Transplant Time

Since moving last year, I have been waiting for a whole 15 months to transplant my roses.  Now is the time - finally!  We are renting our old house so I still have access to my garden, which I miss dearly.  I am the type of gardener that can tell you where each plant came from and its sentimental value.  Moving away from all that green sentiment was hard for me.  Especially my roses.

Why?  Well, for starters, my roses smell wonderful.  I cut them weekly and their fragrance fills my home during spring.  It's hard to find a great smelling rose anymore. 

Each rose also has a story.  The first one I am transplanting is from the previous owner of my old house.  It was planted in a poor location in the back yard and looked pitiful.  After staring at it for two years, I decided to move it to full sun and fertilize it.  The new location worked great and this rose is now the happiest damn rose in town.  It smells amazing and has fantastic blooms - take a look:

The second rose (purple) has great sentimental value.  Ted's sister, Lisa, passed away in 1998 and it was planted in her memory.  His mom gave all of us a rose because Lisa loved to stop and smell the roses on her walks in LA.  This rose will move with us wherever we go.

The third rose was given to me by my Girl Scout troop three years ago.  It is yellow - my favorite color - and is a symbol of all the good times with my troop girls. 

Finally, my roses are coming home. 

Note:  for your January garden checklist, be sure to include planting bare root roses or transplanting roses.  Plant your roses in full sun, but preferably a morning sun spot that offers some protection from the hot afternoon summer heat.  Once planted, fertilize your roses every six weeks.  Peak bloom season is in April.