In the very midst of all the rotten weather this fall, who would not appreciate finding a rose bush in bloom?
Not to be smug, but my climbing ‘New Dawn’ vine still has some blossoms and new buds coming. In November!
Placed against the tool shed where it has scrambled up onto the roof, I can easily see the blossoms from inside the house. No soaking required to get a horticultural fix on a dismal day. The pale pink flowers show off well against even the blackest of cloud-laden skies.
‘New Dawn’ has redeemed herself in my books once again.
You see, through most of the year, this climbing rose is usually quite a pest. Its growth is vigorous and we have placed it in a rather critical spot in our garden design... right where the path breaks out into a “Y”.
So, it does not matter which path you take, nor which direction you may be travelling, ‘New Dawn’ loves to latch on and give you a prickly hug. At the very least, it usually snatches your hat – a maddening trick when you are laden with pots of plants or tools.
But we cannot get mad at these shenanigans. It was totally our fault for not figuring out the young rose plant would eventually take over more than its fair share of space. Lesson learned. The tool shed was not the ideal placement, given the path divergence and constant need to enter and exit the shed for various gardening necessities stored within.
Too late to move the rose now. It is firmly established, and truthfully, I would miss its perky blooming presence on dark fall days.
So... what more could top all this current rosy outlook?
We have a pair of Anna’s hummingbirds still hanging out in our garden. It is totally a first for us and very exciting!
I do not always spot them every day. Often a handful of days passes between sightings. But the syrup level in the feeder is gradually going down.
Then I see them! Still together. Still here in chilly Black Creek, flitting about the garden. An uplifting sight on a dark, rainy day.
Leslie Cox co-owns Growing Concern Cottage Garden in Black Creek. Her website is at www.duchessofdirt.ca and her column appears every second Thursday in The Record.