Gardens are not just case studies in design. They are stories of people’s lives.

Autumn was fabulous this year, where the colours could glow without fading, and the roses enjoyed the perfect conditions of cool nights and bright, sunny days for an extended time. Now that winter is upon us, it is amazing to see some roses still hanging on so late in the season. They are not in perfect bloom but colourful nonetheless.

Almost finished for this year is the Peter Frankenfeld Rose.

No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden.
Hugh Johnson

The long spell of dry days, cool nights, and glorious sunshine has ended, right on queue as we herald Winter with heavy rainfall across many parts of Australia. Here, the temperature plummeted significantly. Reassuringly, our new garden is more protected, with cooler, less harsh conditions for growing roses than the extremes of a rural garden. We are higher up here at 869 meters above sea level. Our climate is temperate oceanic, characterised by warm summers and cold, wet winters with regular morning frosts and occasional snow. A wall and fully-grown trees partially protect the garden from frosts, and a courtyard area will be a welcome sunny spot for roses. These Jubilee Celebration Roses are the last blooms of Autumn, enjoying that sheltered courtyard away from any wind and frost.

Although not gardening, I have been pondering new garden designs and considering whether to relocate roses and perennials from the farm garden or start with bare-root roses, cuttings and divisions. In our gardens, we all know that time is everything, and patience is necessary to fully appreciate what it takes for plants to come into their own and thrive. Many of the roses in the rural garden are finally flourishing in the positions settled on for sun access or colour matching. Plus, the time has passed, and they are fully mature, so it seems a shame to disturb them, but we will see in midwinter.

I’ve always believed there is a time for doing certain things, and later there’s a time for doing something else.
Mirabel Osler

The Lady of Shallot Roses and quite a few others will be relocated because, thankfully, they are growing in tubs and pots. I’ve nurtured some of these roses through drought, severe heat, duststorms, floods, frost, and various pest infestations at different times. So, I think that by making it through the extremes of rural living, some roses deserve not to be left behind.

It is utterly forbidden to be half-hearted about gardening. You have got to love your garden whether you like it or not.
W C Sellar & R J Yeatman 1936

Our garden plants tell stories of our lives from their origins, and each could tell a tale or two of where they came from, possibly their survival over the years and of all the mistakes the gardener made in their care. If you also love the stories of plants, seeds and cuttings and where they originated, one website to check out is the Lambley Nursery site. Many plant descriptions tell interesting stories of a friend, relative, or colleague who was the source of the original bulb, seed or cutting. This wonderful aspect of gardening has now spread to plant collectives and plant-swapping websites or groups on social media; it is not as close as nurturing a cutting from a favourite Aunt or Uncle or maybe a parent garden, but nonetheless, plants certainly hold secrets to each season, their recovery, endurance or abundance.

We must come to understand our past, our history, in terms of the soil and water and forests and grasses that have made it what it is.
William Vogt

Paul Cezanne, Scentimental, Dark Desire, Pope John Paul and Jubilee Celebration roses have already been relocated in pots, but the garden will not be complete without Lady of Shalott, Graham Thomas, The Peace Rose, Ice Princess, Gra’s Blue, Dusky Moon, Thats Life, Cubana, Olivia Rose Austin, Perfume Passion, Princess Charlene de Monaco, Soul Sister, Vintage and Spiced Coffee roses. Hopefully, These will make it to our new home garden or be planted as bare-root roses in late winter. My challenge is to plant as many of the roses I love into a garden the size of a postage stamp!

Gardening is the one occupation where “if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling.”
Mirabel Osler

Gardens are ephemeral, brief, transitory and a moment in time, and it is futile to hang on to them against nature’s wishes. One day, everything is perfect, and the next, a garden can be ravaged by pests or torn to pieces by hot winds or heavy rain. After all the enjoyment and pleasure the hard work of a rural bestowed on us, I am tempted to leave it as it is. I hope that someone in the future will enjoy the fruits of our labours, care, and attention. It feels wrong to rip a garden apart and create spaces in the landscape that were not intended because having a garden means, ” We were here, however brief or transitory.”

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.
Abram L Urban

Implementing new ideas from past garden errors is a terrific opportunity to learn and have another go. Armed with more experience, we can try again, perhaps with different goals and dreams in mind. There are many other wonderful plants to grow, so cuttings and divisions of the absolute favourite perennials, plus just a few standard roses, are the only ones to be relocated, leaving room for something new. This will also prevent moving invasive weeds to a new garden.

Green thoughts emerge from some deep source of stillness which the very fact of winter has released.
Mirabel Osler

The days have sped past with a new house and garden to establish and all that entails. Not that it’s an excuse, but due to the changes in climate, weather, and time constraints, there has been no significant development in the new garden. So far, I’ve only moved plants growing in large pots and structures like obelisks, birdbaths, and vintage garden fixtures. However, I’m now preparing to move those select few special roses and perennials in the ground, thriving and almost dormant. Once completed, the plan is to start on the soil preparation and planting.

Things to Consider When Moving a Garden

Moving plants and pots is expensive, and the pots take up a lot of room in a removalist truck, so buying new plants may be a better and more economical option.

Pot up rare or special plants with sentimental value or significant historical appeal, or take cuttings and divide the plants.

Remember that once divided, plants from the garden can also bring weed seeds to the new garden, so pot carefully. I am washing the roots of special roses before relocating.

The garden zone may be different, and it is important to consider the microclimate of the new garden before risking the plants in a new area.

Sometimes, it is better to leave the garden behind and look to the future with fresh eyes. Focus on what you can do with the new garden and enjoy the opportunity to create new landscapes.

The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before.
Vita Sackville-West

Unfortunately, the local council will remove the eucalyptus tree from the front this week, which is disappointing. I was shocked when I was told this because I’d like to remove several large shrubs and small trees, but not this one. However, an infestation of borers has almost ringbarked it and has many dead and dying branches. The council is proactive and will remove the tree and replant another specimen tree, so it is a good outcome.