Oh! My! Gosh! Toolbelt and Subk3, pictures like yours are what inspired me to try this companion planting! Christopher and camps, your point about rose selection is well taken. Super Jane is a hybrid musk, although a modern one. Clematis versicolor blooms (according to Plant Delights) in April-June and then again in Sept. and October. I think that they will bloom together. I hope. That's why I asked for others' experiences. Super Jane doesn't have a lot of thorns and I chose her for that reason. I don't want to deal with yet another rose that fights back when I prune. BTW, Christopher, I so wish I could grow albas. Maybe someday... Thanks for your spacing and timing suggestions, kidhorn and dublinbay. When I plant my rose, I'll make a point of having my clematis ready to go in, too. I'm glad that they can be planted that close together. It will make it easier to find the best spot for both. Mad_gallica, that is disappointing. Deer are always a factor here since I live on the edge of a woods. I know that when deer here are hungry the way they have been this winter, they'll eat whatever they can find. This year, for example, they ate 3/4 of the leaves and buds off my camellia, something they've never bothered in the past. I may need to rethink the location if I decide to go through with this. The pruning thing makes a lot of sense. I don't know where I read it and will have to go back and check, but I thought that the little clematis I'm considering died back quite a bit and could be cut back completely in late winter. I hope that's right. If not, I'll look for one that can. Subk3, you make a very good point about checking to see if Super Jane and clematis versicolor can handle the same growing conditions. Super Jane seems to be a tough girl to survive her setbacks but I haven't had her long enough to draw any conclusions. I live on the edge of a dry woods on top of a small hill that's on top of a larger hill. Keeping plants moist enough is a battle for me. I would like to plant Super Jane on a trellis on the side of a small building that faces east/southeast. She will get morning sun and dappled shade/light shade the rest of the day. Our soil is horrible here- dry clay and rocks- so I amend it quite a bit with compost and mulch. It sounded like the clematis could handle regular garden conditions so I thought that the extra watering and soil amendments for the rose wouldn't hurt the clematis. This clematis is supposed to be less prolific than other natives and play well with others so I thought that it might be a good one for me to try. This is coming from the nurseries that have it for sale, though. Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to respond.

Hi all, I love everyones ideas. Keep them coming. I'm glad to hear there are a bunch of you in SW Florida. If it is okay, why don't we keep this link going from both coasts so we can still learn from each other. We are all on the same path. I was on craigslist or freecycle somewhere yesterday and a girl wrote in asking for seeds as she lost her job and has no idea who she is going to feed her family. I don't think we are so way out. Heather I love the blog. Incredible. I have a number of links I look at for ideas. Take a look at http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/ don't think I say that one. Brute: you are right on. Take a look at http://www.abysmal.com/LDS/Preparedness/Preparedness.pdf. It is off the main topic of gardening but it is probably the most indepth "emergency preparedness manual" that is put out by the LDS or Mormon church. It is written with facts and humor but it covers everything up to and including growing your own garden. I am not LDS but I have many friends who are and I have learned a lot from them. When I was looking for the above link i came across this site which had a lot of info some of it very scary but staying on our topic I liked this link. http://www.shtfblog.com/how-to-build-a-concrete-block-raised-bed-garden/ I really like the concrete block raised bed idea. I have my veggie garden raised and a timer on a hose that has kept things simple. I need to redo my bed as I am down to basil and 0regano. I bought a lot of seeds last week but to be honest I have never grown anything from seed except for watermelon. This will be a great start. My email address for anyone who wants to contact me privately is: IBelieveKandC@yahoo.com. I am not as good as Heather on Blogging. If one of us gets a great meeting or speaker going this is a good place for us to see if we have an interest. We could always do a fieldtrip. Literally. Lets try and keep the ideas between east and west going together for now. It's all good. The more info the better. Claudia

I was at the 2015 fall plant swap and wanted to find out who to talk to about hosting the fall plant swap? We have a huge yard, waterfall, stream would be lovely to host it here in Newark, Oh. Just an idea. Thanks, Katina :) email is: onestopwriteshopKatina (at) gmail (dot) (com)

Seasiderooftop you are so fortunate ! I was going through your beautiful photos again , imagining the taste of home grown grapes , remembering the way living by the water smells - it's been decades ago. I've read about the apostle Paul's shipwreck in Malta but never seen actual pictures of the location, it brings home the realism of the Bible text. Carol, it's such hearty camaraderie to face the thorns of rose love together with someone that has eyes to see. You appreciate rose photos and speak of them as if they were your own cherished roses . It's such an encouraging group here I don't feel so alone in my labor. My old neighbor Bud ( great name huh ) laughed when I told him I wanted to make a rose garden here at the apartments. I remember his stinging words " No one will appreciate them ". It felt a little silly but I used to pick flowers and take them to him. The old guy died last year but the flowers did change his mind. My Evelyn stands in a deep weed patch at another neighbor's flower bed . She orders food by mail and rarely comes out her door. Evelyn's glorious petals fall never being seen by anyone but me, the delivery people and occasional passer by.