Goodbye sweet Maggie roses, hello tasty fall tomatoes…
I know that I planted the two ‘Maggie‘ roses before April of 2009, the second set of plants to be placed in the deep raised bed behind the pool. I looked carefully at their growth habit, having just removed monstrous Italian jasmine that I’d hoped would not scale those heights quite so quickly. (I do know that they get that big, I was just in denial that they’d be in such a hurry about it.)
And the Maggies were happy there. VERY happy there. They grew, and grew and grew. They grew up to the ledge on the back of the pool – about 3 feet. And then they grew another 4 feet.
They have the most delicious rose scent. It was heavenly and it was the primary reason I brought them home with me.
They were beautiful. And then they were ugly. They grew so much and so fast, that deadheading, pruning and generally keeping up with them became a monstrous chore. And then the black spot and leaves falling like rain. They were not only 7+ feet tall, they were about 8 feet wide. And constantly leaning out over the edge into the path behind them.
I tired. I really tried. I pruned and pruned. My crew came and pruned and pruned and pruned. It was work. And then it was expensive.
And I never liked them towering behind the pool wall and water sheer because the rest of the pool and cabana area is filled with tropical plants.
So a few weeks ago I made the agonizing decision to let them go. (That’s a gardener euphemism for rip them out.)
I didn’t do it (not with tendonitis in both arms, are you kidding me?). They were monsters. And I couldn’t watch.
But when they were gone, I breathed a sigh of relief. After all, I don’t grow roses because they are a lot of work to keep up properly.
So, while looking at the bed with the giant hole in it, my husband said, “why don’t you pot some fall tomatoes in that nice, deep soil?” Just what I was thinking. (I can’t rotate them enough in our veggie garden and out spring crop s…. was bad.)
So, I planted three tomatoes and lovingly covered them with shade cloth for these 100+ temps to help them get established. They will grow past the pool wall, but it will be late fall and then they’ll come out. Next spring new perennials will find a home in this spot. Wonder who will get the honor?
But that’s a deliberation for another day. I’ll have all winter to think about it.
