Building a Tapestry

When the gardener took possesion here, this bed was a mono-culture rose garden. As it is admitted freely that roses are an addiction , it was exciting to have the prospect of a brand new rose garden, with twelve roses which could be viewed from a lovely gazebo adorned with clear mini Christmas lights. It was soon discovered that this rose bed had some significant problems, not the least of which was the selection of the roses themselves. They were uniformly pink, uniformly hybrid teas , and seemed to sport just about any rose disease one could mention. As the gardener does not spray, this presented a problem. And then there was the soil. Can soil be dead ? Indeed it can. There was no sign of organic material, not a weed in sight , and the attempt to insert a shovel was met with resistance. Extreme resistance. It was clear that Roundup was used with abandon and that the concept of mulching was unknown. This was close to 20 years ago. The roses are still here, but they have all been replaced with different varieties. Mulch has been used and other plants introduced to the area. The gazebo , a victim of dry rot , is long gone. The little concrete pad that was it's foundation remains as a pleasant mid-garden patio.This spring, a tapestry garden will be planted between the roses and daylilies. It is started already, but more Sedums will be added, more Thyme, Chamomile, and certainly plants yet to be discovered.