Tick... Tick... Tick... BLOOM!

Most of the flower beds around the house and fences, which ends up being well over 100' feet worth of flower beds, are little more than grass and weeds. Naturally, we're trying to slowly clean them out and 'pretty them up'. Yesterday we picked out some roses, and I got them planted today - scant minutes before the rain storm....

They're on the east side of the house, in front of the back porch, so hopefully they'll get plenty of sun. Being roses, they need at least six hours' worth. Fortunately, they are also 'hybrid tea roses' that should be hardy down to negative 20 degrees, which is important here for the normal Chicago-land winters.

Yes, I know - I need to mow the yard... Blame the rain.

Oooh, dramatic view!

From R to L (or front to back, depending on which photo you're viewing), we have an Heirloom rose, a Chicago Peace rose, and a Chrysler Imperial. That basically gives us pink, peach, and red, respectively, and with the purple bush in the background, I think it'll be quite a sight when they all bloom at once (spring and fall).

Now all we have to do is keep them watered daily, fertilized regularly, pruned, covered with rose cones over winter, and... Sigh. Maybe I should have planted dandelions instead...