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Thu, Mar 1, 12 at 13:46
| Not a spring chicken any more. Moved from my larger house a few months back to a tiny one, easier to take care of, and a microscopic yard with not. one. rose.
I was simply not strong enough to dig up my roses at the time of the move although I brought some day lilies with me. So I'm looking over the new place and making plans. Half the yard is shaded by oak trees. Getting some salvia, but of course the important things are the roses. I debated for about a second on whether I was too old to do all this. Nope. I'm just slower getting stuff done. (I'm fixing up the little old tiny house, too, fixing to paint it). So far, being shipped to me, are some Rainbow Knockouts for quick color, a couple Sombreuil, a Mountain Music, and some bands of Secret Garden Musk Climber. My little old house was built in the 40s. How could a home exist for that number of years without someone planting at least one rose? One of the mysteries of life. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Good for you, Lucille! I'm 70, and surely can't move as fast nor do I have the strength to last as long as I used to, but am determined to do as much as I can as long as my health is good. I have a huge new flowerbed on the east side of my house along the fence, have planted about 8 roses in it so far, just can't resist them! I know it's more than I can handle, since I have a huge bed out in back, but hey at our age we do what we want, right? It sounds like you have a perfect cottage house, enjoy! |
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| Awwww...your house sounds so cute(:!!! I live in south tx and all we have is mesquite trees and our plants are cactus:P I just planted 5 hybrid tea roses at my house and am eager for them to start blooming. I new to gardening so I am always outside faithful to my roses and my sprouting blue bonnets. To both of you women, I wish I could give you my strength, force, and speed so that you may continue your passion of growing, I just turned 20:P SO i have Alot to spare |
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- Posted by kittymoonbeam (My Page) on Thu, Mar 1, 12 at 15:40
| I thought you were going to say you were starting your rose garden over with @ 60 roses. That would describe many of us here if we moved to a new place. What a thrill, starting a new garden. |
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| lucille, you can do it. Some of us have a decade on you and we are still at it. Think of it this way--it'll help keep you young in spirit--lol! So what if it takes a bit longer to get some tasks done. We aren't in a race, after all! Things will get done when they get done--and that is good enough! Happy gardening. We'd love to see pictures as you create your new garden. Kate |
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- Posted by kathy9norcal CA 9 (My Page) on Thu, Mar 1, 12 at 20:58
| Just take it easy, Lucille. I am up there in age too and really wiped my back and legs out pruning and digging recently. Thanks goodness for the chiropractor! Hope you post some photos of your progress--before, during, and after! |
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| Lucille, Hi, and welcome back. Does Teas still have the huge terra cotta pots that would work well for roses with an irrigation hose? Instead of digging into the wretched black clay that part of Houston has, pots are a really good alternative. (From my time around Rte 6 at I-10 west) |
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- Posted by ken-n.ga.mts (My Page) on Thu, Mar 1, 12 at 21:09
| My wife & I moved from SE FL to the NE GA mountains as I was turning 62. Brought 11 roses in 3 and 5 gal pots with us. It has been a slow but steady growth for our garden. In FL we had a garden of about 170 roses of all types. Trying to keep this garden under 80. Take your time and enjoy yourself. A good rose to start things off with is Belinda's Dream. Pink Pet is also a super easy rose to grow. |
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| I'm not 60, but I'm 115 lbs and had a stroke, so I know a little about gardening when you aren't as strong as the average person. I'd suggest trying smaller tools--for instance, a narrow drain spade, instead of a normal shovel. You might ask around your area about the most appropriate tools for the jobs you are trying to accomplish. |
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- Posted by roseblush1 8a/Sunset 7 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 2, 12 at 1:06
| Lucille, I hesitated to respond to this thread because I didn't know if you have other health issues, but you are not too old to create beauty for your soul. When I turned 60, my doc said I was old. I told him that he may be old, but I was only thinkin' about it. In the meantime, I plan to learn how to work in an older body. That was three years ago and I am still learning how to work in an older body. There may be days when I don't do any heavy work, but I do find I am still quite entertained as I work in the garden. Go for it and have fun. Smiles, |
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| Thank you all for your kind words and support. I will definitely take it a little at a time. It helps that I retired last year so I have the time to work a bit and rest a bit. It will be a busy spring, besides putting in the garden I plan to paint the house and stain the deck. I have to learn how to use a table saw as some of the old timey wood siding needs replacement and I'm going to do it myself. The only really heavy work will be the digging to plant the roses. |
