Sun-dappled Petal Puddles

One of the most enchanting stages of a rose is after they've cast their petals. Yesterday three big Pat Austin roses nodded sweetly at my guests. Today, they dropped their petals so I have the most marvelous, sun-dappled petal puddle on the deck!

Like spatters of paint on canvas, the rose petals spill over my deck. Like the little sparkles sun makes on water, the rose petals on my deck catch my eye and make me stop and look.




For this reason alone, I am going to get at least two more roses for the deck next year. I just have to figure out which roses keep pretty petals after they've fallen. Fair Bianca petals don't keep their pristine whiteness after they drop so they're out. Scepter'd Isle petals don't stay pink long. I can't find anywhere on the internet that lists the durability or color of various rose petals after they've fallen. Surely I'm not the only one who is interested in growing roses just for the beauty of the petal puddles.

Pat Austin petals are amazing! Like pieces of a spring sunrise they have shades ranging from yellow to pale pink to a peachy orange. They keep their color over a couple days after they've fallen too so I'm definitely getting another Pat Austin for the deck next year.

Getting more roses will max out all available sunny spots on the deck. I carefully evaluated my deck sun needs. We must reserve space for a round table with four benches, three lawn chairs, two tomato plants, a beach towel-size tanning spot for me ...and a partridge in a pear tree.

In order to accommodate the new roses and the pear tree and still have room for guests, we're drawing up plans to make a lower level on the deck! Wow. How exciting! I can picture this, I really can! Well... we're not actually drawing up plans yet. But I'm making progress in persuading the Chief of the Rose Support Team that adding a lower deck to our To Do list isn't unreasonable. In fact, a lower deck is important enough to me that I've moved the Moat to the bottom of the list and the Hedge Maze got bumped several spots down.

A lower level deck will create a fabulous railing-free view of the back yard from the dining room. Plus, I'll have lots more room for plants. There won't be a lot of sun on the lower deck because it will extend under the maple tree but there will be plenty of room for partial-sun plants.


A lower deck will also give me more room on the sunny upper deck for roses. Then the petals will flutter down to the lower deck. That's the closest I'll get to recreating the extraordinary experience of sitting in a cherry tree in full bloom, with the soft petals fluttering around me. My mom had a cherry tree and I always climbed up in it during its full pink glory every spring. It's such an ethereal thing, having petals fluttering around, like a spring version of snow. No wonder so many people throng around Washington DC's Cherry Trees when they bloom every year. I saw those Cherry Trees in DC in bloom last year for the first time and can't wait to go back. Maybe next year.

The more gardening I do, the more I realize I'm trying to recreate experiences from long ago and far away. It's actually working. ...dreamy sigh...

...just Watchin' the Plants Grow...

Ssssh, I discovered a secret activity that gardeners do. It's called Watchin' the Plants Grow. I discovered it quite by accident when I found myself frequently standing in the middle of the deck, just staring at my plants. My eyes feasted on green-ness, bright petals and new lines of shadow that had never been on my deck before. I mentioned my penchant for standing & staring to my mom and she said "Oh yes, I do that too! I'm sure the neighbor thinks I'm nuts because I stand in the middle of my yard so much. They probably wonder what I'm doing!"

I know what I'm doing... I'm watching my plants grow. When you look at your plants often enough, you notice when a leaf lifts up just 1/2" after you gave it a nice drink on a hot day. You notice when a flower puts on a new dress. You notice when a bug or butterfly is taking a fancy to your blossoms. When you look at a plant often enough, you start to believe every day can be a new beginning, a second chance. You start to understand that even the smallest action can make a big difference. You marvel at how a seed can make a tree and no longer take for granted how a tiny plant can grow big enough to give you a juicy tomato to eat.

I like this new awareness very much. I plan on spending many hours this summer just watchin' the plants grow.

Rose & Plant Update

More Scepter'd Isle roses ...dreamy sigh... I'm glad I planted three of these. The one now blooming out front by the road is just as nice.












The plants on the deck are hanging on, despite not being planted yet.











The Cascadia Petunias are doing well! I lost two branches in the thunderstorm the other day but stuck them in some dirt and they still look alive. No wilting yet and one actually bloomed. I don't know if a Petunia can be grown like that or not. I'll see.


















The Fair Bianca's, on the other hand, are looking frightful. I think they can't handle as much rain as the other roses. Here's a pic and the roses look so dreadful that I quarantined this photo with a red border. Keep out. Do not pass. Hopefully it's not contagious.










The James Galway roses are slowly opening up, with no evidence of deer munch marks. =) They don't look much different from the Scepter'd Isle at this point. I wish now I had picked a different color.

All this intense gardening with more deadlines (as in PLANT TODAY OR I WILL DIE) is getting to be too much for me. Even with the help of a Rose Support Team, I am getting very, very tired. I feel as though I just had triplets: No sooner does one plant look ok than another needs tending. I'm hovering. I'm obsessing. I'm practically roosting. And the patio isn't done. sigh.

The Zepherine Drouhin bloomed!

It's gorgeous! There are two blossoms on the Zepherine Drouhin and here's a photo of one before I cut it. I discovered a deer ate every single bud from the Scepter'd Isle by the mailbox ( I won't even comment on that) so I didn't want to lose this blossom.




I cut the lone blossom from the Scepter'd Isle by the mailbox too and stuck it in a little glass cordial along with the Zepherine Drouhin. It's possible that deer only like buds because I noticed that none of the roses in bloom are missing, only buds. Tonight I'll put some hair over the James Galway buds. That seemed to work with Blush Noisette. I'll be sick if the deer eats the James Galway buds, especially since I've never seen them in bloom yet and they're so close to showing.


