The Roses

I am having a hard time believing that today is the last day of June. So much of June was spent waiting for the rains to finally let up and the sun to come out. Once it eventually did it has been a mad dash to try and get caught-up in the garden. Like everything else, the roses are blooming a bit later this year. I have two roses in the big garden, both planted decades ago by the original owner. While I have no idea what their names are, I certainly am thankful that I get to enjoy them each June.

The first is a hot pink beauty. It has a horrible time with black spot in wet years and responds by dropping its leaves. It has had a tough year this year, and isn't as full as normal. That said, it is still lovely to look at and if the wind is right you can pickup its soft, perfumed scent in the air.

Planted right next to it is the other rose. It is much small in stature and barely hangs on year-to-year. It has never had more than two canes. As soon as it finally grows a new one, an old one dies. It also isn't a strong bloomer, perhaps because it is now so shaded. The most blooms it has ever had is 3, but 2 or 1 is a more typical year.

Yesterday its one bloom started to open. Day 1 is always its prettiest day, when the many petals are cupped and held upward. Today, day 2, it has opened. And by tomorrow it will start dropping petals and be done by day 4. I have always considered its color to be a soft shell pink, but yesterdays' overcast weather revealed that it is actually a stronger peachy-pink color when not faded by the sun. Even though it is so short lasting, I would be very sad to loose this rose.