A Bit Of Good News From My End

[StarLite]

Well, not from my end's end, well actually I guess it is. I weighed myself this morning and I'm 169lbs. That's the first time in 10 years or more that I've been below 170. And I've decided that I'm going for the Cortisone shot for my foot. The lump isn't going away and it's very painful, if a shot will help it along then why suffer.

Hubby bought me some new flowers and roses for the garden. Here's an odd one for you. For years I've had this what I call button rose, I think it's a Shropeshire Lad, but it's changed completely. Here's a before and after pic. It was pink and white at first, now it's red.

I lost my Blue Girl and Dublin Bay Rose this year. Too bad that Dublin Bay smelled really nice. It's raining today but once we get a sunny day I'll take more pics

[Stella]

My roses aren't doing to good this year either. Wonder if it's because of the rough winter we had?

[Diat60]

Looks like your rose might have reverted to the original stock. The pink one is very pretty!

[draclvr]

I think Diat is right - it reverted back to the original rootstock. I LOVE the pink one, but the red ones are kind of pretty too.

[StarLite]

It is really too bad about it changing, even though it's not as pretty we will still take care of it as well. Here's my pride and joy, the Delaney Sisters. This rose is named after a couple of sisters who were actresses back in the 1920s. This rose is supposed to have a lifespan of only 5 years, this one is going on 14 years old, and keeps giving every year. If we ever move I want to take it with me. This is what she looks like today

[Diat60]

I'm having a rather ambivalent relationship with roses these days. Up to last summer, Brian always looked after them and all I had to do was smell and admire. However, last summer he had to go to England for 2 months and I had to cope with the roses and we have them all around the house, back, side and front. This is when I discovered that a little genteel deadheading was not enough. The dear little things went postal on me and I swear put extra effort into huge thorns and suckers. Not to mention Japanese Rose Beetles that had to be dealt with to stop them laying eggs in the lawn, which of course turn into grubs that eat the lawn from underneath. I am NOT good with creepy crawlies and I got my grandson to dispatch some (lovely boy that one), but Himself was not overly impressed with the sight that met him when he returned. I'm back to admiring and smelling, but only from a distance, and feeling that roses are over-rated! Bloody lethal things!.

[draclvr]

I'm kind of with you, Diat. I've become a huge fan of daylilies and have dozens of them. They survive in virtually any soil and only need the stalks cut off when they're done blooming.

[Val]

The only roses I had was here when I bought the house. Rambling little pink ones on the fence in the back yard. They looked lovely for only about two weeks in the year and were such a pain (literally) to keep under control. Eventually I got them removed. Not sorry!

[Mystic Falls]

I love the scent of roses but I will NEVER have them in my garden.

I am in Australia but I like this English look. ok.

[StarLite]

I love roses, I told hubby yesterday that I want to expand my rose garden. I really don't find them that much work, just cut down the dead heads and keep them sprayed. The biggest pain is keeping the squirrels and skunks out of the mulch, they get in there and keep digging it up. Other than that I've very pleased with my rose garden.

I want to try to learn caning so I can have more Delaney Sisters, but that sort of thing I'm no good at. My lilies did really well just lost one but the problem with those is that the yellow lilies are taking over. Oh well, here's to lovely gardens all around

[draclvr]

I had to laugh with your mulch problems! Mine is with my chickens - they LOVE getting in there and scratching it up looking for bugs. I just go rake it back in place.