Last weekend I was at a local nursery with my five kids in tow and I stopped to chat with the owner. I told her how much joy rose gardening has brought to me in the past few months. She took one look at the kids and said quickly, “Yes, it’s something to do other than laundry and dishes.” How true her words are. My children bring me much joy, but I do not enjoy cleaning up their messes or washing their dirty clothes.
I have always loved to smell roses, however. Up until a few months ago, I had to wait for my husband to buy me roses on a birthday or anniversary. That changed this last birthday. My 10-year-old daughter bought me my first rose bush, a hearty Knock-off variety that the clerk at my local nursery assured me was almost impossible to kill. That was a great comfort to me because, up until that point, I had managed to kill every plant I had ever owned.
A nice surprise has been how relaxing rose gardening has been for me. I go outside at twilight when it is comfortably cool (for Floridians anyhow) and I water my roses and I feel at peace. The kids stay inside with their Dad and this gives me a sanity break. So far I have managed to keep my first rose bush alive for four months, which is miraculous for me. As of yesterday there were six little yellow buds and several more smaller green ones, and I can’t tell you what hope that gives me. I even got brave enough to plant a second rose bush, which was a surprise from my husband for Mother’s Day. This new addition is a double Knock-out rose bush, which means the flowers can be cut for bouquets. I am quite protective of my new rose bush but I cut some recently and put them in a vase. I even gave one to my oldest daughter to bring to church for a procession we were having there.
I am already dreaming of my third rose bush. I discovered it at the nursery I visited last weekend, and it has a heavenly name. I would buy it just for the name alone–Sunshine Daydream. Did I mention I love daydreaming? Another way to take my mind off laundry and dishes.
Jules in Bloom 