I've decided to just accept that this is happening and try to make lemonade out of this big fat lemon. There are some positives. I have a large front center bed that was planted with junipers when I bought the home. I want them gone. They are too much work to keep at a sensible size, right now they are badly overgrown. So I get them gone for 'free'. And who among us hasn't thought, well, if I was starting over again, what would I do differently? I wish I had planted X there, I wish I had given Y more room? So that is what my mindset is now.

I have about 40 roses that need to be moved. I will probably give away about 5 to my rose groups annual rose raffle. Most of the roses are HTs which I feel confident digging up and storing and replanting. However, I have about a dozen large mature teas that will also need to be moved. My question is, has anyone done this successfully? I know teas do not like pruning, but I will have to cut these back if I am taking them out and storing them for a bit before replanting. I was thinking of just taking out the oldest largest limbs at the base to reduce the size and then digging them up.

I'm also wondering about timing. The project will probably be done in April. I was thinking that I should dig up the roses between now and February, right around when I would do spring pruning, while they are still a bit dormant an haven't started to leaf out. If I wait too long, they will start to put out new growth and that could hurt them with the move. I am planning on putting some in pots, but the larger ones I will either get some burlap or just put them in a bed in the backyard in the shade an keep them moist and maybe cover with mulch.

Then I have to plan what the new yard will look like. I am also losing some mature trees and I'm not sure what will be replanted. The good news is that the large front center bed will now be filled with roses.

Any advice or tips would be appreciated!

Years ago we had 4 trees removed. The tree removal service came through the back of our property, and removed the trees with a large crane or backhoe. One of the options before the crane was to use their machines to temporarily lift out my roses and then re-plant them.

I cut back teas every year here in Tulsa, OK. They spring back just fine, and in the meantime I can get to the main stems, and prune or cut out old wood.

I wonder to what extent your county would use the large machinery to lift out your roses and save them. It seems to me that part of the responsibility of tearing up your yard should rest with them.

I love my teas and china roses, but they take 3 years to grow so that you can enjoy them.

If I were in your place, I think I would try to make personal deals. Once the machinery is in place, whether it is the county or a company hired to do the work, why don't you offer deals for them to work on their own time?

You could cut them back and have the roses ready to be moved. You would need to have a professional to go around and cut the roots. THat would be a pain, but perhaps there are machines to do that.

I cannot go farther with my ideas since my property is more than likely far different than yours.

I do hope you take care of yourself. Times like this can be so frustrating when we realize that life can hit us and we cannot hit back. When it comes right down to it, we can be so vulnerable, and make ourselves sick while those who have stepped on us just move along and don't care.

I hope everything works out well for you.

Sammy

I though about having them dig up the roses, but I honestly don't trust it. They can pull up anything I don't want (like the junipers) or stuff that can be easily replaced (mini hollies an other shrubs). But the roses I think I want to manage myself. Of course that may change once I try digging one up!

I'm assuming you have Georgia clay which will make the rootball exceedingly heavy to move. So I'm wondering if you 1) shouldn't have someone burlier than you dig them up (they will have very thick roots and a tap root) and 2) possibly you could bare-root them for the move if the rootball is too heavy, either repotting them or using your backyard bed as you mentioned. How much can a 3x3 or 4x4 chunk of clay weigh? Lots and lots.

The ones they took were Arcadia Louisiana Tea, General Schablikine, Enchantress, Souv de Francois Gaulain, Blush Noisette, LeVesuve, Crepuscule, another noisette, and Parade. Previously I had given her Cl SDLM and E. Veyrat Hermanos (who was HUGE).

Also, I did no trimming on them, figuring I would let them do it as they wished (when I've done it I wait for dieback and trim accordingly). I believe we were into our spring weather which is at least 70's and sunny. Just wear long sleeves and long pants. Hopefully, you can get one of the guys to do the digging. :)

Sherry

Yes, these rootballs will mostly likely weight a ton. We do have a riding mower, so we may be able to use that to pull them out (we've done that before) and move them to the backyard where I will be storing them. Ideally, I'd like to keep as much as my soil that I've slaved over 10 years perfecting as possible, so I may be moving soil as well.

I've actually been looking at pictures of your yard when you first redid it to get ideas. I want to have large shrubs featured in the new bed in the center (replacing the junipers). I do have some babies in pots, Pearl d'Or and Mutablis and Cramoisi Superior. I was planning on putting them in other spots but now I think they would be perfect for the front.

I'm most perturbed about having to move my Mrs. BR Cant. She actually will benefit because the spot she is in now, she's a bit cramped. She will be in basically the same spot on the far side of the driveway, just more to the left so she can spread out. I was hoping to put a matching rose on the other side of the driveway. Right now Mlle Franziska Kruger is there, but she's been under performing for awhile. I will keep her, but in a different spot. I've been looking at roses all day to see what can match with a MBRC, and I'm thinking, maybe just get another one!!! I think that would look fabulous.

Anyway, I'm trying to concentrate on the positive. As I told DH, if this is the worst thing that happens to us, we are pretty lucky. I guess the meds are working for me, LOL.

Glad to see you back posting. Hope all is well with you and hubby!

Some years ago we had a long established Cl Shot Silk moved. It was probably 50 years old and simply enormous. The plant was moved with heavy equipment that was on hand for the job that made it necessary to move the rose. Cl Shot Silk lived for a couple of years in its new location, never again as grand as it had once been, then died. In your place, if the roses are easily replaceable, I would be tempted to just replace them. (In fact, I recently planted a new Cl Shot Silk. It seems happy.)

Rosefolly

We moved a huge Rosette Delizy' from Miriam Wilkins garden, in a similar way several years ago.

I'm going to move a Mrs. B. R. Cant next.

I would move a mature Tea to a permanent place between Dec and February before the main growth spurt, if possible.
Then water heavily for 3 consecutive days and every week (unless there is rain) for a month or so.

I like the idea of bare-rooting a large Tea rosebush and may give it a try.

Good luck,
Lux

I think moving them between now and February is the best thing to do. And then replanting them after the project is done (sometime in April) I think they will probably have put on some new growth by then and maybe I can get a flush in June. I just have to keep them well watered while they are out of the ground. The spot I am going to store them is in my backyard, and I will make sure they are shaded. I have some roses near there that get less sun than those in the front because the back is lower than the front yard and gets the sun later, and they are usually a month behind in blooming, so it may work out.