The Rose Thing; Now It's Become A Thing; A Heck Of A Thing

 A commenter said her rose thing was still a few weeks off.  Here the rose thing is in full swing, about three weeks early.  'Perdita', above and below:
 'Perdita' in context, she's at the lower right:
'Perdita' here is on the lower left, with 'Pink Gruss an Aachen' above, and 'Gene Boerner' to the the right:

Also an Austin rose of the palest apricot, fading to white, 'Windermere' has an enchanting fragrance.  

'George Burns', red and yellow, is far less demure, and far less fragrant.
Striped crimson and coral, 'Red Intuition'.  
  'Firefighter', ever reliable, simply red.
 A different sort of red in 'Munstead Wood'.  Freshly opened:
 'Munstead Wood' ages to a different color, still beautiful if not so saturated. 
 Geranium 'Rozanne' seems ageless as it decorates and disguises the bases of 'Ambridge Rose'.  The red-foliaged Coprosma fits in better when the orange Dahlias begin to bloom.  No, really!
 That's the rose thing. 

The Oak has become a thing.  A six inch Oak tree can be safely ignored--it's not really something--a rabbit or gopher might eat it in one night.  A six foot Oak tree, though, is a thing, and must be considered--should it stay?  One upon a time people would plant trees that only their grand- or great-grand children would see in maturity.  People were proud to send a letter to the future, in the form of a tree.  Nowadays, most of us want "fast growing".  Bah humbug. 
 A heck of a thing:  last year the sweet peas were blooming the first week of February.  This year, the first flower opened today.  
I was very disappointed the flowers were so late, but one whiff of that sweet-pea perfume, and all was forgiven.  Well, sort of.  The more flowers I get, the more forgiveness will be produced.  Hint, hint, you reluctant plants, you.  

Comments

  1. Haha, you will get lots of sweat-pea flowers. When they start later they last longer, so finally you will not be disappointed.
    I envy all your flowering roses, we have only roses blooming from May (the earliest) till November (a few late ones). This month is pruning time and I almost finished the chore. I have one not so hardy rose, the Rosa banksia 'Lutea' which shows tiny buds, I am very excited and looking forward to the first flowers.
    Wish you happy gardening!

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    1. Wish you happy gardening too, and enjoy the delicate beauty of banksia 'Lutea'--it must be better for you there--here it grows too big, there the cold will keep it in check.

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  2. Enchanting! My ideal of a garden. About the oak. It looks like a self-sown Quercus agrifolia, coast live oak. If so, it will become a bird magnet and I think you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it, if you don't have any other oaks on the property and if if doesn't shade out anything that can't be moved or replaced. I have an Engelmann in a similar situation, a south-facing slope; it grows quite slowly, unnoticeably really, doesn't take water, in fact, abhors it.

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    1. I planted it, from a sprouted acorn from the oak on the property to our north, yes it is agrifolia. I think by the time it shades anything too much it will not be a problem (for me anyways). Engelmann is very beautiful, you are lucky!

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  3. We are still a way off roses and sweet-peas, it gives us something to look forward to at this damp time of year.
    You are right about wantig everything now, at least in our own gardens. in the UK we have big "plant a tree for your kids" campaigns to re-forest parts of the coutnryside.

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    1. We're all in too much of a hurry. The tree campaign you describe sounds like a wonderful idea!

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  4. Glorious roses and images from your garden, it really is a picture of floral beauty.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  5. I'll say it's a heck of a thing! I just noticed that you have the "borrowed" structure of all those clipped evergreens in the background of the third photo. Funny I hadn't noticed that before, but then there are so many angles to your garden!

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    1. Yes, I like that background, too. At certain times of the year, the sunrise casts beautiful shadows on those clipped shrubs, which are Abelia 'Edward Goucher', believe it or not.

      Many thanks again for the visit and the plants!

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  6. We have lots of letters to the future around here. Their teen years are much pleasanter than those of another species I could mention.

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  7. Wowzer! Now I KNOW I should follow your mulch regime. Other than a couple of blooms on my 'Pink Meidiland' shrub roses, I have nothing to show yet in that department. Yours are simply spectacular. I don't usually like striped roses but 'Red Intuition' has me seeing things differently. I hope all your blooms come through this current heatwave - and that it doesn't extend beyond the 2 days it's forecast to run.

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    1. I do think mulch helps a lot.

      It's pretty hot out there...86 was the high out on the patio but it felt hotter. I just hope it begins to cool down on Saturday, as predicted. Stay cool...

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  8. Oh my goodness ! Do you know how lucky you are to have such beautiful flowers this time of year ? .. In the land of the "north" we are locked in snow still .. in fact huge fat snow flakes fell today .. I am so sick of white ... craving green and multi colours such as you have and to top it off with scent ? Absolute heaven !!
    Joy from the north : )

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    1. Yes, I know I am lucky! I love all the flowers so much. Snow is beautiful too, but you've been snowed in a long time this winter--surely your spring will be here soon?

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  9. So beautiful. I'm in love with 'Windermere' - it would go into a (big) pot, poor rose, but I may need to get one. "Ravishing" is the word... And that oak! I love our California oaks more than almost anything -- so glad it's a keeper.

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    1. 'Windermere' has its issues--it's not a heat lover, the flowers are short-lived--but oh, that fragrance!

      I love our native Oaks also. They are magnificent.

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  10. Oh me, oh my! Windermere is going down on my list for sure. Bravo!

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