The knockout roses are knockouts once again,
With such abundance, I just had to cut a few for inside arrangements.
Most of my roses came as gifts, and actually the gift roses seem to do better than the others. Maybe it's the extra dose of love that comes with them?
When I first moved here, I had quite a few old-time roses, grown from starts dug from bushes still lingering at abandoned homesites or given to me by friends. All but two of these have succumbed to disease or age, but I wish I had some of them back. I dug up enough starts of one special favorite from a old house that was torn down for a watershed dam to be built shortly after I transplanted the roses. I had a short hedge of them alongside the house and they were a pure delight. One by one they disappeared; most were victims of lawn mowers and weedeaters since my guys were not as in love with the prickly plants as I was. One managed to hang on for almost 30 years, finally dying out two years ago. The color of this rose was so deep it looked almost black, and was more purple than red. And oh, the scent! I have yet to find a rose to match it. I never knew its name, but should I ever run across a deep purple rose with yellow stamens and that heavenly smell, I will recognize it instantly.
I had hoped to make some things with my rose petals this year but May proved to be such a busy month that I did not have any time to harvest and play around with them. So that will be a project on hold until next year, and perhaps by then I will have discovered a replacement for the one I loved so well. There's always a chance, right?
Copyright 2007 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
Your English Grandmother was very fond of her roses, Sue. There were several bushes at Ashlyn, none of which I've ever seen elsewhere - I'd guess they were old varieties that she'd acquired from friends. She had a particularly fine bush which almost covered that very small, but very necessary, outside building which Granny always refered to as "The Palace".
ReplyDeleteMy roses are just beginning - the first few flowers on rosa rugosa and rosa rugosa alba. I have to enjoy my flowers outdoors though, I can't bring them indoors as they affect DH's breathing.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, very lovely roses, love the yellow roses and the pink tea rose. thanks for sharing these beautiful roses with us.
ReplyDeleteNanette
You have been busy! I (still a working gal) hear that retirement is just a busier time of life even then when you are working full time. Hard to believe -- but I am beginning to think that is true.
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