We have been going through a bedroom remodel.  So being put into a period of upheaval combined with it being winter, I can only say that well.....I've been distracted.  Now things are settling down and I can focus on the garden once again.  The remodel went well and the bedroom turned out awesome.  However, the biggest surprise was the role the garden has played in making the bedroom super awesome!  

We replaced the 2 old yucky windows that we never looked out of because there were old and yucky and we added a 3rd one right between them.  So what a surprise it was to see through the new windows that there was a terrific garden on the other side.  The question now is does the new bedroom make the garden or does the garden make the new bedroom?

The 1st view of the new bedroom, walking into it.  You can see the windows to the right.

Now we are turning into the bedroom and here is the 1st glimpse of the garden through the 3 windows.

Here is a full view from the bed.  Isn't that awesome.  The view is just filled with plants.

The following pictures are taken from the windows.  I'm placing them in order from left to right so that you can get a visual of what it looks like in its entirety.

The allee is on the left and my favorite rose, Mrs. B. R. Cant is on the right.  This was a big surprise to see how great the garden looked from the bedroom.  There was never much thought when designing the garden about its view from this vantage point.  Sometimes no matter how much you plan and plan and plan, things can still fall into place unexpectedly. 

I'm a big believer in a hedge.  The Sweet Viburnum along the back is a hardy evergreen shrub.  It grows quickly and will satisfy the most impatient gardener with its stamina.  The hedge has blocked out all of the roof tops around me.  Making my garden feel  cozy, private and even enchanting.  Looking out and seeing a wooden privacy fence would not give the same experience. When walking into this garden, you forget that you are in the heart of the city. 

I just can't wait for spring when the Natchez Crepe Myrtles leaf out and Mrs. B. R. Cant starts blooming.  What a sight that will be!  I'll be sure to post more photos from this view point as the seasons change. 

One of my favorite roses is Mrs. B. R. Cant.  She is a tea rose that was created by Benjamin Cant in 1901 and was named after his wife.  She gets large, up to 8'x8'.  I wanted her so bad in my garden that I actually designed a bed for her in mind (that's pretty special).  And she hasn't let me down.  She was planted in 2009 and has quadrupled in size.  She is about 5'x6' now and is filled with blooms.  She is a very healthy plant and isn't one to need special attention.  In fact I think she rather likes being left alone to do her own thing.  I have never pruned her, except for a couple of broken limbs or so.  I have heard that she doesn't care to be pruned much.  For now, I just let her go. 

Mrs. B. R. Cant has fat, cabbage like flowers.  They are pink with a bit of a silver hue to them and they smell delicious.  She didn't bloom that much in her first year, but this year she has really taken off.  Check out the pictures bellow.

She is a large rose.  This space was designed to accommodate her size. 

Fat, Cabbage like blooms. 

The blooms have a strong and fruity fragrance.

If you have space, consider planting a Mrs. B. R. Cant.  She's robust and prolific. This is a good rose for the first time rose gardener or the old pro.  She won't let you down but she may eat your house.