My Lovely New Roof

 November 13, 2012! My day of joy! The new roof was started! I have been struggling to find a way to put a new roof on this house since we moved home in 2006. I finally came up with the money and a person who could do it. I was like a kid in a candy store watching the metal going on. 

Once the roof is finished my son is going to rebuild the front porch. I won't know how to handle that. When my folks bought this house in 1960, Dad announced that the front porch was bad and should be replaced. He and Mom lived here till 2002, but he never got around to doing anything with the porch. I took the flimsy railings off in 2010. (It didn't take much). Now Joe will do what Joe Bill wanted to do. But that it tomorrow. 
Right now, let's just admire this lovely new roof!

Mom's Blaze Climber

In 1981, I purchased two Blaze Climber roses from the Jackson and Perkins Company. One I planted where I was living in Texas, the other I gave to my Mother. Thirty-one years later, that rose is still going strong. At the end of 2010 I pruned it back severely. It spent last summer growing new canes, but look at it bloom now! I love this rose.

Container Garden

Jen and I have enjoyed this bit of container gardens. We used Mom's old washtubs for the containers. The one on the ground holds basil. The one in the tall tub is the "mystery mint." I took a piece of it to Joanne's one meeting. The consensus was I had licorice mint. Gee! I didn't even know licorice mint existed!  For the winter I moved the mystery mint to the herb bed and mulched it well. I hope it makes it.

What sorts of dishes do you make with Licorice Mint?

The colorful arrangement in Grandma Lala's old wash pan is the find from Home Depot. It was originally priced  over $10.00, but I found it on the reduced rack for $1.99. It was wilting and looking pretty sad. Jen was sad that day as well, so I gave it to her to cheer her up. She nursed the plant, making sure it had adequate water, and look what a treasure we got to enjoy! I moved it to the container garden area after it was healthy. Sigh. I wish this would winter over, but I know the plants are annuals.

The white planter is the miniature rose I bought. I love miniature roses, but I have the worst luck with them. As usual, spider mites killed this one.