by Leslie Cox; Saturday; March 13, 2021

This was the week the Rosa rugosa hedge was to be edited on the boulevard side of the fence. We needed to rein it in closer to the fence which provided an excellent opportunity to dig up some stolons for a neighbour.

She had asked for some plant suggestions for a planned memorial garden in honour of her husband. Given the deer in our area and the location, we could not think of anything better than the bullet-tough rugosa roses with the bonus of their long flowering period and delicious scent.

There was already a lovely metal bench situated on a covered deck at the edge of a pond. Perched on a gentle slope at the far back of the farm field, the memorial to Rick commanded a stunning view of Mt. Washington.

With the help of a small backhoe to make quick work of digging a trench and a tractor bucket-load of aged manure, the rose planting job was completed in record time. A convenient bucket on a long rope made scooping water from the pond for watering in the roses very easy.

It is always nice when you can do something special for a neighbour.

View of Mt Washington from Rick’s Memorial Bench