BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: SLOWLY, SURELY AND WET!

Are you tired of hearing about weather yet? We are getting almost constant rain! The garden is drenched but so green. This reminds me of 2019 when my good friend Connie Hilker came to visit and she spent her time walking in the garden under an umbrella wearing boots – the pathways were flooded. She would find the same thing today…

Here are some beauties BRAVING THE STORMS this week…

KAZANLIK is an amazingly fragrant Damask from the Bulgaria / Turkey region since before 1600s. I just had to have her and many of her cousins after visiting Turkey and learning more about their significance in the rose oil trade. Wonderful to use in potpourris! I purchased her from High Country Roses and you can too … here. 

ABOVE AND BEYOND is going above and beyond, as usual, to make a big splash in the garden. Rain or shine! Thank you Dr. David Zlesak for such an amazing rose!

CLEMATIS AND LADY ASHE

The clematis is moving in a bit faster but Lady Ashe is primed and ready to take center stage. What a fabulous rose! Lady Ashe is a beautiful, well-behaved, fragrant climber from English rose growers at Peter Beale’s Roses.

OTHERS DOING WELL REGARDLESS OF THE CONDITIONS…

ROSE CHAT

Want company while you’re working in the garden? Access the list of most recent podcasts below…

GARDEN FOR LIFE – Rose Chat Podcast

GARDEN FOR LIFE Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age Rhonda Fleming Hayes On this episode of the Rose Chat podcast, host Teresa Byington chat with Rhonda Fleming Hayes about her new book, Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age. Drawing on a lifetime of gardening experience and her gift for storytelling, Rhonda shares practical ideas, helpful information, and inspiration for gardeners who want to continue enjoying the hobby they love at every age and stage of life.   The Rose Chat Podcast Our 15th Season MEET THE ROSE CHAT TEAM 🎙 Executive Producer & On-Air Personality Chris VanCleave – RedneckRosarian.com Chris—aka The Redneck Rosarian—is the mastermind behind the Rose Chat Podcast. He’s a nationally known rosarian, speaker, and TV personality who believes roses are for everyone, not just folks with fancy garden gloves. Whether he's talking bloom care or thorny troublemakers, Chris brings heart, humor, and a whole lot of rose wisdom to the mic. 🎙 Content Creator & On-Air Personality Teresa Byington – TheGardenDiary.com Teresa is a Master Gardener, Consulting Rosarian, and one of the kindest garden cheerleaders you’ll ever meet. She’s been growing roses for decades and still gets excited when one bursts into bloom. With stories, tips, and a dash of garden gossip, she helps make Rose Chat feel like a visit with a good friend, who just happens to be a rose expert. Wanna Keep in Touch? We’d love to pop into your inbox now and then (we promise, no spam—just roses). Click here to subscribe to Rose Chat updates!  

1. GARDEN FOR LIFE 42:19
2. HOW A ROSE BECOMES A STAR 37:42
3. BUILDING A BETTER ROSE SOCIETY 56:23
4. ROSE SHOW WINNERS FROM A NO-SPRAY GARDEN 48:02
5. FIND YOUR BLOOMATE 35:29

ROSEFEST / SAT, JUNE 11, 9 – 3 pm

If you’re local, the Indianapolis Rose Society and Hamilton Country Master Gardeners have teamed up to bring a beautiful day of roses. Roses for sale, demonstrations, garden tour, great speakers, and free Proven Winner’s beautiful roses to the first 40 guests! For all the details, read on here… 

Grateful

In these tumultuous times, weather as a problem is not even on the scale. More than ever I appreciate the beauty and love around me. 

Luke 12: Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. He’s not just in control of flowers, He’s in control of us. 

Until next week…. may your time in the garden give you comfort and beauty.