Weeks Roses

Last night I left California on the red eye with red eyes and a full heart…

A heart so full of gratitude for the 3 weeks I had with my loves there.
A heavy heart that was so sad to leave them.
A heart so excited to see the ones I have missed. My family. My friends. My Garden. My home. My church. My work.
A heart filled with gratitude for all the blessings God has given to me.

Yes, a full heart filled with the good, the great and the sad. For those of you with family and friends far apart, I’m sure you know what I mean.

Bright and early this morning Mr. G was there to bring me home. The look on his face told me I was missed!

The garden had missed me too. It will be a few days before I will have it back in ship shape. All of the rain made the care while I was gone much easier but boy did everything grow and many things exceeded their allotted space. We call this stage the jungle stage! Yes, it will take a little while to get things trimmed up. We will be moving slow this weekend as the temps soar to low 90s with the humidity totally out of control.

The garden welcomed me with many blooms still yet to enjoy while I do the big task of deadheading the ones past their prime.

The rose in front is Dr. Zlesak’s Petit Pink from the OSO Happy Collection from Proven Winners. The white rose behind Petit Pink is Champagne Wishes from Ping Lim’s Easy Elegance Collection. Both are excellent in my garden.

Champagne Wishes from Ping Lim's Easy Elegance Collection. — Champagne Wishes from Ping Lim’s Easy Elegance Collection.

All My Loving ... A new rose from Weeks. Lovely HT with soft but nice fragrance. — All My Loving … A new rose from Weeks. Lovely HT with soft but nice fragrance. Read more here.

We have had 3 rainstorms and a bit of hail in the last week, so it is amazing that any of these blooms hung on! I think it was for my homecoming, don’t you?

These and several others were vased and delivered to the bank for those who helped me through a long distance banking issue.

I have some new visitors too…

Japanese Beetles.

So far I am only seeing a few. Seeing any is way more than I ever want to see. I’ll be dumping them into a bucket of soapy water (peppermint Dr. Bronners) for a sweet smelling demise. My friend, Jack Falker, had a lot to say about Japanese Beetles on his blog this week. You can read his thoughts here.

Here’s a simple recipe for the Dr. Bronner’s soapy magic: Add 2 T of Dr. Bronner’s soap to one gallon of water. Stir … don’t shake! Add to spray bottle. You can buy this soap on Amazon here!

Disgusting, right?

Aphids.

Yes, aphids are coming to munch on the new buds. Dr. Bronner’s soap solution in a spray bottle to the rescue for this critter too.

More new.

I now have blooms on some roses that Proven Winners sent me right before I left. They are doing great! Believe me, the video or pictures do not do them justice!

Take a look…

It is good to be home.

Garden work is a great balm for a heart that is filled with an abundance of love and joy and just a tinge of sadness.

Downton Abbey, everybody’s favorite British Serial Drama is in it’s 6^th and final season. This show has captured the attention of people around the world in a way that few, if any, shows have ever done!

I am having a very hard time accepting that this is the final season. Mercy, we’ve been through a lot together in these 6 seasons … marriages, war, feuds, funerals, hats, family dinners (some of them quite uncomfortable), kitchen talk and beautiful flowers. I can’t wait from one family dinner to the next to see what flowers will grace the table!

WEEKS ROSES BRINGS US A DOWNTON INSPIRED COLLECTION

When I first heard that Weeks Roses was to release a Downton Abbey series of roses, I thought that this couldn’t be more perfect. This show brought us aristocratic beauty, romance, elegance and sass–just perfect for roses!

Have you seen the roses in this collection? They are spectacular… a wonderful and very fitting collection.

ROSE CHAT WANTS TO HELP YOU WIN THE ENTIRE COLLECTION!

Rose Chat has teamed with Weeks roses to offer the entire Downton Abbey collection.

One lucky winner will receive four bare root roses shipped to you during your planting season: Pretty Lady Rose, Edith’s Darling, Anna’s Promise and Violet’s Pride.

Earn bonus entries when you LIKE our Facebook page or SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter.

Listen to our Podcast with Karen Kemp-Docksteader, sales and marketing manager, from Weeks Roses. Karen talks about the show and this wonderful collection of roses. RoseChatPodcast.com

CONTEST DETAILS HERE.

THE COLLECTION…

ANNA’S PROMISE
The first release was to honor Anna Bates, everyone’s favorite lady’s maid. This unique and complex colour combination is a fitting representation of the character Anna Bates. Read more about Anna’s rose here.

PRETTY LADY ROSE
This large English styled fragrant bloom was inspired by Lady Rose, niece and goddaughter of the Dowager Countess Violet. Read more about the rose here .

EDITH’S DARLING
This true old-fashioned soft apricot-gold gem of a flower is a fitting tribute Lady Edith and her beloved daughter, Marigold. Read more about this rose here.

VIOLET’S PRIDE
Last but certainly not least, is Violet’s Pride!

These aristocratic, resilient, sophisticated blooms were inspired by the iconic shades of Lady Violet’s lavender dresses. Read more about this rose here.