He Never Promised Me a Rose Garden

We have had a struggle finding something that would thrive in the beds in front of our garden fence. After we created an adorable arbor leading into the garden, the entrance left the beds on either side wanting.

Herbs were our first attempt to no avail. The chickens scratched them out. If any survived that catastrophe, then the dry southern Illinois summer finished them off.  We moved the herbs to the opposite side of the fence in what will be an eventual herb garden. They appear to like it better there.

 Our next venture was to plant strawberries in the spot. Identical results. After a couple of seasons of growing, we found only two runners surviving in that oppressive location. We transplanted those safely into a garden box where they multiplied.  The multitude of plants now await transfer to their new dedicated rows in the garden.

I concluded that perhaps we should simply plant marigolds or bushes in the challenging location.  After much speculation, we decided to try Mark’s suggestion of filling it with roses. I was doubtful. We planted a dozen Knockout roses in front of the garden in May of 2020. Frankly, I was apprehensive that the expenditure would be for naught once the foliage withered and died. That is a tidy sum of funds to invest in some plants that may simply be scratched out! Happily, I had to eat crow, as the roses are not only surviving, but thriving and are nothing less than amazing! 

We've appreciated abundant bouquets for the table. We are mesmerized by the pretty morning landscape with morning glories cascading from the arbor and roses ornamenting each side. We've gathered nosegays to delight others. We’ve harvested profuse amounts of petals for drying. Our charming rose garden is thriving!

It's been a little over a year since planting the flowers, and we snicker about how Mark "never promised me a rose garden." Rather than bringing home a dozen roses from the florist to delight in for a few short days, he created an entire rose garden to treasure for entire seasons and years to come. I am truly blessed.