This last photo is a closeup of the Zepherine Drouhin and Scepter'd Isle roses. I shot it in my kitchen window late this afternoon during a thunderstorm. The backlighting was provided by God via lightning and bright, torrential rain. I can't figure out how to get a bigger photo to post in this blog but if you click on the photo, you'll see a larger version. I'd love to do a stained glass window inspired by roses. I set an even larger version of this photo as my desktop and it looks dreamy, almost surreal.

The Latest Rose News

Graham Thomas is making a valiant effort to live. Daily I'm observing improvements. The more I see yellow roses online and in catalogs, the more enchanting they become and the more I want to see Graham bloom. I'll be getting other yellow roses for sure next year, including a couple Graham Thomases just to cheer this one up.















Alas, Jude the Obscure is still looking scared and squeamish with arms up in air. I can almost hear its quavering voice go ooooOOOOOoooo.
I'm super sad about the Jude because I was really looking forward to the fragrance. In fact, it was the rose I most wanted to smell. sigh. I'm going to get two more Jude the Obscures next year and give them a proper planting.









Hello down there, you little Blush Noisette! Looking down from the deck, there are more blossoms visible on the Blush Noisette. Which means the deer hasn't been back! Yay! That's soooo encouraging.













The deer haven't messed with the Fair Biancas in the front yard either.













The most surprising Rose News of the day was learning what a "moss rose" was. I can't find any evidence that the Scepter'd Isle is a moss rose but it does have some of the piney-scented, glandular growth on the buds and stems that is characteristic of moss roses. I even commented on that spiky growth in an earlier blog entry, thinking the aphids put it there or it was a disease. And then I tried to figure out how to brush it all off. Duh!!! That spiky stuff is simply a normal part of a moss rose. How many more roses am I going to destroy because of my ignorance?




The most exciting Rose News of the day is seeing hints of two new blooms. Zepherine Drouhin on the side of the house has some deep pink buds. They look like they'll bloom tomorrow or Thursday if it doesn't rain like forecasted. We bought the trellis for the Zeph but haven't put it up yet. So the 3' high main shoots are bending way over, almost touching the ground and there is new growth coming up along the main branches too. I don't know what will happen when we tie up the branches. All the leaves will be facing away from the sun.










And last but not least, James Galway up by the road has the most luscious buds I've ever seen. No doubt all the layers of ruffly petals are just bursting to show and I can't wait to see them! If I was a deer, these plump buds would look irresistible.
... um ...
surely not...
gasp...
please tell me I'm not starting to think like a deer.

Scepter'd Isle, Rose Therapy AND the Stone Wall is Finished!

Beauty. Sheer beauty.
The Scepter'd Isle rose bloomed today. The petals look like fragile shells of pink porcelain. Click on the photo to see a larger image of this beauty.

I kept staring at the rose, wondering how a living plant in this world of unrest, error and decay could be so perfect. We had accidentally overdosed this plant with soap when it had aphids so I expected the first blooms to be damaged. Much to my surprise and delight, the first layer of browned petals peeled open to display the most flawless rose I've ever seen.

The Scepter'd Isle is the fourth rose to boom out of eleven different kinds we planted this year. I hope the remaining seven take their time to blossom. I will mourn greatly when the last bud of the season blooms so I hope they hold on all the way till the first frost. In the meantime, I am becoming completely and totally addicted to growing roses. How many roses can fit in one acre? I'm going to find out.

I'm already planning next year's rose order. Pat Austin surprised me with being the first rose to bloom and my favorite so far. It is so bright and gorgeous that I just have to plant a bunch next year, with some in the front yard. That stunning, blushed copper rose will be seen all the way to the road for sure. Splendid!

Here's a pic of the latest Pat Austin blossom. It is more orange than the first couple blossoms, with a more pronounced yellow on the backs of the petals.

In order to plan next year's rose placement, I have to figure out the sunniest spots. Our property has trees all over it so I'm going to draw a detailed sketch and then chart the sun's movement on it over the next couple months. That will determine where the roses go. Hmm... well... that's an excessive amount of work. Um, bordering on insane. How will I explain to the Chief what I've done all day?

"Honey I'm home. What did you do all day, dear?" the Chief Wallet of the Rose Support Team asks.
"Well, for starters," I say, "let me show you this graph. If you look closely at the numbers, you'll see that the proportion of roses is directly related to your wife's happiness. Oh yes, and please note the cost effectiveness of Rose Therapy on this spreadsheet I've prepared..." Rose Therapy: The use of Roses in restoring well-being and sound mind. Cost: Inconsequential. Location: Outside. Value: Priceless.

In order to figure out the sunniest spots for next year's roses, I'll have to stay outside a lot. Which means I need a laptop so I can continue my work outside. Yes! I've been wanting a laptop for ages. I'll work the laptop expense into the Rose Therapy Budget.

Today we put in a dedicated effort and managed to finish building the stone wall. Yay! The Rose Support Team did a magnificent job. Such expertise! Such sweat! Such muscle! The wall looks great and I'm thrilled that we got it done.

