My Love Affair with English Roses
I love to garden. It’s part of my artistic background showing through. My garden is mostly perennial flowers with an emphasis on roses. But because of my climate, tea roses aren’t reliable so I grow English roses. My English rose season is already mostly over but despite a short blooming season I still love these flowers.
One of my favorites is the famous Rosa Mundi. I don’t know if it’s the unusual striping that intrigues me or the story behind the flower. Legend has it that the rose was named after King Henry the II’s mistress the fair Rosamunde. The rose is a Gallica rose, semi double and has fantastic fragrance. What I like best about it is that each rose’s color and striping is different. Funny thing is that it took 4 years before I got my first bloom. I was about to dig up the shrubs and toss them when the blooms came on and I was well rewarded for my wait.