Our rose garden began with 8 hybrid teas that we bought from TV for $70, shipping included. They were from a good nursery and 1/3 the normal price for bare root roses.
Since we were digging into the front lawn, we needed to mulch the grass into compost, on the spot. My gardening neighbor gave me stacks of newspapers, which we covered with black dyed wood mulch.
Our neighbor's wife loves the rose garden, so I cut all the yellow roses and put them in a vase for her. They were mildly aromatic, too.
They said, "It's our 53rd wedding anniversary. Thank you!"
I said, "I wanted to return some of the newspapers you gave me." I did not know about the anniversary.
No exaggeration about the newspapers. Earthworms love newsprint, turning it into useful soil - earthworm casts. We would have been in bad shape without the stacks of newspapers under the mulch.
I borrow my rose photos from the Net, because the camera fund went into gardening. |