The Rose Support Team also moved the unsightly black ash heap in the middle of the back yard. The Chief affectionately called it "The Burn Pile," because that's where he burned all the raked leaves and pine needles from the yard and dumped the wood stove ashes. I called it the "Why do Guys always have to make such DANGEROUS, HUMONGOUS BONFIRES" pile, with no affection whatsoever. I have commandeered the back yard and have officially declared the Burn Pile CLOSED forever. We moved the remaining black stuff to another area of the yard which I have renamed "The Compost Pile." heh heh. The guys simply have to figure out another way to get their semi-annual Fire Fix.

Sheri Ann and Gardening Homework

The miniature Sheri Ann rose from Spring Hill Nursery bloomed today. How pretty it is! It's small and sprightly, with a faint fruit punch fragrance.

I planted the nine miniature roses from the Spring Hill collection in three pots but killed four. Because they aren't marked, I have no idea which is which until they all bloom. I'm really hoping that the miniature Orange Honey, Toy Clown and Green Ice roses from that collection make it. Alas, I won't know until everything blooms to find out who's missing.

The rose that bloomed is much prettier than the photo in the catalog. Usually it's the other way around, with the catalog making you drool. I had to hold the Sheri Ann between my fingers to steady it because the wind was blowing briskly when I took this shot.

Here is a photo of the latest additions to my ever-lengthening Gardening Homework list. Ooo, I just love getting boxes in the mail that have airholes and say "Perishable" on the side! Yes! This Wayside Gardens order is comprised solely of "deer-resistant" plants: 3 Munstead Lavenders, 5 Garden Phlox, and 2 Bicolor Butterfly Bushes. I had a non-gardening friend visiting so she helped me open the box.

"What's this?" she asked in amazement as she pulled a leafy plant out of the sea of packing peanuts. Judging from her expression, I think she was expecting something fun, like new clothing or books. Instead, she looked like someone opening a box of laundry and half-eaten spaghetti. Shocked and baffled. I could see her struggling to match my enthusiasm over this shipment of strange, weedy-looking plants, especially after she looked at the invoice.

I showed my friend the pictures in the catalog and told her about each of the plants. "Well, that plant doesn't look anything like the catalog!" she exclaimed after comparing items. I guess there are folks even more beginner than me so I explained how catalogs send out baby plants but feature the plant in full bloom.

I ended up talking my non-gardening friend into buying a tomato plant next time we go to the farmer's market and convinced her she can have fresh tomatoes all summer. This gardening stuff can be contagious and my friend is catching it. Yay!

The copper tags that came free with the order are really nice. They're way heavier and classier than they look in the catalog, and infinitely better than the tacky store tags currently on some of my plants. I had removed some of the David Austin rose tags during planting and it took a couple months to figure out which roses were which. I had to wait until they were sufficiently grown so I could identify them by the leaves and thorns. Copper tags would have prevented the plant identification problem.

We tried out the Rose Pharm soap on a couple roses. It arrested the aphid march, much to my relief but was easy to overspray. We have to be more careful next time we treat the roses. The best part is it's 100% pure and smells nice and pepperminty, much better on a fragrant rose than some of the noxious bug sprays out there. The peppermint smell quickly dissipates so it doesn't interfere with the rose fragrance.

sigh. I think my mom was right - I'm biting off more than I can chew. The stone wall around the patio isn't done yet which means we can't put in the raised bed next to it. Which means the new plants from Wayside are going to be homeless for a little longer. I hope to get them potted this weekend because I don't want to lose them. I've already killed four minature roses and a lavender so far this year. Every day I look out my kitchen window at the struggling Graham Thomas and Jude the Obscure. That scene provides all the Plant Abuse Guilt I need to last a whole summer.

Oh, the best part of the day was this --> cutting and giving away 4 Fair Bianca blooms from the bushes in the front yard to a neighbor from down the street. Mmm, that fragrance just has to be shared.

A Serious Smell-Fest

That's what I had this evening. Heavy rain was coming in and I kept hovering around the deck in the dark, wondering how the roses would fare. The blossoms were getting misted and closing a bit because a cold front was moving in. I finally made the decision to cut the two newly-bloomed Pat Austin and Fair Bianca blossoms. It's amazing what a difference just three roses makes to an entire deck. Having no roses in bloom on the deck is a very sad thing to me. It's like all my honored guests left. Fortunately, more roses are on the way.

I put the roses in a mug of water but they kept trying to get away, wanting to sink, swim or jump out because the stems were too short. The only vases I had that would hold up the roses were cordials.

I lined the three cordials all in a row - one Pat Austin, one Fair Bianca, another Pat Austin, and the little cup of Blush Noisettes which were fading fast but still had a heavenly scent. Then I sniffed them one at a time, over and over.

There's a right way to smell a rose.
1. There can't be onions in a skillet nearby, garlic in your teeth or chlorox in the tub. No scented candles either. In other words, no smellular distractions.
2. Don't answer the phone. In other words, no cellular distractions.
3. It's nice to put some music on that you really like. Slow selections are best so you don't end up hyperventilating on a rose.
4. If the roses are cold and wet, wait till they dry; the fragrance will be stronger.
5. Take is slow.
6. Most important of all, don't plan on what you'll smell. Don't think "Oh, this is just a rose so it will smell like a rose." If you do that, you'll miss out completely. There is so much depth to a real, rare, homegrown fragrant rose. If you predict what you'll smell, your mind will manipulate the truth and you might end up thinking you're holding a bar of cheap soap.
7. Pick up a rose and hold it so close that the velvety petals kiss your nose
8. Close your eyes and slowly, deeply, inhale.

