In The Last Days Of Spring...

Julia Child Rose
June 17th, 2014
My Rose Garden.

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

~Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

 
Hot Cocoa Rose
June 17th, 2014 
My Rose Garden

I am officially back in the garden! Alan and I spent a good part of Tuesday planning things out, and next week is when most of the prepping and planning, and planting will take place. It's time to get a move on if I am going to have any fresh flowers and vegetables  for the autumn and winter! My Japanese Maple, Paul, is looking yummy! His leaves are beginning to transition to a lovely copper color, and I am going to try to start a new maple from him.

Son of Paul. LOL. That's an idea! I would love to plant several more around the yard. It is amazing to have that burst of autumn color as the long hot days drag on. It would be a year before I would see the new leaves, but well worth the wait! Summer... a necessary evil to get to autumn! But oh how delicious the summer fruits and veggies are! Only 3 more months to go until autumn, and then hello delicious meals of heirloom tomatoes and eggplant. Fresh salsa and tea sandwiches. When it's from your own garden, there is nothing like it!

Life is good!

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

 

To Dream A Garden

"To dream a garden and then to plant it is an act of independence and even defiance to the greater world."

~Felder Rushing



I just had to post two more photos from the garden. I have been photographing it, for the first time this spring, just over the last couple days. It was time! Everything has bloomed for the first time this season, and over all it's healthy and off to a pretty good start! There is no sign of winter damage, and no signs... knock wood... of aphids! Gosh I hope I didn't just jinx myself just then! You know how it is, you say something positive out loud, and before you know it, it comes back to haunt you!

 But I have it covered I think. This week I plan to do a heavy cinnamon sprinkle in the garden, which will discourage the ants, which discourages the aphids. Gardening is all a matter of timing... luck... sunshine... rain... and love. My garden is a labor of love. Hopefully years after I am gone, someone will rent this little cottage of mine, and really love and appreciate the beauty of the roses, the lavender and Paul the Japanese Maple.

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: May Flowers

"Be like a flower, and turn your face to the sun."

~Kahlil Gibran

RRC: May Flowers

For the first Round Robin challenge of May, Karen wants to see the flowers! May Flowers to be exact! I wasn't sure my rose garden would be ready in time, but we had a sudden flux in temperatures last week, and it seems it was just the right amount of sun and rain to bring out the deep color of the garden. Pinks, yellows, reds... all bright and alive. It's gorgeous! Even my Japanese Maple is full of deep burgundy colored leaves, which will turn an amazing pink and copper just in time for autumn! 

The rose garden is one of my favorite joys in life. I have worked really hard on it, and it, in turn, has made me happy with all the beautiful colors, and the spicy scent of the roses. It's my happy place. And soon, I will be adding some Heirloom tomatoes to make it all come together. I can't wait until Alan gets the vegetable garden up and running! This year we are taking on pumpkins!

Round Robin Challenge: May Flowers















Okay, that's my May Flowers gallery. Now that you have seen my post, why not see what other participants in the challenge came up with. Just click the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Photo Challenge blog. That's where you will find the links, and all the information you need to play along! 

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."

~Audra Foveo

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

This Year's First Rose From The Garden

"Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it seems to be keeping it's dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared."

~Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew From Concrete

The rose garden has gotten off to a slow start, but everything seems to be coming along nicely! The first to bloom within the garden is the Julia Child rose! It's so small and lovely. It starts out bright sunshine yellow, and as it ages gracefully, the yellow color fades, and a soft pink color forms around the edges. Amazingly beautiful. The scent is a soft lemon licorice. It's inspiring that something so fragile doesn't give up!

Mood: Quiet but Very Happy! :)

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 44~ Rose Garden Update

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today."

~Dale Carnegie

Julia Child

 

Time for an update regarding the rose garden. I purchased a new rose, the Julia Child. I was wanting a splash of yellow to enhance to colors of my garden. I also had a pretty good reason to chose yellow roses this time around, you see, Alan brought me yellow roses the weekend he proposed to me. So I have always been partial to them, but it has taken me quite a while to find the one with the exact depth of yellow color, and the perfect fragrance combination. But today, I finally decided on the Julia Child.

Hot Cocoa

 

The rose you see at the top is called Hot Cocoa. It is A-MA-ZING. It has the most unusual color. At times the deep purple stands our the most, but then a couple moments later it will show as more of a deep rose color, with bright pink highlights. I have photographed this rose at different times of day, with a different result each time. It's stunning!


I am not sure if I will add another rose to the garden this year, but I know there are still two I would love to see in person, just to get a feeling about perhaps adding it next year. Pumpkin Patch and Honey Dijon. I have actually seen the Honey Dijon rose in the Golden Gate Park rose garden. It is lovely and soft, and it has a real full honey scent. Not as spicy as most roses, but unique in it's sweet scent. 


I have loved every moment of building this rose garden. It brings me an immense sense of happiness.So  yeah... I'm having fun.  :)

~Me :)

Now, go take a look at what my talented friends Kat and JR are photographing today. I just know it's something wonderful. :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/06/apadf6-43.html

Kat
http://inmydreamssfk.blogspot.com/2012/06/fridays-seem-to-roll-around-so-quickly.html