When I bought my 1903 house,, in 1976, I was twenty six years old. I didn't know much back then but I have observed and learned things about the house the past thirty one years. The house originally was built on a flagstone foundation. Some time in the thirties they decided to put a basement under the house. It was made from the fired clay ceramic brick. They put the basement under the most of the house but the kitchen did not get included in that. So the flagstone foundation is still there. All around that kitchen area grew this rose on the west and north. I can't really call it a bush like a floribunda but it spreads by it's roots. In 1985, my wife and I added a large room for an art gallery and studio that sits to the north of the kitchen. I opened up the wall with a very wide doorway so it looks from the inside like a natural transition. Anyway, I had to destroy the roses on the north and I worried about the ones on the west as they didn't seem as strong. But they have done well.
The rose is one time bloomer and has a very light sweet scent. In most years I cut it all the way down to the ground. Last fall I didn't get that done so I have blight, white scale, whatever all over the leaves. I will cut it back this year for sure to stop the blight. I see in the last few years that it has now crept around the corner of my kitchen to the south side of the house. If I let it go, it will fill in quickly.
A footnote on the kitchen is that it was build originally like a summer kitchen. It had screen doors on the north and south of the room to allow air to move through the room. Outside against the original siding one can see the outline of the chimney that once stood there for the old stove that probably sat in the kitchen. I am thinking that the chimney standing there probably kept them from putting a basement under the kitchen wing. Enough of that history stuff for today. I like to see how the way things use to be. By the way, when them built this house, they also built another one just like it across the street but in a reversed mirrored copy of the very same floor plan.
3 comments:
They seemed to do that a lot (build mirrored reverse plans). There are several here on Main Street, just the same, except turned around.
Interesting history on your home, it looks so well -looked after and inviting.
I think I can smell that rose from here:)
Larry, does this rose climb? Climbing Pinkie gets to a pretty good size. I love the once bloomers.
You know I have never tried to turn it into a climber but I bet it would. I reminds of one. I just let it be itself because it was there before me. I have an area that I always wanted to put a trellis for decoration so maybe I will try that next spring and see if the rose will climb it.
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