Lowe’s had on sale these beautiful carpet roses – I could not resist and did not want to. They have a delicately pale pink flower. Most of the shrub roses I have seen are deep red. The unusual pale blossoms were a surprise and a delight that took my breath away. I have to see what love and care can do.
First I thought of training these roses as climbers on the post outside Martha’s bedroom. Letting ideas settle for a little while often inspires me. This is when the light bulb appears over the head of the cartoon character. Of course the carpet roses would be perfect in the planters at the edge of the gazebo, along side and screening the concrete block retaining wall. The deep green leaves of the carpet roses give a pleasing contrast to the redwood stain. The boxes are wood. I treated the bottom of each planter with a heavy pruner seal that I ran through quickly. The clerk at Lowe’s recommended a deck sealer for the sides of the planters, guaranteed to be water resistant. I followed the instructions to apply a thin and even layer, and DO NOT SATURATE in capital letters. Must be a mighty sealer – time will tell.
Forty inch planter boxes take an astonishing amount of potting soil – two cubic feet above a gravel bed in each planter. I am not done yet, and will need to add more soil next week. Each carpet rose will have more than three feet of good soil to expand. Before next summer I will also need to devise a drip system to each of the planters.
A Year at the Snake 