Some people hardly breathe at all. That's not good for the health! Not breathing is even more unproductive if you want to smell something. To inhale properly, your whole abdomen and chest should move and fill with air. If you're not used to inhaling deeply, you'll feel an uncomfortable tightness as the lungs stretch out more than they're accustomed. Try it, it feels good. To smell a rose, the whole abdomen and chest should expand as you inhale slowly through your nose. Move the rose aside and exhale through your mouth. Relax. Repeat. Keep relaxing and repeating.

It's best to have two or more different kinds of roses, smelling them one at time, savoring each fragrance. Spicy, fruity, cloves and anise, sugary sweet and green tea. Warm and musky, sensuous and sharp.

Tonight as I smelled the Blush Noisette, I remembered something. It was a memory so vague and far away that it actually startled me. I was young and walking around a house, a very old house, that had chipped paint on the white siding. The hot, afternoon sun made the house look hazy and there was a white picket fence. Growing against the house was a trellis covered thickly with the most glorious scented, pale pink roses. I remember stopping and standing by those roses.

The Blush Noisette fragrance brought back a memory I didn't even know was there. I don't remember where the house was or how old I was. But the smell of those old roses long ago left an indelible imprint and I'm ecstatic to have it back.

Rose Rescue

Last night I couldn't fall asleep because I kept imagining a deer crunching at mouthfuls of the Blush Noisette. What made it worse was that I was deeply stressed over one of the kids who was out late. How can I watch over my children and keep them safe if I can't even keep a stupid deer away from a rose? I prayed a while and felt better about the son in question. There's only so much a mom can do and sometimes a good talk with God is enough.

At 1:34 a.m. I went outside and spread a bunch of hair over the buds of the Blush Noisette. I had removed the hair the other day when friends visited because there's nothing so gross as a beautiful rose all webbed in hair. yuk. But I forgot to replace the hair after they left, a most grievous error on my part. If that deer chomps on my roses tonight, I hope my hair gets stuck annoyingly between his teeth for a long time. Deer don't floss.

While I was outside last night, I snipped off the 4 Blush Noisette roses so I wouldn't worry about them disappearing overnight. I looked out over the moonlit field and asked God to tell the deer to eat somewhere else. Leave my roses alone. They are mine. The pleasure they give is mine to use as I want and I've already decided that it's for me, my family and my friends, not uninvited animals. I asked God to watch over my son and send any trouble elsewhere. My son is still mine for a little bit longer. sigh.

Back inside I placed the 4 Blush Noisette blossoms in water in a doll cup. The roses smelled wonderful. Here's a photo I took this afternoon. The fragrance is definitely stronger today and I do detect the clove now. I carried that little cup of flowers around to each room I went today so as not to miss one sniffable moment. What loveliness!





The Scepter'd Isle on the deck is taking its sweet time opening up. But each day I get a little more glimpse of this gorgeous pink beauty.

I don't know what those spiky things are on the green parts of the rose. Maybe the aphids put them there. Those spiky things look like the sticky hairs on a Sundew Plant. They're very hard to see without a magnifying glass but I still find them disturbing. I'll have to find out what they are and what can be done to remove them. Maybe they can be brushed or buffed off somehow.

Declaration of War

Let it hereby be known that from this day henceforeth, I, the
Gardener, do declare Official War on the "Unmentionable Animals," heretofore known as Deer. I, the Gardener, am entitled to all rights, privileges and means available to me, in order to fight on behalf of the innocent, henceforth known as The Roses. I, the Gardener, shall pursue with vengeance any perpetrator, be it two-legged, four-legged, six-legged, amoebic or moldy, that interferes with the wellbeing of the aforementioned innocent Roses.

Accepted, Stamped, Notarized, Eyes Squinted & Teeth Gritted;
Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Spittin' Mad,
this Sixteenth Day of May, Two Thousand and Six.

======================================
So There. Ok, now that I have that out of my system, I'll start from the beginning. It's been 18 days since I last counted buds so one member of the Rose Support Team and I started on the deck and filled out our little Rose Maintenance Chart.

Fair Bianca #1 has 10 buds, with one about to bloom and one rose missing because I gave it away.
Pat Austin has 7 buds, with three roses missing because I cut them after they faded. No new buds.
Scepter'd Isle #1 has 22 buds. It has yet to bloom but has doubled the number of buds since last count. Sweet!

At the base of the deck stairs, New Dawn still has 0.

Out in the yard around the future patio, we checked for more buds. Graham Thomas, that sad, sad, rose, of course has 0 buds on its feeble 1/2" long replacement limbs. Poor thing. I'll be treating it tenderly for years and hopefully it will forgive me for the Dungeon Water Torture.
Jude the Obscure still has eerie arms reaching up, no new growth and no buds. I'm not sure what it's doing. Maybe having to look at the Graham Thomas right next to it has it scared to death and frozen in a permanent "I surrender!" position.
Here's a photo taken April 25 of these two. There hasn't been much change since then, aside from Graham Thomas losing all limbs, so I might as well use the same photo. Click the photo to see a larger shot of this forlorn scene.

Eden is still at 0 buds.

Moving on, the Blush Noisette had over 100 buds at last count. It now has... counting... 49, 50, 51, 52.

52???

No way! So we both count a second time. And a third time. Yep, 52. That's when my stomach lurched. =O

100 minus ANY means there was mischief. 100 minus 52 means at least 48 buds are missing!!!

