Saying Good-bye to My Favorite Rose

As if to say good-bye, my favorite rose presented me with a bouquet of all stages of bloom on one branch. I hope the new owner (the place is in escrow) has the good sense to let the rose go on bringing pleasure to the next renter. It's huge right now because I stopped trimming it when the current owner said he was going to rip it out. And nothing else is blooming on it, except that one branch, as if it was a present to me.

So I cut it off and put it in a vase to enjoy as I pack up the kitchen.

And of course I took photos of it to share with you. I paid $5 for this bush at a swap meet. Best bargain ever!

I'm moving to the desert so the garden there will be completely different than anything I am used to. But the yard is gigantic and the landlady doesn't seem too particular about what we do with it. And she's an avid gardener.

First Rose and Last Rose of Spring

Every year I take a photo of the first bloom on each of my rose bushes.  But now that the new apartment owners have ripped out all the plants in the front yard, I only have the roses in the back yard left. And those were already supposed to be gone.  But the painters have mysteriously disappeared, leaving 5 ladders in our back yard, and everything in disorder.  So I was both saddened and joyful when a purple rose bloomed. So I am calling it both the first rose and the last rose. It's gorgeous. I wish I could take it with me.

I think this would have all been less painful if it had happened in winter, and not with spring in full swing. Sigh.

Purple miniature rose.  The end of my fairy garden.

The work crew has disappeared and left five ladders in our backyard.

First Rose of 2009

Normally I go out to the garden and take a photo of the first rose of the year. But this year it bloomed before I even realized it was there, and instead of being pink or red with a few white stripes it was predominantly white.

The pink jasmine just started to bloom as well. It has a huge number of buds on it thanks to the recent rains. As much as my bf wants me to pull it out because it's an invasive vine, I so love the smell of it and the cascades of flowers. I guess we'll never agree on gardening. My wild streak always ends up manifesting in my garden.

The epiphyllum and donkey tail (sedum I think) we got from my bf's grandmother's estate. They are showing signs of new growth so hopefully they've adapted to their new home.

Right after I took a photo of the first rose, the petals started falling off. Life is so short.

Now I don't have to rely on my memory

I've added the Flickr badge to show off my roses. And to bring back fond memories whenever I look at it. So many times I have moved and left my great roses behind and only have my memories to think on. But now thanks to the Internet, I can visit my past roses whenever the mood strikes me. And maybe someday I'll have a scanner so I can scan in photos from my past rose gardens in Riverside, Moreno Valley, Carson, and San Luis Obispo, CA.