My Four Roses

by Beca on June 5, 2013

mrsdoreenpike Gardens have their own way of doing things. Some years some plants look great, other years they don’t even show up; no real rhyme or reason to it.

Of course, we could say it is the weather. After all, this year we actually had two nights of frost at the end of May. We were away and had to call our son Mike and have him cover up the plants for us. We had left supplies, having looked ahead and noticed the possibility.

However, I don’t think it’s just that. I think plants and gardens have much more going on with them then we can tell. This year I have many plants blooming their heads off, in spite of the cold snaps.

teasinggeorgiaI am not really a rose grower, but finally I have four beautiful roses growing in my garden. I don’t think it is a coincidence that three of them were given, or supplied to me, by my rose-whisper daughter Laurie, and the fourth was a present from someone who took one of my classes. I think that means I should let the roses decide who wants to come here, rather than me deciding for them.

One of the roses is the rose, Dr. Van Fleet, grown by my great grandmother, then my dad, and finally his daughter and grandson and granddaughter. It was Laurie who managed to get the cuttings growing enough for all of us to have them blooming in our gardens this year.

drvanfleetI am sure Dad is smiling at them all, probably sprinkling some kind of magic dust on them.

Another of the roses was planted in a rose bed where at least five other rose bushes died in the previous years. This one didn’t die to my huge amazement. Mrs. Doreen Pike is busting out all over with pink blooms and I love its old fashion scent.

The red Rosa Zephirine Drouhin that I moved a few times has finally taken off and is climbing madly up the trellis to the deck above it. Hardy long into the fall, I love her beautiful red roses, and delightful scent.

Out at the new rose fence, Teasing Georgia grows like a weed. I trimmed her back at least half when putting up the fence for her – and now she is literally covered with pale yellow blossoms. She and the great grandmother rose are getting along just fine.

rosazephrinaOutside on my office deck the crow that adopted me last year struts around. He drinks from the birdbath, and eats their lard food. We named him Poncho. The little birds don’t seem to mind him, so I just have to resign myself to his big appetite. I wish he would chase the grackles away though!

Lots of other blooms to talk about, but today, a nod to those roses that have decided to thrive in our yard. I am grateful for their decision to stay!

Honoring My Garden

by Beca May 17, 2013

Gardening is being squeezed between the huge project of running a retreat next week, but I want to honor my garden by saying thanks to it, before heading off to The Gathering! This year everything bloomed as scheduled; unlike last year when the combination of warm weather and then a long hard frost, killed off [...]

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The Rose Fence

by Beca May 6, 2013

On May 1st – yes, my favorite day of the year – I walk around our yard taking pictures. I don’t do it because it is my favorite day of the year. I do it because it corresponds to the day that we walked around our year doing an inspection of our house, before we [...]

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Finally Spring

by Beca April 26, 2013

I went out into the garden today and picked a few stems of asparagus, sautéed them in butter and ate them for a snack. The first food from the garden! We planted them 3 years ago, so this spring I feel perfectly fine about eating them as they grow for the next few weeks. The [...]

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Breaking Hibernation

by Beca April 14, 2013

I am a writer. I mostly write about perception shifting ideas to improve and expand lives, but occasionally I write about my garden. On the other hand, perhaps I write about my garden for the same reason. Working in the garden is definitely perception shifting, and it does improve and expand lives, so perhaps it [...]

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