Wednesday, June 20, 2007

NOT THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER
Aside

“Why is it that no one ever sent me yet,
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it’s always just my luck to get
One perfect rose,


Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)

Not the last rose of summer but the end of my favourite rose ‘New Dawn’ for another year. I like to think we are kin – created in the same year. It is a delicate pale pink with a delightful fragrance - but then:-

A rose is a rose is a rose”

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946)

16 comments:

Kim Ayres said...

I adore the smell of roses. Unfortunately we only seem to have one scraggly rose bush in our garden of a variety that doesn't really have an aroma apart from a very faint one around dusk.

Pat said...

Lucky you Kim! I'd love to plant more, but you can't plant a rose where an old rose has been, apparently - not if you want it to thrive.

Anonymous said...

My mother claims you can plant new on old rose ground if you bury a big meaty fish under the roots before planting. I've never tried as I prefer to eat the fish!

test fish said...

beautiful! you have such a lovely garden.
my 'new dawn' is still only about 2 foot high, so i think i'll be waiting a while before it puts on that kind of display! the poor confused thing is budding at the moment, which i'm fairly sure they're not supposed to do in winter?

Pat said...

Sim: well you know Mums always know best. I watched trawler men tonight, throwing back big fat fish- what a waste:)

Amy: thank you. At least your rose is alive. Some of my roses continue to flower- sometimes 'til December but I prune them in February - don't know what is your equivalent. It is precious so I would take advice. In season I feed mine with tomato feed.

Nea said...

"One perfect rose" has got to be better than a sick one,

O Rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.
-William Blake

But I'm still with Dorothy on this one.

Pat said...

Nea: 'It was roses,roses ,all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad.'
Robert Browning (1812-1889)

My myrtle blossom isn't out yet.
Trust Blake to write about a rose - rotten to the core!

Anonymous said...

Our rose bushes just began starting to think about considering that they might just possibly put out a bloom or two this week! We must live in different countries.

Pat said...

Jack: indubitably my dear Watson:)

Eryl Shields said...

Some roses are more rose than others. Yours seems to be very rose indeed being both abundant and fragrant.

Sad they have to fade but then don't we all.

Pat said...

Eryl: yes I think it is the rosiest rose - without being blowsy. Fade? Moi? I'm practically invisible!

Megan said...

Dorothy Parker... I think she and I are kindred spirits. I, too, have never received one perfect limousine. ;)

Hi - Michele sent me! Have a lovely weekend.

sage said...

a nice poem to go with the picture in the above post--Michele sent me back

Pat said...

thanks Finn and Sage!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

When you enlarge that picture it is even more impressive.....I love that bench Pat....And I forget what thse tall flowers are....U know almost every English garden has them....Just so lush and Beautiful...The whole thing! I can see how just looking out at this gorgeousness could bring such peace to the soul!

Pat said...

Maomi: according to Belle, the tall flower is acanthus - I always forget. This has been its best year. When the rain stops I must sweep it all up as it is quite slippery now. The weather is very dreary here today and I wanted to hang laundry out. Looks like I'll have to curl up with a book!