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- Posted by roseblush1 8a/Sunset 7 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 2, 12 at 10:35
| Lucille........ It seems wonderful to read that "I-can-do-it" attitude. I have friend (our age) who bought her home, much larger than mine, in the same year I bought my home. She's active in several volunteer organizations and she has refinished her decks two times, built raised beds for her vegetable garden, built her own shade house, painted some of the inside rooms, made her woods fire safe, planted 20 trees, and has been creating a garden in her woods all with the idea that she only has to work on her projects a few hours every day. The thing is, she's done it all with one hand. Talk about an inspiration. Mary is the person who taught me that my doc was wrong and how important it is to live the life you have for joy and that if you just keep at it, things get done. I'm not preaching, but if she can do it, I can. Smiles, |
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| Lyn I agree with your friend. This morning I cleared a 10x10 area of weeds, it is probably all I'm going to do today and that is OK. The house painting and deck may also only get done at the rate of 10x10 per day. Maybe less, if I get a shipment of roses, and there are unplanted roses vs. a bucket of paint, the paint is never going to win. I see many older women (most of them not on this forum) who give up all activity just because it isn't as easy as it used to be. It's not all them either. There's a pervasive attitude of immediate gratification sometimes in media and advertising. But life isn't like that. If it takes me until next year to get the house painted (I don't think it will but if) the sky won't fall. |
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| I wonder if there's a teenage boy in your neighborhood who could dig the holes and mow your lawn in summer. That leaves you the fun part of gardening without any sore muscles. |
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- Posted by lavender_lass WA zone 4 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 2, 12 at 13:31
| My mom retired and moved to a smaller home, too. She didn't have roses before (always said they were too much work) but I convinced her to try a few and now, she loves them! She's got about 30 and has a few more arriving this spring. Now, she just is running out of places to put them :) |
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| Cecily, I do have a yard guy who mows my front yard, there is no grass in the tiny back yard. That is a wonderful luxury, I really do not like mowing any more. I am going to try to outsmart the hard part of digging the holes. I'm going to dig small holes and fill them with water, and dig deeper a little at a time while the ground is soft from the watering. I want to do as much as I can, by myself. Besides, sometimes it is safer to do stuff yourself, and I have a funny story to tell about my yard guy to prove it. I've had the same guy for years, he is nice, reasonable, does a good job (and he has in fact done extra jobs like shrub trimming for me). But he speaks no English. One time I decided to do a patch of wildflowers in the back yard of the house I just moved from (and in fact have just ordered some seed from the same place, wonderful company, Wildseed Farms). The area was marked off by landscape timbers and the wildflower seedlings were a couple inches tall. Apparently what he did was cut the yard, carefully move the timbers, mowed the seedlings down and replaced the timbers. I never said anything to him about it (he would not have understood anyway) and just laugh whenever I think back on that year's wildflower garden. This time, the gardens in the front are going to be mulched, have border fences, and anything else I can think of to cue him to the fact that the new plants are not weeds. And the tender little bands are going into the back yard to be planted where he doesn't go. |
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| Hi Lucille, boy can I relate to that! Planted Desert Marigold that was just coming up, and yard people decided to weed, and there went that crop, lol! Oh well, there's always next year... I use Wildseed farms, too. |
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| We can do whatever we set our hearts on doing.... I am 85 in May w/numerous health problems, but have found out that working in the yard, and doing most of the work myself, keeps the ole' bod in better shape than sitting around feeling sorry for ones'self... I have well over 100 roses also a large back-yard w/sweet 'tater, eggplant, onions, 10 'mater-plants, papaya, mango, citrus trees, and a large butterfly area, and the weeds do get ahead... but it gives one a reason to get up early every morning and plan the day, plan the daylily beds, plan the orchid-hooks in the guava tree, ( they are inside now due to cooler temps, and have to be hauled back out to the tree for the summer, over 50 orchids ), peruse the seed catalogues for salvia, I border the rose-beds w/salvia and pentas------ my heart goes out to folks who have no plans for the day, and spend the day in bed or sitting watching the world-go-by or worse, sitting and watching that boob-tube all day...,. what a waste of time....sally |
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| Sally, you are awesome. |
