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Amy & Josh, still smiling as they uproot another plant for a neighbor. Photo by Pat Patterson. Click to enlarge.

I saw an interesting ad in our listserv Classified Ads: the Rose House was having a big rose sale. That was the house neighbors in Maxwell Park referred to as the Rose House, near Kingsland and Fleming.

Amy and Joshua, a newer family in the area, had inherited over 120 rose bushes from the former owner and rose judge, Mac McCrury. Mac had lined up the bushes in perfect rows across the entire front yard and included classics, specialties, and local favorites. Mac spent hours each day labeling and tending to the mix of hybrid tea roses, miniatures, and floribundas.

With two small children, Amy and Joshua knew they could not tend to those beauties as much as they'd like; therefore, they offered the roses first to Maxwell Park neighbors. They suggested folks bring a shovel, bucket for transporting, and any maintenance questions. It was their hope that neighbors would incorporate the delightful roses into their own Maxwell Park gardens.

Amy and Josh reflect on the special connection with Mac: "He described the roses as his children. 'He spent five hours a day tending them. He gave us a one-and-a-half hour inservice on how to care for them when we moved in. 'We felt we needed to honor him and the roses as potential buyers—it seemed like a pre-requisite for their accepting our offer to buy. It was hard for us to give them away—we felt responsible for their well-being since he bestowed them to us. 'We felt his presence in the garden when we did our caning—deep cutting in the late winter—and if we weren't sure how to best prune them, it seemed like he helped to guide our clippers."'

I remembered taking a summer walk years ago down Fleming and visiting with Mac McCrury. I was so astonished at the gorgeous rich display of blooms at that intersection that I stopped to inquire. He mentioned he'd been a judge of the Rose Society and had tended roses for years. A nice, welcoming fellow, he gave me tips on my favorites: deep pink "Perfume Delight" and ruby red "Mr. Lincoln"—both super fragrant with thick velvety petals.

On the sale day, I stopped by the Rose House to see Joshua and friend hoisting a rose bush out of the ground with a big wooden tripod contraption. The tugging was very gentle, and I borrowed Amy's camera to catch things in action.

Neighbors had their buckets and burlap sacks laid out on the ground, and people were perusing the lanes of bare bushes. Amy described the rose varieties, colors, and fragrances. It was a mellow scene as folks milled about. Amy passed out water, even offered some chocolates to a few of us, and explained how they would put in a drought-resistant garden later.

I sent an email a week later, asking folks to send me a note on which roses they bought and got several responses. I bought a brilliant magenta rose for my garden. It will be my garden story for years to come, with its old gnarly bottom and fresh new branches popping out as spring arrives.

Amy and Joshua's thoughtfulness will be remembered for years and years as folks pass down the story of how the "Rose net" was cast. Thanks goes out to the delightful family for passing on some real tradition for all to enjoy and for building community.

Amy and Joshua, here are a few emails from neighbors I thought you might like to read:

"We bought almost 40 plants and we are terracing our lawn to fit them. We wanted to save and preserve a large portion of the collection within the area. What a great collection he/they had!"'

—Maggie

"I purchased two roses from the Rose House. They will be in my front yard soon. The bushes that I purchased are 'Brigadoon' and 'Mary Pauline.' The 'Mary Pauline' hybrid tea rose was a variety that the owner bred and named after his daughter. There are only two of these bushes in existence."'

—Patty Moore and Monique Moore-Racine

"We bought two roses and planted them on the side of our house. we are just down the street from them on Kingsland. and our neighbor across the street also bought three roses and planted them in their front yard."

—Jon and Larisa Snydal

"We bought four roses: one miniature, two others, and a beautiful rose tree. We've kept the original name tags with them as a way to honor Mac McCrury."'

—Ellie Hoffman and Barbara Raboy