Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Yellow Rose

It was one of three bare root roses I bought at a local discount store -- three for ten dollars. And the wrapping showed a beautiful deep pink rose. So I planted it at the foot of our front steps by the greenhouse door -- where I could look out the window by my kitchen sink and enjoy its lovely pink blooms. Only it turned out to be yellow.

But from its first bud in mid-May to its last bloom on Thanksgiving day, the yellow rose has performed valiantly and I've been unable to resist snapping its picture over and over again.

On Thursday the full-blown rose greeted our Thanksgiving guests as they arrived. Then, as evening fell, a high wind got up and stripped all but two forlorn petals from that last lingering bloom . . .

... so that our guests had a petal-strewn path for their departure. How elegant!

I still prefer pink roses -- but this particular yellow rose has won my heart.

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6 comments:

Martin said...

Vicki

Looks as though your yellow rose is more than making up for not being pink. What happens now...do you prune it or let it ramble?

My mother had a yellow rose when we young. I believe it was called 'Peace'. Sometimes I'm sure I can still smell that sweet fragrance.

Miss_Yves said...

I love your collage!

the last photo is a symbol of the shortness of life ...

In my garden , orange roses grow during spring and summer

Eliane Zimmermann said...

most yellow roses have a delicious smell that's why my nose likes them, my eyes also prefer pink roses! i am back, my laptop is back and our storm-stricken internet-line is also back (so far) cheers eliane

Vicki Lane said...

Martin -- I had a Peace rose but it succumbed during one especially harsh winter. Yes, it had a wonderful fragrance.

Miss Yves -- it seemed appropriate that at the end of November, the last rose should lose its petals.

Eliane -- yes, this yellow rose is wonderfully fragrant. So glad your laptop and internet are back!

Vagabonde said...

Oh Vicki I used to grow roses. I had 150 bushes, old fashioned, hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. Each one had a tag. When we moved to Georgia in 1973 there was one rose in our Decatur garden so I went to the Rose Society meeting in Piedmont Park and, well, after a few meetings I was hooked. I even got the first prize in 1974 in Novice Class at the Rich’s Rose Show (with the red rose Mr Lincoln.) When we moved to Marietta/Kennesaw we moved all the roses and I went to all the Society monthly meetings with a good friend of mine. But then he passed away and I was working too many hours to take care of the garden properly. The garden had numerous pine trees and not enough sun, so over the years they also passed away. I just found a wild rose last spring which came up among the trees. I used to give all the roses to my neighbours – I miss my beautiful roses.

Vicki Lane said...

150! It must have been a heavenly sight. When we were first married we lived next to a retiree whose back yard was totally given over to roses -- as was all his time.

I had a small -- maybe 15 -- rose garden once and just couldn't keep up with the fungicides and insecticides and all. Now I have a more Darwinian approach -- survival of the fittest. Rugosas and floribundas and the occasional bargain like this yellow rose are what manage to hang on.