After the torrential rains we had this week, tropical storm Nicole moved out of the area Thursday night. Friday morning I was amazed at how fast the remnants of the storm's clouds were blowing across the sky, like giant high-speed cotton balls. I don't think I've seen clouds move that fast before. In their wake there was nothing but clear blue skies that lasted all weekend, but also significantly cooler temperatures. Today's high only reached the low 60s despite abundant sunshine. Cool temperatures and more rain are forecast for the next four days, so I decided today was a good day to transplant some "short climbers" that have either outgrown their space or are blocking smaller roses behind them from view.
With 175 roses on a small lot, I have almost no more space for digging any more holes for roses, with one exception: a very steep hillside along the western facing side of the house, where I thought I might be able to transplant a few of the short climbers. The challenge of planting anything there is that when our lot was developed 20 years ago, the developer filled in the steep hillside with massive slaps of rock the size of tombstones, and then dumped topsoil on top of them. So whenever I dig holes there, I inevitably have to unearth enormously heavy rocks with a 25-pound iron pry bar and pick axe. And sure enough, that's what I had to do today. But I decided to use the rock slabs to my advantage by moving them into place to form a staircase-like progression of stone-encased holes going up the side of the house. The rock slabs are relatively flat, so it's possible to use them like "walls" around the terraced holes.
I filled the holes with a combination of garden soil, peat moss, and compost, and successfully moved climbing Handel (shown in photo) into one of the holes, right beside the chimney that goes up the side of the house.
(Speaking of tropical storm Nicole, it just occurred to me that Handel looks a lot like the rose Nicole). Handel is now supported by a bamboo trellis that I placed there to support it, made from canes that I harvested from a wild grove near our house. I think I'm going to move Golden Celebration over there, too. Its blooms nod so much that I might be able to see them better if they are situated higher than my eye level as I look up the hillside at them. Presently, they just end up in a big tangled mess facing downward where they're situated now, so I'm eager to find them a better home.
I also prepped a hole there for one of two climbing Alohas that I have on order from Palantine. They'll arrive in November, along with three Lavender Lassies that will join their hybrid musk cousins, two Bouquet Parfaits, on the eastern side of the house.
Now I have to figure out where I'm going to find space for Distant Drums and Incredible, which I received from Chamblees this week.