I was flabbergasted. I was flummoxed. I was puzzled. There are five blossoms on the Blush Noisette. There are numerous buds. No branches appear missing. This is Garden Mystery #1. "We puzzled and puzzled 'till our puzzlers were sore. Then we thought of something we hadn't before." We checked for evidence. We looked at the base of the rose and saw this disturbing crime scene. It's not a photo for the faint of heart. The arrows point to the... um... mutilated evidence. All around the base of the rose in the mulch were... BUDS. Cut off in their prime of life!

We had no choice but to formulate a scenario:
Along came the...Unmentionable Animal. It sniffed the roses and decided to leave the blossoms alone. Afterall, I did say I wouldn't mind if the deer stopped to smell the roses. But no, a sweet whiff wasn't enough for that animal. That dastardly deer had to stick his quivering snout into my tender, unprotected rose, and rip out a mouthful of precious buds. He stood with his mouth slobbering over my rose bush, crunching with his mouth open, buds falling unceremoniously from his greedy mouth.
Simply disgusting.




Upon closer inspection of the crime scene, we discovered a small branch amongst the fallen buds.
What's this? Up close it looks like eggs of some sort. The Rose Support Team formulated an alternate crime scenario:
Several rasping beetles landed on the Blush Noisette, munching left and right, tearing off rose buds. Then finally, after having dined till full, laid some eggs. I made the executive decision to run with the deer story.






We checked the other roses and discovered the Scepter'd Isle by the mailbox now has 24 buds, up from 2 at last count. But there is evidence that a deer had stripped one of the branches. It must have been two weeks or so ago because there is new growth on that branch.

Fair Bianca #2 has 29 buds, up from 19, with one rose missing because I gave it away. Fair Bianca #3 has 9, up from 7, with one rose missing because I gave it away. No evidence of any deer mischief.

We gathered up the severed Blush Noisette buds and placed them in a cup of water for viewing. I don't know why I did that. It seems inhumane to let them just lie there and dry up.

Why would a deer eat just the leaves on one branch? Why would a deer eat a bunch of buds but leave whole roses intact? Why would a deer not eat all the little buds? I just don't understand how a deer thinks. Not sensible creatures, those deer.

Let it be known henceforth that the Unmentionable Animals are declared NOT smart.
Let it be known henceforth that the Unmentionable Animals probably can't even scheme.

This means War. sigh.

The Chief of the Rose Support Team always says "You gotta be smarter than the materials you're workin' with." Which means I'm going to win this War.

Graham Thomas got a new cane!

It hailed this afternoon. Almost all day I looked out the windows watching the rain. When I wasn't watching rain, I was reading gardening websites and finding more gardening websites.














But the best part of the day was when I went out to the patio area to check on the "volcano roses."

Upon close inspection, the Graham Thomas was found to have new growth on it! It's not dead afterall! Joy, joy, it's alive! I, the non-gardener who used to kill every plant, discovered leaves on a geranium I froze and tiny roots on a cutting from the Queen of Denmark. But best of all, Graham Thomas has traded in his black canes for a bunch of new green ones. We're celebratin' tonight!

Who knows, maybe Lavender # 3 will spring to life. I'm hopeful.

More Blooming Roses

Today the Fair Bianca in the front yard bloomed and the one on the deck is about to bloom! Oh glorious fragrance!

The scent is soooo extraordinary. It has a distinct sweet anise tone to it. Fair Bianca is described as having a strong Old Rose scent with "an unusual heliotrope note" so maybe that's the anise I smell.

I don't think I'll ever tire of that fragrance. Fair Bianca is the rose I kept in a vase by my bed all last summer while visiting my mom. My dad was in the nursing home so each day was filled with sadness and anxiety and we clung to hope. But at night, in the dark in my bed, I would hold that rose to my nose and let the fragrance cover me like a soft blanket. It was the last thing I smelled each night before drifting to sleep and oh so comforting.

I'm glad I planted three Fair Biancas this year and I plan on getting three more next year. They're just too gorgeous, too white, too pure and perfect. I want to be surrounded with them and have enough to give away. The folds of the petals all ruffled together remind me of crumpled fresh, white sheets. I could just get lost in all that fragrant whiteness.

It's mid May and Fair Bianca is sold out. I haven't checked the David Austin website lately so I don't know how long it's been sold out. My mom says lots of places sell out of popular flowers or plants so you have to order early if you want something. I'll put my order in next January too, just like I did this year.





The Blush Noisette got its first bloom today too! It's a delicate pale pink with a mild, sweet candy fragrance. David Austin describes Blush Noisette as having a rich clove scent but perhaps it will get stronger as the plant grows.
I can't wait to see this rose in full bloom! If it gets over 100 blossoms this year, it can only get better next year.



Also today, another Pat Austin bud bloomed. This photo shows the difference in color between the new rose on the right and the two on the left that are three days old. When this rose is older and more established, I'll bet it's splendid, covered with all shades of coppers and peaches with touches of shell pink. I really like how the colors change on this rose. Every time I look out the window at Pat, she's changed her outfit again. She just can't make up her mind what to wear! Cute!

Those Scheming Deer

I had not seen any deer for a couple weeks until last night. My mom says those nasty creatures often wait till veggies, fruit or flowers are nearing their juiciest stage and then... CHOMP! Off with their heads!

I took a photo of the deer in our yard last night. Just look at that insolent expression! Check out those beady eyes! By the time I took this shot, the deer was already done with Rose Recon. No doubt he was scoping out the territory and planning his next Munch Menu.

Hmmph.

