Ok, so apparently, the Bowl and Parade aside, Pasadena is not the official "Rose City." The official title of "The City of Roses" goes to Portland, Oregon where conditions are supposedly perfect for growing them. However, Pasadena is unofficially known as Rose City and after a week of living here, I know why. They are everywhere and appear to thrive in this climate. I feel very fortunate that I was able to bring three of my old potted roses with me from the Mud House. I wasn't sure I would be able to bring them, as California has very strict regulations regarding bringing plants and plant products across the border. I contacted the California Department of Food and Agriculture and had several email exchanges with a plant quarantine inspector named Louis. It seems that you can bring roses to California from Arizona if they are grown in commercial potting soil, indoors, and if the inspector at the border determines they do not have root rot. We packed the three old potted roses at the back of the U-Haul, sadly prepared to give them up if they did not pass inspection. Armed with Louis' emails, we rolled to a stop at the border and unrolled the window. The only question the inspector asked was where we were coming from. That's it. No questions about plants, rotting or otherwise. So we high-fived, on we went, and now my roses are at home on my second story tree house deck in the unofficial city of roses. I'll take pictures as they continue to recover from the intense dry heat of the Mud House summer and begin to thrive in their new home.
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