“What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
~ Romeo and Juliet
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The other morning I gave the shrub roses their last trim of the season. Even though the calendar says it’s fall, these bushes are officially ready for winter.
Most of the roses were faded and falling apart, but a few flowers were still buds or starting to bloom.
I saved the healthy stragglers, putting them together in a casual bouquet in a vase on the kitchen counter.
Later I noticed that the sun, shining through the window, made the water sparkle and the colors pop, leaving me with one last glimpse of summer’s beauty, while waiting for winter to arrive.
• + • + •
What a delight to see Ally. While I’m pretty much a lover of all flowers, roses, especially shrub and cottages roses, have a very special place in my heart. And then toss in some Shakespeare and you’ve pretty much guaranteed a fabulous start to my day. Wishing you a wonderful day as well!
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Thanks, Deborah. I love the casualness of shrub or cottage roses. Not at all uptight, doing their own thing. Plus they’re easy to grow around here. Happy Friday to you, too.
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I looked at my knockout roses this week and decided to give them a pass. They are still producing buds and flowers. I’ll trim in late winter unless we get a hard frost anytime soon. Your bouquet is just beautiful. I love roses and sometimes buy myself a bunch.
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Kate, our knockout bushes are all flowered out. It hasn’t been really cold here yet, but they all seem to have decided that they’re finished for the year. The way of the rose is a mystery to us all.
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I know. One day the bush is gorgeous and the next day the leaves are falling off. I may get another week out of mine. Maybe.
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You described it. I love the bushes, but they do what they do in the way that they want to do it. 🥀
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My roses are blooming and budding here in the southern hemisphere! They are such a delight! We trim/prune them severely at the end of July … the photos are lovely! Have a great weekend AB 🙂
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Susan, one of the aspects of blogging that I enjoy is that I’ve come to appreciate how similar/opposite the northern and southern hemispheres are. I knew this rationally, but it’s only been via blogging that I’ve come to understand it spiritually. Enjoy your spring/summer– and all your pretty roses.
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Aw, yeah, that lighting was near magical! Lovely roses, lovely post, Ally Bean 🙂
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joey, you’re right, the lighting was amazing. I walked into the kitchen and voilà there was magic.
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I have roses that are still blooming a bit, but what surprised me this year was the long life of those summer impatiens…still going strong. Strange, warm autumn here in PA.
Roses + Will…make for a sweet post.
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vanbytheriver, I’m amazed about your impatiens, too. Ours pooped out weeks ago, although [weirdly] our potted geraniums are still doing fine. Go figure.
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Oh, thank you. Every so often, the lilt of iambic pentameter can remind me that People Create Beauty as well.
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nance, I know what you mean. So many Shakespeare quotes are embedded in my memory– and they drift to the surface at just the right moment.
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Love your little bouquet. Perfect, and beautiful in your vase with the light shining on them. We have a row of Camelia bushes that bloom bright pink rose like flowers in early December. I always clip off some to bring inside.
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Beth, camelia flowers sound so exotic. I like flowers from the garden inside the house, but these will be the last ones until next spring. They’re cute in their own casual way.
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Sweet bouquet!
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Thanks!
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A beautiful send-off to summer to welcome in the fall.
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Thanks, Carrie. I like this time of year, even if it means no more roses out front of the house.
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Perfect!
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Thanks. I’ll take the pretty wherever I find it.
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I love flowers.
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I do too. So easy on the eyes. So wonderful for the spirit. 🙂
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I know. I buy myself flowers every Monday. It’s my way of starting off the week on a good note….
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I love that idea. You deserve them.
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We all do! Thanks!
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I love the scent of roses and often stop to smell them 🙂 on my walks. My succulents are beautiful but most types don’t have a fragrance like roses do… thank you for sharing pictures of yours!
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Janis, the scent of roses is distinctive. I’m like you, I like to smell them. These pics just seemed destined for sharing on a blog. 🙂
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Just beautiful. I love roses and you captured them so wonderfully. It’s cold and gloomy here today, so I especially enjoyed this little pick-me-up. Thanks!
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Christie, thank you. These particular roses lend themselves to pics. I think if they could manage it they’d take selfies! Happy to know that they added color to your day.
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I love those two tone roses! I can’t grow them, but I enjoy going to rose gardens where I sniff most of the different colored blooms. Some have no scent, others are very strongly rose, or spicy or delicate. I thought roses would all smell the same, but I was SO wrong!
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Margaret, these knockout roses that I photographed are hardy little bushes. They seem to thrive on neglect, yet have the prettiest little flowers. I was surprised to learn about the differences in rose scents, too. The things we learn!
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Flowers always add a sparkle to the day. Make them roses, and it’s even better ❤
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I agree, Joanne. This bunch of end-of-season stragglers sure proves that.
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So lovely. Kind of you to share. And with the sun, you can see the pattern on the vase. Dragonflies?
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Betsy, the pattern in the vase is random brush strokes. Arty looking, you know? But somehow in the sunlight the vase looks like it’s much more than it is.
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Your roses are still so beautiful. Love the casual bouquet that you made!
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Donna, with roses I think putting the odds-n-ends together make for a fun bouquet. Glad you enjoyed them, too.
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I sure wasn’t expecting to read any Shakespeare when I set out to catch up on my blogs this morning. Now you have me wondering if ol’ Billy had been born 400 years later, would I follow a blog he wrote? Probably not since he bored me to death in high school. To read, or not to read. That is the question….
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evilsquirrel13, I do what I can to improve your mind by re-introducing you to Willy Shakes. I’d read his blog now. But I loved Shakespeare in high school and in college so no big surprise. The wisdom of the world is in his words…
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Viva la flora!
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Thanks!
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Loverly! I have a rose bush at the corner of my house, which methinks has just wrapped up for the season. But we haven’t had a hard frost yet, so who knows? My beach roses and wild roses are done for the year though. They never last as long as this other variety.
The pic with the light shining on them is very pretty!
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Kate, I find roses intriguing. I like the more natural or wild varieties the most, but formal long-stem roses have a place in my heart, too. Sometimes I forget about how pretty our roses can be, so I posted this in order for me to remember– and to share with other people, too.
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