La Vie d'un Rose

We have many flower beds and little gardens around our house, thanks in large part to the professional landscaper who lived here before us. My favorite area is one that I designed myself which I call my Serenity Garden. It's my place to escape from housework and bickering kids and just go to relax. At the entrance to the garden is a wooden arbor. Growing up the sides of the arbor are Joseph's Coat roses. This is the third summer that I've had them, and this year they are blooming like crazy. Well, one side is. The other side has been struggling since I planted it, and I was convinced it was dead until yesterday when I saw some buds. But the other side has finally climbed up all the way to the top of the arbor and it has put out more blooms in the past week than I think it did all last summer. I love this particular variety of rose because, as the name implies, it displays many different colors all in the same bloom. From the bud it comes out a strong, vibrant orangey-red color, then it gradually fades through a lovely pink and ends up a pale yellow as it starts dropping its petals.

Here's a little look at the life of a Joseph's Coat rose...