Jude the Obscure Bloomed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! It bloomed!

Actually, I have no idea when it bloomed the first time. It probably bloomed late at night when I was sleeping just to get even for all the mistreatment I gave it. Then it dropped all its petals right before I looked that way. I've seen Jude the Obscure petals around the bush a couple times in the past month but nary a rose.


Yesterday I looked down from the deck and saw two buds. Woohoo! Upon closer inspection, I saw that a bug had eaten a big hole clear through to the center of the bud. Grrr. I considered pinching the bud off but then decided to let it go another couple days before I plucked it off. I’m SO glad I didn’t pluck that bud off!

Today, I looked down from the deck and saw... a rose in full bloom! The Jude had bloomed! I raced down the stairs while calling to the boys "There's a new rose! There's a new rose!"

Ah, how lovely Jude the Obscure is! I will definitely plant more next spring. The scent is unreal. It's a luscious sweet, peachy-almond, apple tea fragrance with a touch of mango. If ever I wanted to eat a rose, this one is it. No wonder some bug munched it.

The color is a creamy pale peach. I was expecting an ivory rose but the pale peach with hints of sunlight coming from within will look nice next to the Graham Thomas, if ever the Graham survives.

The Fair Bianca on the deck is rebounding and the Scepter’d Isle and Pat Austin on the deck are healthy. Roses are glorious. Simply glorious.

My eyes got all misty when I smelled the Jude. It reminds me of a place long ago. Perhaps walking through an apple orchard in the spring? Perhaps standing under my parents’ apple tree at the top of the hill on a cool summer’s eve? Even if I can’t bring back the visual memory of an event, I’m driven to bring back a scent from long ago. A scent is a living connection to something I can’t touch or hold or keep.

I’m a little wistful thinking about fall being just around the corner. There were too many days this summer when I had to be away from home. Plants didn’t get watered, pruned or talked to as much as they should have. I’m feeling all angsty and depressed now that winter means no more gardening. Do other gardeners feel this way? I’ve never dreaded the cold breath of winter before. In fact, winter was always my favorite season. This depression is a first for me. I’ve got such a doom and gloom attitude and it’s no fun at all. What do gardeners do all winter?

This whole adventure started last January. I guess I can wait till January of 07 and continue the rose adventure all over again. Only this time, I’ll know what to expect when a box arrives full of bare root rose bushes in the middle of icy February. Last year’s purchase of 15 rose bushes was on a whim. This year’s purchase of 20 rose bushes will be 100% intentional. I plan on having 100 rose bushes on this property within the next 5 years.