I’ve ordered Therese Bugnet again. She is a rugosa that Heirloom Roses lists with their Damask roses because of it double form. It is not only very hardy, it is very fragrant. Unfortunately, the first time I ordered it, the rose that was delivered looked nothing like this. I confess I didn’t notice at first. I forgot what the catalog photo looked like, but I have learned over the years that mis-labelling does happen, even in neighborhood garden centers.
I’ve had other mis-labelled roses arrive at the End of the Road. Early on I got a beautiful rose but it was not the Fantin Latour I had ordered – and that time I did notice. However, I loved the rose, a buttery yellow, apricot and pink. The real frustration came when the rose died and I had no idea how to replace it with the same rose. Fortunately, I later saw an Abraham Darby rose that was very similar. I bought it. Twice. Alas twice it has proved too tender for my climate.
I’ve sent in all my rose orders. Now I wait because it is still winter. This past weekend my daughter Diane arrived with her son Ryan for the day. The Major (my husband) rooted through the attic and came down with ice skates. I got the heavy socks, and Diane got the shovel. It was off to the Frog Pond.
The Frog Pond was improved by the previous owners of our property and it has been designated as a Fire Pond. In fact, in 1990 when lightning struck our old barn and burned it to the ground, the Frog Pond is probably the reason our house is still standing. It is a great pond for swimming in the summer, and catching newts. So far the carnivorous sundews that grow at the edge of the pond haven’t bitten anyone.
Ryan is 12 and has never been on ice skates. The skates didn’t quite fit, but he has pretty good form his first time out. He can yawn like Apollo Ohno, Olympic champion, too.
I know my family is getting tired of it, but the sastrugi formations are really extraordinary this year. I’ll try to be restrained, but I cannot absolutely promise that this is the final sastrugi photo.
How wonderful to have a pond to skate! What a happy looking boy. You winter landscape is lovely – I’m sure those roses will knock you out in the summer, but it’s fun to enjoy the beauty that’s out there right now. Thanks for sharing.
Gardening always brings suprises – but the kind you’re describing with receiving the wrong roses is probably not the kind of surprise you had in mind! I’ve had that happen once with a beautiful David Austin rose I ordered for my Dad’s birthday. Instead of a shortish pink rose, it turned out to be a climbing yellow rose – a bit of a shock when it took over the rose bed!
ok now this is a BEAUTIFUL rugosa.
Love the skating pics! So typically winter!
I learned ‘sastrugi’ from you! I’ve not heard it before! Is that what this is here? I took the photo after our big February snowstorm two weeks ago. I thought the snow formations were fascinating.
It is heartbreaking when you plant something, wait to see it flower, only to find it mislabelled. I had this happen to me with a magnolia. I got it cheap, late in the year, so did not see it in flower. It was to be the centrepiece of my white garden. After 3 years of settling in, it finally flowered, PINK!
BJ – We’ll have to have a rugosa comparison at the Annual Rose Viewing.
Deborah – Sometimes those mislabellings cause real problems and wreck well thought out plans.
Kylee – Beautiful photo and that is most definitely a sastrugi.