Purington Pink is the first rose of summer this year. The blossoms are modest, pale pink, fading quickly to almost white. The thorns are anything but modest, spiny and prickery. Like all of four of the roses that the Purington family gave me, this one is a strong grower. Just what we need here on the hill.

Of similar prickliness is this rose, also from the Purington’s Woodslawn Farm. I think it is a Harrison’s Yellow, because it is a twin to a Harrison’s Yellow I planted some year’s back.

With two roses in bloom Rose Season has officially begun. I see buds swelling everywhere. As I went around doing more pruning this past weekend, and clipping grass I also see that many of the roses had a fantastic winter and have never looked better. The tangle of Rachel’s Rose, Celestial and Ispahan down at the end of the Rose Walk is truly magnificent. Ispahan has been known to suffer lots of winterkill yet always putting out strong growth in the spring. This year’s mild winter left it almost unharmed and it is at least eight feet fall.

Of course, there are always fatalities. I haven’t given up on all of them entirely so I will not catalog any of those just yet.

For the rest of the weekend, I weeded, and wept over the depredations of the rabbits.  They killed at least two of the newly planted helenium. Very unphotogenic. Henry finished the Great Fence around the vegetable/berry garden, and young Nate, mowed and mowed, and brought me more wood chips for the vegetable garden paths. Things are beginning to shape up!

Today I will plant my last hypertufa trough with succulents. For those of you who enjoy planting interesting containers, you have an opportunity to enter the container competition at the Old Deerfield Summer Arts and Crafts Festival held on June 16-17. By entering you’ll get two free tickets to the Festival, and if you win, you’ll get a prize. No losers in  the system.

I also want to let everyone know that Kathy Puckett who has one of the most beautiful gardens in our area is holding her Garden Open Today on June 10 from 10 am – 5 pm at 150 Skinner Road in Shelburne. Mark your calendars.