I checked the other roses around the yard and some have a couple leaves stripped from the branches. Just like a kid who takes one bite out of each cookie to leave a clear message... This one is mine!... that deer is marking my roses. Grrr.

After the deer left, I took a photo of my precious Blush Noisette for posterity's sake. It's the rose with over 100 buds, the one where my Prince Charming is supposed to stand to serenade me. Just look at that defenseless plant! So pure, so innocent. The buds deserve a chance to bloom. They must live! Yesterday I posted a view of this rose from the deck. But this photo is a deer's eye view... Such tenderness... Such succulence... Such mouth-watering juiciness... Ah the irresistible crunch between the teeth...

Oooo, I'll be steaming mad if the roses get chomped! To quote my dad, "The deer love anything that costs money." I'll have to look closely at the photo of the deer and see if there are $ signs in its eyes.

If deer are so smart, we should use them for experiments instead of using lab rats. I'd like to see a bunch of deer in a maze alright. Put up a couple signs that say "Expensive roses THIS way" and I'll bet those deer would figure their way through the maze right quick. I'd add a couple electrified gates here and there though. For scientific purposes, of course.

Last night at 11:30 pm, I walked down in the moonlight to see if the Blush Noisette was still there. It was. So I spread some of the hair from my hairbrush over top of the buds. It was a desperate move but I was desperate to help that rose live. This morning I checked the rose and it was still intact. One night down, about 147 to go.

Bloomin' Roses and Farmers Market

Pat Austin on the deck delivered twin beauties this morning. They are way different in color than the first two. Now I know why the rose is described as "copper-colored" because these are bright orange. They are gorgeous!!! The scent is different than the first two roses also.

I was never one to appreciate orange flowers and the Pat Austin is the token orange flower on our entire property. But if I had known how healthy this rose was and how quickly it gets established, I would have bought a lot more of them. They are such an unusual and attractive color that I'm planning on getting at least 3 next year to put in up by the mailbox. We'll just have to move the phone cable again in order to plant them. But I want to share the splendor and I still think behind the mailbox is the perfect location.

The Pat Austin is the only one amongst my 15 bushes that seems to resist aphids and disease. The leaves and flowers are completely blemish free.









The Fair Bianca on the deck has numerous buds about to bloom. I'm curious about the color because they're supposed to be white. There is a lot of pink in those buds.

Hello way down there,
you little blushing Noisette!

This is the view of the Blush Noisette eight feet below as you lean waaaay over the deck railing. Not exactly what I planned. I planted it there so it would climb up and join us on the deck. Good thing I didn't stress over installing a trellis. That not-so-entusiastic climbing rose shows no signs of wanting to climb in any direction, let alone the deck. As an apology for its "shortcoming," at least it's offering me over 100 buds so far. I can't wait to see the blooms, even if I do have to look over the railing with binoculars.



We went to the Farmer's Market for the first time over the weekend. What a fabulous place! I've been wanting to go for years and years and don't know why it took me so long to get there. I didn't even know they had a website. duh.

We only had time to explore a fraction of the booths but saw tons of plants and fresh produce temptingly displayed. I bought two quarts of the reddest strawberries I've ever seen. Yum! We got two Bush Tomatoes for the deck, hereby named the "Deck Tomatoes" or "the Tomatoes that Got Away from the Deer."









We also bought a bunch of other plants on impulse. I know you should never do that. I can say no to car salesmen, hotdog vendors, and door-to-door broom hawkers. But I'm a newbie at gardening so if someone says "You really should have this for your garden," my eyes instantly glaze over and I reach for my wallet. This means I now have to figure out where to plant 18 miscellanious flowers, 6 cucumbers and 12 green peppers.

The only sun on the deck has already been reserved for the roses. Which means we'll probably have to plant the veggies in the yard somewhere. Most likely they'll end up as sacrifices to the deer. sigh.

Mower!

We got one! Woohoo! Yippee! You can see our new mower in this photo. It's the red thing with the handle sticking up. Um, the grass is a little high. That's why we bought the mower. The new mower is WAY faster than the Scissors Mower.

I used a Scissors Mower once. It was one weekend when the kids were driving me crazy and I was determined to sit and read in our sunny backyard alone to regain my sanity. Since our backyard had not been mowed in months, it was nearing official "Jungle" status. I'm not one to give up so I whipped out my sewing scissors, got down on hands and knees and insanely snipped my way through 2 foot high weeds to clear a 5' square plot of backyard.

That sure was a slooooow mow and I got stares over the fence by my neighbor. At least I had my little private plot of bliss. I plunked down the lawn chair right in the middle and enjoyed the afternoon, despite the blisters and bugs. The bugs were awful and they let me know I was intruding on their sacred ground so my bliss was interrupted by frequent smacking. The kids probably asked the Chief "Where's mom? We can't find her." to which he would have to say "I have no idea. But last time I saw her she was headed for the jungle with a pair of scissors and a book..." At some point I think I regained my sanity but don't quite remember.

Since the Scissors Mower incident, we've gone through three different backyards and countless disposable mowers. We recently found out that those mowers were created to last just one season so they have tons of junky, cheap parts inside. They're actually expected to break! That's why the price is kept cheap. Outrageous! I convinced the Chief Wallet of the Rose Support team it was time to invest in a real machine so after a little surfing, we printing out a page of info and headed off to a Tractor & Equipment place.

