A Rose is a Rose... Not!

I love roses. There is nothing like an early summer morning stroll through the garden, taking in the scent of these lovely blooms. (cup of coffee in hand, of course!)

I've been fortunate in my efforts to grow roses. They usually start out very strong with the first blooms being nothing short of amazing. As the season moves on the heat and humidity take their toll and 'black spot' sets in. This little fungus leaves black splotches on the leaves and they eventually turn yellow and drop off. Unfortunatley the black spot ran rampant last year and stripped nearly all the roses of their leaves by late August. It's a constant battle with any gardener who enjoys roses. I won't give up though!

One of my favorite roses in the garden is a 'one bloom' shrub rose. This rose has been dubbed the 'Granny Carson' rose since it has been in the family for over a hundred years! My Great, Great Grandmother had the rose on their property in Georgia and the plant has been divided and handed down generation after generation. Just this last year 'runners' from this rose bush were extracated and given to my niece and nephew to continue on the legacy. The fragrance of this rose is incredible. Here's a photo of the Granny Carson rose:

Another favorite is the "Chicago Peace" rose. This yellow, salmon, and pink rose blooms multiple times in a year but is always the first to get black spot.

The above photo was an award winner at a local photography competition. (a proud moment for me, since I have no formal training in photography... just a good eye!)

A rose is a rose? I can't say that's so.