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| Sally - you are right on. I will be 64 in April, have had 3 knee surgeries, keep up 20 acres, 40 something miniature horses, a 2 story house and gardening. Graduated nursing school at age 53. Lots of projects are not completed when I want them to be but I have lots to look forward to. I do have help feeding horses and unloading feed 4 days a week. My other daily helper that I'd had for 6 years recently had a blown heart valve at age 47 so he unfortunately is no longer able to work for me. I adore getting up and seeing what is blooming and growing, dont even think about age, just do exactly what I want to do. I AM careful of my knees as I want to make a liar out of my doctor who said I would have to have knee replacement surgery in 10 yrs. The trick is - keep moving, do what you want and dont let anyone dictate what you can or cant do. If I want to come in and rest a bit - I do. One night last fall I stayed up nearly all night, burning feed sacks, potting plants, working in the barn.....people can do much more than they think they can. I always sleep well at night because I work hard. And I feel great. I hate to go to bed at night because I still want to be out in the yard. But am going to make myself tonite because I am treating myself to a Tyler trip tomorrow, going to Blue Moon Gardens and Chamblees where I will no doubt fill up the car with roses. Dont know where they will go, but am thinking positively that I will find a place! To love to garden is the greatest gift - enjoying being outside.....doesnt matter how much one accomplishes...but just to be outside and participate in the miracle of growth! Happy Spring to all and good luck to you, Lucille, with your new home and garden! Judith |
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| This thread is SO inspiring. Thank you. |
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| Oh Judith, you are an inspiration ! I'm too far away but envy you going to Chamblee's, I've gotten several orders from them and would love to see their operation.... yes, keeping busy in the outdoors does help one sleep soundly!!.. thanks, sally |
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| Chamblees was great! I came home with too many roses but who cares. I got some real bargains out of the sale yard for $2 and $5, splured on 4 Crepuscule to make a wall of peach flowers out behind my horse barn, got 26 in all [2 were gifts]. My buddy Maria, who works there [as did her uncle Frank before her - a fountain of rose knowledge he passed to her] showed me the cutting greenhouse and exactly how they do it. I dont have a misting system but am going to put them in a big clear plastic box. I saw cuttings set January 6 that had buds and blooms! Amazing! I could spend hours there!!! The wild pear and plum trees were blooming en masse - a sea of white everywhere in a particular area, and my favorite red flowering peach at the hospital in Rusk, Tx. was in full bloom. Glad I went - we are due rain the next several days. Picked up my 2 more David Austin roses [another Abe Darby and Jude the Obscure]. Chamblees has a very organized setup. Their roses are neat, healthy and its a first class operation. Nothing much was blooming - that will be in about 3 weeks - so, another road trip will be planned!! Life is good!! |
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| Congratulations, Judith! Sounds like a wonderful day. I'm glad you were able to make the trip and especially happy you got to enjoy your favorite red flowering peach before the rain knocks off all the blooms. Kim |
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| Wow, Judith, sounds like you had a great time! My daughter-in-law is from Tyler, they have invited me to go down there with them, and I said sure, if you'll take me to Chamblees and Blue Moon, have heard so much about them! Wish we had nurseries like that in Carrollton. |
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- Posted by teakettle2 9 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 7, 12 at 8:39
| This is a truly inspirational thread. I want to second Zack's recommendation on getting the right tools-I LOVE my trenching shovel-its small, narrow and doesnt scoop out so much dirt that it kills your back. I am making a small garden path in the backyard (I'm 58, work full time) and that shovel is the only reason I can get the job done. I like my foam knee pad, my small fan rake and I use a small dolly to wheel the garden bags around (I dont have to lift them just shove them on the dolly)and away we go! Good luck to you in your little house! A small house can hold as much love as a big house. |
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- Posted by aklinda 7 (lindanewland@myway.com) on Wed, Mar 7, 12 at 17:09
| Kudos to everyone who is still out there digging holes and planting flowers and pulling weeds. I have 2 blown out knees which makes things challenging but you find ways to adapt and I have had to adjust my expectations to my abilities. Just yesterday I was out in the yard building two very simple garden benches from wood - I am trying to add sitting throughout my yard so there's always a place close by to take a sit down break - and one of the neighbors practically begged me to let him finish the benches. I told him it was like therapy for me and as long as I COULD keep moving I WOULD keep moving. It's gratifying to me that so many people are out there with their shovels and spades, keeping at it even when it's not as easy as it used to be. |
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- Posted by roseblush1 8a/Sunset 7 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 7, 12 at 21:41
| AKlinda......... Your post describes exactly what I meant when I said I had to learn to work in an older body. We adapt our style of how we work, find the right tools and carry our sense of joy out into the garden to keep us moving. It's either move or rot. I'd rather move. Smiles, |
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