Austin roses. You'll have to seek out a specialty rose grower to find them, hopefully own-roots. If internet searches don't turn up something, find a grower whose customer service people have a copy of the blue book for roses--it's comprehensive. Good luck!

I can relate to feeling like I have no business in the garden. More often I realize that I needed a staff. Not just me and mom doing what was left alone to its own for the past 20 or so years. Most of the trees have an emotional connection for my mom; my dad planted them and they used to sell the fruit at our fruit stand or the local swap-meet back in the day (now there is the farmers market but that takes yet more time and energy to join) Finally after 6 years and countless loads out I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But that just leads me to more things to do better or change. I set goals, and regularly miss them because a new garden misadventure pops up to deal with. For example, we have guarded several peach trees because mom thought they were also good ones. We have half a dozen peach trees, most of them planted themselves I believe. Some of these peaches are now getting ripe-small white ones, mom picked a bunch of peaches and spent a day at the sink peeling and slicing them up and when she was done had 3 quarts canned. She called to tell me she was done with those little peaches. I thought I would try canning a few too, maybe it was more being 89 that made it take so long and get so little. It has nothing to do with age! Those peaches bruise if you look sternly at them, have 1/4" of good flesh and taste...mealy blah. Now we both have a crook in our backs and I have a few more peach trees to make in to fire wood. They are beautiful in the spring, so I may leave them for now, but remove all the fruit once it sets. Funny, even the worms do not like those peaches. I do have a list of a few new trees to replace them with, peaches that do well here and that do not all ripen in the same week. Guessing much like Florida, there is no off season, no time to sit back and think of the next years garden projects or look at how wonderful the past season was. It is warm out, weeds are growing, fruit is waiting to be picked, something needs water and more needs pruning. The more you have in the ground, the more there seems to be to pay attention too. On the other hand, we can add living space to our homes by using the garden area. Places to sit on a hot day or zones to soak up the sun on the cold or the best spots for catching the sun rising or setting. If we were stuck indoors in the snow, we would loose those spaces for months at a time. I am off to re-stack the wood pile, seems I need more room, to reach the roots of an offending peach tree and to fill buckets with small mealy peaches. I might even have time to stop and smell the roses

I agree with you Boncrow, you never know if a rose will do well in your garden until you try it. The microclimate in the spot it is grown can make a huge difference. Carol yes GJ's blooms are prettier than I have expected as well, and they were much larger than last year's blooms. They are not very lasting cut flowers but 2 days of heavenly fragrance per bloom is good enough for me. There are so many buds I have a constant supply of fresh ones to replace the old ones in the house.