I was a little intimidated when we got there figuring it would be like a car dealership, with salesmen hovering over my every move and trying to talk me into mower "features," such as leather grip handles, cup holders and overhead umbrellas. There were mowers everywhere but no salivating salesmen. A steady stream of men moved in and out of the building while we were there and they all seemed to know exactly what they wanted. I was the lone female and wondered what would have happened if the Chief Negotiator wasn't there with me. I'd probably walk out with a bill of sale for a hot, Little Red Riding mower, complete with cup holder, umbrella and windshield wipers to boot. Fortunately, we ended up with a little more horsepower for less bucks than planned and just 20 minutes after arriving, loaded an 83 pound dream machine in the back of the van.

It's a beauty alright. We picked Snapper for its reliability. Our model, RP216018KWV, is equipped with a 7@3350 hp Intek OHV motor. I interpret that as "doesn't cough when mowing up hills fast."

Funny how guys are impressed with a product solely named with letters and numbers. The Chief says "That's a pretty impressive B&S Intek OHV 7 you got there" and others nod with respect. Then someone else says "Well I've got a Kohler 23 HP V-Twin OHV Zero Turn." Then everyone is rendered speechless, which is interesting because they hardly said anything at all to begin with.

I personally need a more substantial name than RP217018BV. Something like Cherry Gloss Ninja Surge Power Mower. The key word is "Ninja." Any product that's glossy and has "Ninja" in it has to be good. Our new mower has a Ninja Mulching Blade which I interpret as "shreds pinecones, watermelon rinds and bird carcasses left by cats." I need that kind of power and security and the Cherry Gloss part is just plain cute.

When we got home, I gave the machine a test drive in our backyard. At only half speed, I had to jog behind it to keep up. At full speed, I would have to sprint. Why on earth do they sell mowers that go that fast? I'd have to get a personal trainer or running lessons just to mow. Then my neighbors would really have something to watch.

The kids would ask "Where's mom? We can't find her." and the Chief would say "Oh, she's that blur in the backyard being dragged behind her new Cherry Gloss Ninja Surge Power Mower."

Color-changing Roses

I noticed that the early colors of a rose aren't necessarily the final color. Pat Austin had more yellow tinges in its earlier bud form but now the peachy color is spreading more evenly across the petals. Still, when the sun heated up the afternoon, Pat Austin had a distinct pink blush on the inside tips of the petals.

My Pat Austin isn't anywhere near as bright copper as other photos I've seen. I wonder if the soil has something to do with that. I think the color of my Pat Austin is prettier than the "copper" color advertised. Perhaps it has to do with how old the rose is, with the color getting brighter in later seasons.

The Fair Bianca rose buds have a streak of red down the side, the same red streak the new Pat Austin buds have. But the Fair Bianca roses are white so the red streak is a real mystery.

THIS is what the Rose Adventure is all about...

Swoon.
...silent awe...

...mmmmmm...

Pat Austin, with it's blushed, cupped petals, is a glorious rose. I knelt by the planter and drew in a long, slow breath of the heavenly fragrance this morning. NO rose I have ever received in a bouquet ever smelled like this one. Never. The Creator of the Universe surely gave us a glimpse of heavenly splendor when he created and scented the roses.

I'm finding out more about rose fragrance. Describing rose fragrance is as complicated as wine tasting, with all the "undertones", "overtones", and "background notes".

According to Roses for Dummies, only 20 percent are intensely fragrant while 25 percent have no fragrance at all. I found out that a series of genes is responsible for the fragrance in a rose, thus the complexity. Various chemical groups are associated with different scents, including aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, carbonic acid, essential oils, resins and phenols. The genetics of scent is quite unpredictable which means crossing one fragrant rose species with another might make a rose with no fragrance. Add to that the complication of how individuals perceive scent. No wonder there's such a buzz in the rose world when a new fragrant rose is developed.

Chapter 5 of David Austin's The English Roses is all about fragrance. According to David Austin, "Rose breeders, over the years, have tended to ignore fragrance in their breeding programmes. This is because people seldom buy a rose for its fragrance; they nearly always have the appearance of the flower in mind when they are making their choice." That's really silly because people make such a to-do over rose scented perfumes, toiletries etc. Do we not want to acknowledge where the scent comes from? Is rose perfume less mysterious when we know where it comes from? I guess I'm a minority because I bought my 15 rose bushes almost entirely on scent alone. I do plan on stopping frequently to smell the roses. I'm hoping to have enough roses to cut and give others a chance to smell them too.

In reading descriptions of rose fragrance, I found terms such as "spicy" - more along the lines of cinnamon and cloves, and "tea" - literally like tea leaves. The English Roses covers yet more:
"Myrrh" - sweet anise, prominent in Ayrshire roses
"Fruit Fragrance" - apples, peaches, berries, and citrus to name just a few
"Myriad Fragrances" - Lily of the Valley, Lilac, wine, honey etc.
"Musk" - a secretion of a Himalayan musk deer.... deer?

DEER????

Ok, I had to quickly pass that musk section in the book because I did not want to equate any rose on my property with any redeeming quality whatsoever associated with deer, even exotic Himalayan types. I'm going to watch closely to see if deer are more attracted to musk-scented roses. I suppose it's ok if the deer stop and smell them so long as they don't eat them.

I went out to the deck to smell the Pat Austin rose at least two dozen times today. And I'll have to confess that I cried this morning when I smelled this very first bloom from my Rose Adventure. Far away, several states away, 500 miles away, lives the source of all my gardening inspiration. I miss her laugh, her encouragement, her tears. I miss my mom.

