Thursday, May 1, 2014

New Rose for May Day……


What happened to April? It certainly didn't seem to stay around for long this year!
Weather wise, here in the southeast it was somewhat typical. Days where shorts and flip flops suddenly appeared around town, followed by digging out a cozy cashmere sweater for a couple of days last week. The past few days have been somewhat nerve-wracking with tornado watches, flash flooding, large hail in many areas - thankfully we only had heavy rain here. We were saddened to see people not far off injured and left without homes when tornadoes did touch down.

As May has arrived this morning with sunshine, less cloudy skies, and quite warm, I took a garden walk to see how much damage the torrential rains caused yesterday. Surprisingly the flowers in bloom seem just fine, amazing they can flourish and still stand tall under such downpours.

Click pics to enlarge

 Needless to say, DH's efforts with the mower last weekend were short lived……with all that 
moisture the grass grew like wildfire and he will be out there again as soon as it dries up.



This is a new to me rose - Belinda's Dream Rosa hybrid.  When looking for another red Knockout rose to replace one which didn't make it through the very cold Winter here, I saw 'Belinda'. I fell in love with her old fashioned pink ruffled petals. I knew she was not right for replacing the Knockout (I found a deep red one later) but decided to bring her home and find a spot where I could enjoy her and hopefully take her out of the pot and find a home in the garden. Belinda is apparently a great rose to grow and produces many, many blooms for cutting each season. Online sites say if you can only grow one rose this might be that one!




 Belinda's tag says she is a hardy gal - will resist cold winter days down to -20F which is much colder that what we get here in North Carolina. She should grow into a shrub 3-6 feet tall, and 3-6 feet wide, and right there is my big problem! I don't really have a sunny spot - and Belinda like all roses loves to sunbathe - remaining in this now overcrowded cottage garden! I must learn to step away from plants at the garden center, close my eyes to their beauty, their colors and fragrances, perhaps refrain from even going there in the first place. I must leave the shopping for mulch, fertilizer, garden tools to Bob - he doesn't even look at plants let alone buy them.

This morning I cut a few Belinda blooms for the kitchen window sill - I think they are 
just so lovely, and their fragrance very soft and delicate when you stick your nose in close.
You can just see the flowers growing in my window box outside.  

Meanwhile, across the driveway at the neighbors rose bush, a flurry of activity this morning. As I type, a pair of Brown Thrashers are busy building a nest in another rose bush - not an easy feat I'm sure with masses of thorns to dodge as each flies back and forth bringing twigs, leaves and assorted building supplies required for a sturdy nest.  


May Day, always a special calendar date for many reasons. I know there will be no more chilly days around here, that the garden is safe from a damaging freeze, but the mosquitoes will soon be swarming, ugh! I also know I will have to search for those flip flops and shorts any day now, and stock up on bug repellent and sunscreen!

Hope May is a lovely month in your neighborhood - enjoy MAY DAY.


13 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous rose. It isnt one that I had heard of but I'll see if it is available here.

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  2. What a beautiful rose Mary. I need to go out and buy some easy breezy t-shirts, shorts and flip flops...

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  3. Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    Oh Mary! Your pink roses are gorgeous. They almost don't look real!
    I'm on the hunt for a 'Belinda' now!!
    Happy May Day,
    Suzanne

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  4. I like your new rose, it's a lovely colour. May Day has been cold, wet and miserable here - definitely not a day for running into the woods and bringing in the May!

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  5. Those pink roses really are something. Nothing beats fragrant and frilly! Glad that you made it through the storms...very scary and unnerving I am sure.

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  6. Happy May Day to you. Belinda is a beautiful rose with her lush petals and color. May Day here is warm and sunny - so delightful.

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  7. What a pretty rose - I hope it will grow well in your yard. We can't do roses here in our yard at all - they get black spot from the rain and little holes in the leaves from some tiny critter that loves the damp weather - so I just suffer along without roses - unless someday I find one that likes damp and cool and shade.

    We saw our first Brown Thrasher when we visited a state park in Kentucky while we were in WV - I was so excited - even got some photos of it.

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  8. That`s a very lucky rose to have you has her owner! :) She`s so pretty! Loved the photos too! Wishing you a lovely weekend! Its bank holiday this Monday! Yuppie! :)

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  9. Happy May, Mary. Glad to know that you weathered the storms. Over here we barely got any rain. My garden could really use a good soaking rain about now.
    Belinda is a beauty and how nice that she also has a favorable scent. My knock outs have just burst into bloom. So pretty.
    Have a wonderful weekend. Sounds like things should be heating up on Sunday.

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  10. This really is a beautiful rose, I will have to jot the name down as I'm not an "experience" rose grower and you heard this might be an easy one! Since you find you get so many stems to cut, I bet they would be great to dry, which I love to do.

    Happy belated May Day!

    Mary, I sent you and email today. Please check when you get a chance.

    XO,
    Jane

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  11. Belinda is a beauty. Now I want one too.
    Flip flops have been out this week, but now the
    rains are returning. Weather can be so fickle at
    this time of year. We are so glad April is past,
    as there was so much sadness here. May has
    started with more JOY and anticipation. Happy
    May time, dear friend!

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  12. May Day was warm and sunny here but it was short-lived and we are back to rain and dull sky. Ah well, summer always comes, eventually!
    Your Belinda Rose is a beauty - no wonder you couldn't walk away.

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  13. Hello dear Mary

    Such a lovely welcome to May!
    Oh your new rose Belinda is charming - such luscious buds and I just know you will be drying these as Summer progresses.
    Co-incidentally I'm off to the garden centre this morning to hunt out new pots and plants for my front entrance!
    Jonathon who was on Heritage Rose Committee with me years ago is the rose expert there - so I will show him your post and ask him to order a bush for me!!!
    Belinda will slot in well with my other roses - I'll make sure she feels right at home!
    I love your wrought iron plant stand - I would snap that up too if only I could find one here!
    Your Spring posts are lovely and always filled with inspiration dear Mary!

    Hugs
    Shane

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