This really doesn't have anything to do with growing roses, but I was talking to some ladies about our roses, and noticed they either get all ecstatic or teary-eyed with memories. I think folks who grow roses get more emotionally attached to their roses than they do to other plants. Memories of roses their parents or grandparents grew; roses they received for a birthday or anniversary; or just a rose that they fell in love with and planted, and did well for them. I know I love each and every one of our roses and agonize over them in a way I don't over zinnias or coneflowers or clematis. Do you get all emotionally wrapped up in roses?
Not really, no one in my family ever grew them. My mom loved Daisies and the only grandmother I ever knew grew only Jalapenos and Tomatoes (but didn't make salsa from them). I have more roses than I ever thought I would but am not that attached to them. Now my popsicle lady Iris I am very attached to. That isn't an official name for them, they are a generic Iris I bought years ago but the name comes from the fact that their fragrance makes me remember the popsicles I ate every day every summer when I was a kid.
I have a few Roses, most of which were gifts. I don't get emotional over them, in fact I find them high maintenance and finicky. If there is anything in my garden that I feel emotionally attached to, it is the Peony's. I have a piece of my Mom's peony that she has had since 1958 and it brings back fond memories. I also have a piece of a friends grandmothers Peony that she had since the 1930's and I am attached to that as well. I love all my Peonies, and they are so much less work than Roses!
Yes!! I have roses that mean a lot to me and so I tend to 'baby' them more than I do other plants in the garden. They reward me with beautiful flowers and their sweet scent every year.
I have only one rose now. I appreciate it's uniqueness but do not become emo about it. My bride despises it in spite of its singular beauty--because of its thorns. It seems that every time she comes close to it she somehow finds a way to get scratched or stuck. So I do not get deep into roses. I have looked at thornless ones, but could not find one that really did it for me the way that my Westerland does. But I know what you mean, Jane--I have seen this in other people.
I agree! My mom used to have a beautiful rose garden and she definitely obsessed more about them than any other plants in the garden. Thinking back about gardening and childhood all I remember is my mom's roses and my granddad's veggies, what happy memories! (And of course my uncle's lollipop tree that grew actual lollipop's would you believe it! )
This made me laugh. My dad had a magic tin. Every time he held it (behind his back of course) it would magically fill up with candy (I'm Australian, so we called 'em lollies.) I thought it was the most amazing thing ever!! The only flowers I get emotional about are the ones planted over our dog Chloe, who grew up with my daughter, who then became HER dog when she moved out. Chloe finally passed away at a ripe old age, and I planted a small memorial garden over where she was buried. When I moved away from that house, I dug up her garden and brought it with me! And I'm very protective of Chloe's daylily, and Chlore's hydrangea, in the garden
Actually we do not grow roses but we get emotionally wrapped up in almost every thing we do grow we even nae some of our trees like ya would name a pet. The most recent named tree is our yum-yum tree which is a variety of nectarine. We named it Twitchy after a character in our novel. Our beloved neighbor raised a rose garden right out of our office window and we take great joy in looking at them. When she passed the house was bought by one of her great nephews who preserves them in honor of his beloved aunt.
No. We haven't got a lot of roses, and none of them have special meaning to us. We have some peonies inherited from my husband's grandmother and some plants given to us by good friends. They get pampered and fretted over. It's nice to have plants that bring memories.
The only roses that do well here is the 'wild' or heirloom roses and I can't take those wicked, wicked thorns. Otherwise any flower that will live through our winters is welcome. I do have a peony that was given to me by a dear friend that is gone now so I am emotional about it.
I do get emotional about roses in general because the sad, sorry hybrid things in stores don't hold a candle to the old fashioned roses. I'd managed to collect a few of these gems in OH but had to leave them behind. The most awesome one never did get a name attached but it was an endless rambler with clusters of smallish, barely pink flowers that had the most beautiful scent and TONS of soft little petals. One cluster is a little vase was enough to scent a room and I never did any kind of maintenance to it except to keep winding it through/around chain link fence. Nothing but joy.