How could I have thought that 15 David Austin English Rose bushes would be a worthy substitute for my mom? I bought them on impulse on her birthday one cold January day of this year. But I realize now that 15 isn't enough. I'd have to plant a thousand rose bushes to even come close to the scent left by her life. I would have to grow a thousand exquisite orchids to give just a hint of her originality and creativity. I would have to buy a thousand tulips to portray her strength and a thousand cascading petunias to demonstrate her shower of affection and love on every person she meets.

As I looked at the petals through my blurred tears, I finally realized that what my mom planted was far bigger than the gardens in her backyard. Everything my mom loved - roses, gardening and all people, now lies within my own reach. What my mom planted will be passed on. If I, an extreme novice gardener who can't seem to grow anything or fit in anywhere, can grow a rose, surely I can reach out to others and leave a sweet scent in their lives. Like my mom so beautifully does.

Well now, how can I garden while bawling my eyes out? My mom would say "Get over it, Julie!" and then we'd laugh up a storm. So by golly, I'm determined to beat the deer, build a patio, plant heaps and heaps of stuff that I don't even know the names of and put in a hedge maze. One plant at a time. And who knows, maybe I'll figure out a moat too.

Another mail order source - Wayside Gardens! Woohoo!

Yay! Another online gardening source to order from. Wayside Gardens. Yes! I practically hyperventilated exploring that site. The Quick Facts sidebar is so handy to get info about a plant. That info alone is worth repeat visits to the site.

The first thing I placed in my shopping cart was Rose Pharm Insecticidal Soap. I must say that pink canister is mighty cute. I can see it displayed sweetly on the buffet in the dining room next to a pair of gardening gloves and a gardening book or two. I better buy some gloves then. The spray does have a funny name though and sounds like something Bath & Body would sell to keep your bugs clean. I hope it works to keep the aphids off my roses.

The second item I placed in my cart was lavender because I fairly destroyed my first three. Well, one is doing ok, the second is in Plant Rehab but the third is nothing but a tombstone.

Very sad.

The lavender I bought was Munstead, well known for it's fragrance. What a thrill that will be. Yes!

The plant I wanted the most from Wayside Gardens ended up being sold out. Rats. I clicked Buy Now the instant I saw it and got a pop-up that said "Hydrangea Kardinal is sold out. We would like to recommend the following item in its place..." and then displayed another hydrangea not nearly as spectacular. Ooo, I was not happy. No sir. The Kardinal blooms in shades of lavender, blue and mauve all at the same time. The description of the Hydrangea Kardinal on the website was:

One of Europe's best-kept secrets, this exceptionally floriferous Hydrangea displays the entire range of purple and blue, from deep lavender to dusty mauve -- often within a single 6-inch flowerhead! Needless to say, it is absolutely unrivalled as a cutflower, where a single bloom makes a varied and colorful bouquet, but I have to admit I am too fond of the sight of a fully-blooming garden specimen to cut many of the plentiful blooms. The flowers open a rich lavender-blue, then quickly change to various shades of lighter lilac and purple, eventually settling on a pleasing mauve. Spectacular by itself or planted among pink or white Hydrangeas (my favorites are the color-stable pink 'Forever Pink''Annabelle'), and the billowing white clouds of 'Annabelle', it reaches only 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide -- small enough for the patio, yet large enough to make a dramatic impact even in a large bed or border.

I'm the type of person who clicks on every square inch of a gaming screen just in case there's an easter egg somewhere. I don't give up on internet shopping cart technology either. So I went back to the site numerous times over a two day course and finally sneaked three Hydrangea Kardinals into my shopping cart. Woohoo! I won't be surprised, however, if I get an email that says "Ma'am, we repeatedly told you we were SOLD OUT. Please do not click on BUY NOW so much next time!"

I also ordered two Bi-Color Butterfly Bushes and a Wayside Phlox Collection, which contains five garden phlox in various colors to put in the Snake Garden. I call it the Snake Garden because somewhere in that little side plot in the back yard lives a poisonous snake. It will NOT be me that plants the butterfly bushes and phlox. I think the Rose Support Team should have a little nature challenge now and then to keep them sharp.

That Hydrangea Kardinal and the Bi-Color Butterfly Bushes remind me of a flower that grew in the backyard in our Miami house years ago. It was a lantana. I have yet to find a source for lantana so I'll just keep hunting. Our plants had shades ranging from cheery gold to bright pink to scarlet. I just love flowers that look like God washed them with a whole rainbow of watercolors. Alas, the only info I found about lantana was that it was a weed. No matter, I'm good with weeds anyway so it should thrive.

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to garden in moderation. I want to buy every plant I see and include all sorts of landscaping design. The last time I talked to my mom, she told me I'm trying to accomplish in one year what normally takes people many years. I don't know about that. All I know is that my heart thumps wildly with excitement when I see a gorgeous plant. And since I'm a new gardener, 99% of the plants I see are gorgeous.

Who am I? What happened to that woman who just three months ago spent all her time at the computer or crafting table? What happened to that woman who thought a well-spent $20 was buying a printer ink cartridge but a 5 buck geranium was an outrageous extravagance? What happened to that woman who would rather read about a flower than touch one? I don't recognize my own self. I'm changing. What am I becoming?

I feel as though I'm joining a mystery. Each time I touch a leaf or hold a fist of dirt in my hand, I feel as though I'm leaving my life of paper and entering a world where things live. It's exhilarating. I'm constantly breathless and loving every minute of this new gardening rush.

The Pat Austin is opening up. There are literally no words to describe it's seriously swoon-worthy scent.