The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.

~ Anais Nin

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In between rain showers on a cold morning – searching for images – I think I know what I'm looking for. This rose has other ideas. Her head bent so low to the ground spoke of more than you see. This is Dr. Brownell and almost every bud has been mangled by an insidious insect– the curculio. This one perfect bloom so bent to the ground, called for a picture, and said, "It's ok – there will be more."

 

We (the rose and I) have waited four years for this photo debut. Finally with enough cane length to wave in the breeze, above and between two 5-ft grevilleas, she was ready for a few photo sessions.

One of our garden's first bloomers– the greetings from 'Glory of Edzell' are eagerly awaited. The petite charm of Spinosissima leaves inspired a collection of these roses, which are usually once bloomers. Relatives of the wild Scots Briar, native to Scotland, this is a hybrid named after either Edzell Castle or a small hamlet (pop. 708) by the same name.

 Fresh stamens are a must for most photos, but all stages have dignity.

My shrub only has about seven canes, so I'm not about to dismantle them. However, if the featured rose is in my garden, I always want to show it to you in a vase as well. In the future when the shrub has more girth, long canes would be gorgeous swooping out of a large arrangement, but for now I just picked laterals, in bud, and placed them in small bottles. They continued opening for three days !

Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door.

~ Emily Dickinson

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I'm in 'glory' when I find an ED quote that suits my photo. Her words always seem to have many meanings– I was thinking of the openness of these roses when I chose this line.

The photographer, on the other hand, immediately thought of how many tries (days) it took to find her shot of this creature. It wasn't dawn, but an unlikely afternoon with heavy skies. She had just returned from a horticultural adventure  in Marin County– and 'Glory' flashed a smile as she pulled into the driveway.

She took many pictures, and those along with others were finally ready for a post. She cringed at the thought of showing too many images– such a dilemma– and so many beauties. So she thought why not let her friends just bask in this one image today. Tomorrow there will be more.