OCTOBER 30, 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 44
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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Page RE2 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Roses are a delight in the garden By Betty Montgomery More Content Now
T
hroughout history, roses have been the most celebrated flower grown. You can read about roses in history at least as far back as the pharaohs in Egypt. They also have been mentioned in poetry, and you see them in old, as well as new, paintings. And roses are not only beautiful when in bloom, but if they are fragrant, the scent can make a lasting memory. My love for growing roses began shortly after I was married. We moved to the country after living in town for about two years. Here, I had plenty of room to plant a rose garden and I could not wait to get started. I had never grown roses before, but I knew I could learn and hoped to have a beautiful garden one day. I was not as much of a reader of how to garden in those days. I spent more time asking people I would meet how to grow things and this was especially true when it came to growing roses.
Helping hand Driving into town to go to the grocery store, I discovered a home that had a beautiful rose garden that was near the street where anyone passing by could see it and enjoy its beauty. I admired this garden and would actually drive this route just to see the roses when they were blooming. One day, I got up enough nerve to stop and ask the gentleman who was tending his rose garden, what his secret was for growing such
prolific and beautiful blooms. I told him I grew roses, but mine were nothing like his. He introduced himself and said his name was Herman Whitaker. He was flattered that I was interested and agreed to come look at my bushes and see if he could offer any suggestions. This started a lifetime friendship. Whitaker and I became fast friends and, until he died, we gardened together and I learned a great deal from him. The first thing he told me was to remove the black plastic between the roses that I had been told by another rose grower to put down so I would not have to weed. Next, he helped me select roses that would perform in our hot, humid climate. I had chosen ones that had pretty photographs in the catalog but were not necessarily hardy roses. He showed me the ratings of roses put out by the American Rose Society and told me we had to start with ones that were quite hardy. Once a year, he would come get me and I would go with him to clean out a chicken house so that I could have old composted manure to put on my roses. He was a great teacher and a wonderful mentor with roses as well as all other aspects of gardening.
Top tips for growing One of the things I have learned about roses is that water is very important. A sufficient amount of water for your roses is 1 inch of rain or 5 gallons of water per week per plant. A soaker hose is also good. If you live in a cooler climate, you might get away with less, but in the hot Southern states, water is key to growing pretty roses. Also, having a layer of mulch will help hold in the moisture. The location you choose for roses is also very important since they need at least six hours of sun. Roses have had a spectacular rise in popularity in recent years because of the breeding work that has recently been done to make them hardier. In the early 1960s, David Austin had the idea to come up with a new rose, one that would
Above: Climbing roses on an arbor. Left: Queen Elizabeth roses add a touch of beauty indoors. [Betty Montgomery]
have the repeat blooms of the hybrid tea roses and the fragrance of the old English garden rose. He worked for years and finally came up with a line of roses that are beautiful repeat blooming roses with fragrance. In 2000, another line of roses was introduced called “Knockout rose.” These roses are what is known as landscape roses and they bloom almost nonstop all summer. Roses deserve to have a spot in a garden. Roses will add beauty to your garden and will add a lovely touch to any room when you bring them into your home. Betty Montgomery is a master gardener and author of “Hydrangeas: How To Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” and “A Four-Season Southern Garden.” She can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, October 30, 2019 • Page RE3
Page RE4 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, October 30, 2019
DEAR MONTY
Get outside help when dealing direct in real estate
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: We are buying a house direct from the owner. The property also contains a partially burned-out mobile home relatively close to the house. It appears to be a total loss. The house was not damaged. Our question is, does the seller have the right to request we replace the mobile home? We would rather expand the house and build a new garage instead of replacing the trailer home.
Monty’s answer: There are many unanswered questions. Is there a written purchase agreement between the two of you? If not, the seller’s mobile home is on their property, and the two parties are negotiating. While the seller can ask you to replace it, you have the right to tell them “no.” If the seller is stating they will not sell the property unless you agree to replace the mobile home, you have a decision to make. Why would the seller ask you to replace it? If it burned down while under contract, before the closing, it might be a new negotiation.
Potential action steps It is unclear if there is earnest money involved, the value of the property, and many other factors. Whether or not a building addition and a garage is a good idea or not depends on many variables. Consider speaking to three different
types of experts to get “boots on the ground” opinions. Here are the experts to talk with: 1. A knowledgeable real estate appraiser. This person can tell you if
your proposed addition will be a wise investment. Contact several to find one that does this type of work to learn what they will charge to come out and look at the property to assess the situation. 2. A competent real estate attorney.
This person can tell you your legal obligations and your options in a negotiation with the current owner of the property. 3. A building contractor. Here you learn what it will cost to expand the house and build a garage. Contractors also can be creative and may offer alternative ideas.
A cautionary note One last bit of advice that you did not
ask for, but I feel an obligation to offer. While it is unclear at what point you are in negotiations, a question to ask yourself is, are you biting off more than you can chew? Whenever I encounter a buyer and a seller unrepresented in the same transaction, experience has shown me, one of three outcomes is likely. Things go well when both parties are informed. An uninformed party is at a disadvantage in dealing with an informed party. When both parties are unaware, one accidentally gets taken.
Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money — An Insider’s Secrets to Saving ThousandsWhen You Buy or Sell a Home.” He advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estateadvice. Follow him on Twitter at @ dearmonty, or at DearMonty.com.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, October 30, 2019 • Page RE5
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Page RE6 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Don’t see your home in the
RE WEEKLY Then contact a Realtor® today, because you are missing out on over 39,000+ potential buyers seeing your property for sale. STORY TY COUN
PMENT ERCIAL • AREA DEVELO GE • FARM • COMM RESIDENTIAL • ACREA Street, Ames 99 • 317 5th ® licensed in the State of Iowa 515-233-32 are REALTORS ® within All REALTOR ads
RE WEEKLY
JANUARY 11, 2017 Volume 12 • Issue 2
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Page RE8 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, October 30, 2019
2018 Marketing Plan
2019 Marketing Plan
Because hope is not a marketing plan. Start your year oǺ strong with a guided plan from ThriveHive. 515-232-2160 | www.amestrib.thrivehive.com
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