BK,
You did a wonderful thing for that rose bush! Sorry your landlord had no sense!
I had a similar experience with a ponytail palm tree...my mother gave it to me with four barely alive leaves clinging to life in a tiny pot, wondering why she could not keep it alive. (well, her being evil for one did not help it much LOL) I put it in a bigger pot with frsh fertile soil and it took off! In 5 years time, it had grown to almost 5 feet high. Then I had to move.
I gave it to my brother and his wife who are very dear people but right after i moved to Texas, he lost his job and they moved into my mother's house temporarily. The tree was dead within 5 months.
I went back to visit for Thankgiving and saw the corpse in its beautiful pot out in my mom's front yard. Talk about nearly crying! I just couldn't believe it!
I am currently in the Southwest/Middle of Texas. The house I live in here has foliage outside that brings awe to the heart and a lump to your throat! I love being able to tend it and watch it flourish! The home was neglected for thirty or more years and it has taken me close to 70 (so far) large lawn bags to remove the dead vines and debris. What lay underneath starving from lack of sunlight has popped out in joyuous celebration of life and will blossom into beauty before too long!
I dug up a large area on the Northeast side of the house where the soil is perfect for planting and bordered it with cut and treated logs to make a flower bed but as of yet have not looked for plants that will thrive there where the sunlight can't reach it after noon. Roses have been suggested and would be a beautiful addtition to that area but don't they need lots of sunlight? I had three beautiful rose bushes in AZ and I don't recall any of them being shaded.
I am promised to be given ivy, wandering jews, honeysuckle and a variety of plants to help me along in beautifying the place and I know the lady will come through with them...I am just not sure where she can put them!
Would love to have a French Lilac but alas, they take so much water to survive and this area is subject to tortorous temperatures mixed with high humidity in the summer!
I also have to convince myself that it will be OK to dig up the only patch of REAL grass on the south/southwest side of the yard where the really beautiful annuals can be planted to accent the ugly area next to it that we want to bury in pavers LOL!
Moni
The Official W&W Ditz