Rose Garden Redesign questions

12 years ago

I've reached the stage of spinal stiffness where I need to raise my rose beds up to be able to continue to garden. After much research I am thinking of designing with a combination of aluminum stock tanks connected with fake stone in a pale rose sandstone color. These would sit up 2' high. One of our local garden experts, Valerie Easton, redesigned her retirement home with the stock tank garden beds and loves them, but she uses mixed plantings and hardly any roses. Mine would be designed into a free form flowing pattern with wood chip paths that my 2 large dogs can run on without damage to them or the flowers.

I realized that the 5 1/2' circle beds would be very difficult to tend in the middle. I am thinking that perhaps if I sunk a bottemless container in the middle of the bed I could grow something like a tall ornamental grass or small shrub and keep the roots from interfering with the rose roots, or invading them.

These beds would also contain, as do my current ones, a number of favorite lilies, daylilies,lavenders, delphinium, huechera,allium, and other spring bulbs.

Our climate is moderate zone 8b Pacific NW near Seattle, with coolish, dry summers and foggy, damp winters.

I would love any advice from others who have done this and ideas for how to arrange them, as well as to items to feature in the centers of the (Possibly 5 big round beds connected by straight or curved raised stone beds), and rectangular stock tanks. There is an arbor path down the center with 3 sets of arbors. First one has Autumn Sunset and Polka, 2nd has 2 Graham Thomas's that grow 8'-10' tall, and third has Night Owl and Sombruil on one side and 4th of July on the other. I Imagine I will have to remove a number of the not so healthy older roses and keep only the most wonderful ones for my Low Maintainance garden, but hope to have many years of enjoying them without the pain and disability. (Eventually the paths could be paved and wheelchair accessible if need be).

Here is a favorite shot of my Teasing Georgia taken a few years ago.{{gwi:347893}}

Comments (2)

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
12 years ago
What is the shape of the area this will be in? That, to an extent, helps to determine the best arrangement.

A couple things to think about: are there views of this area from the house? From a frequently used room in the house? And/or is there a view of the area from a favorite, frequently used sitting area outside? What about the background of these views (neighbor's windows, power poles, ugly spot/beauty spot) You want to maximize the beauty of the views from the place(s) you view it from most frequently. (This adds value to your property as well as pleasure to your daily life.)
Noni Morrison
Original Author
12 years ago
Its our outdoor living area just off the front porch where most people enter. We have 4 acres, the back two of which are woodland. The garden creates the view, and the backround is madrona, douglas fir, wild cherry and big leaf maple along a rural road. We get a fair amount of traffic when the ferry boat comes in but quiet in between times. Area basically flat. I want the garden to be the centerpeice and focal point. Its a peak-a-boo view from the road.
i House is a manufactured one, no partcular style, pale yellow with green trim. We are about 100 feet back from the roads on two sides, with woods to the south east and east. The area gets pretty much full sun in summer. I love wind tossed grasses that create a sense of motion but love almost every other kind of plant too. One bed will be amended for faster draining for echinaceas and lavenders.

I love a semi wild, abundant natural style, not a formal "Rose Garden" look. The lilies in summer are mind blowing!

No real ugly spots to contend with...but nothing of fabulous beauty either, except of course the garden itself.

I do have a star magnolia that is lovely along the back of the garden and a huge fragrant honeysuckle on the north side. (Everyone in the neighborhood loves the honeysuckle). These will be back ground for the garden. Beyond that is a view of my cutting gardens where I have my small cut flower business...mostly about 150 dahlias and a couple of rows of annuals, with 4 rare breed ducks for amusement and organic slug control. One can also see the chicken yard where my 4 hens hang out and my 20 foot greenhouse.

The west border of this garden consists of 3 flowering crab apples that I cut from for bouquets.

THe area I am designing for is about 40' wide and 30 feet deep with the center arbor path swerving in a curve to the left. Nothing is square in the garden. The circlar drive way borders the north side and the whole garden and orchard area of about an acre is surrounded by a cattle wire deer fence.

I have few pictures because the garden does not photograph well...just lots of plants, from a little distance. Mostly I photograph individual flowers. I think the raised beds will be much more photogenic.
Related Professionals
Kapaa Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Saint Louis Park Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Signal Hill Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Mount Wilson Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Waterbury Landscape Contractors · Westwood Landscape Contractors · Annandale Landscape Contractors · Eagle Landscape Contractors · East Chicago Landscape Contractors · Eureka Landscape Contractors · Little Ferry Landscape Contractors · Pine Hills Landscape Contractors · Pleasant Hill Landscape Contractors · Watertown Landscape Contractors · Kingsburg Landscape Contractors