Dragons and Roses...
...Gung hey fot choy! As we wrapped up January, Chinese New Year ushered in the year of the dragon. I am yet to go out for Chinese food in celebration of the new year. Not too sure what the dragon has in store for this year, but I do know that I am starting to be newly renewed with creativity in my art endeavors. We haven't had many snow days so far, but I have still had days that permitted uninterrupted time for art. Attending a recent art reception helped to breathe new into my art mojo. Exactly what I needed. My fellow artisans also encouraged me in ways that freed me up unblock to creative flow again. Thanks, I needed that!
Another area of joy for me was that of herbs. Delightfully, I found that rose is the Herb of the Year selection by the National Herb Society. Rose is my favorite scent. I wear a toilette water that is rose scented, Tea Rose by Perfumer's Workshop. How great is that when one can load up on rose anything?!!! Many years ago my first gardening efforts were centered around roses. I had purchased some roses that were sitting in a clearance bin at a local store. They were cheap and I was willing to take a chance on them as they were unmarked as to the variety of rose. The naked rose stock was planted and eventually flourished in the spot I had chosen for them. I've never been a big red rose fan and these roses turned out to be a delicate mauve color. There were two plants in the bag I had purchased which allowed me to put one on either side of the doorway from my family's driveway. The fragrance was unbelievable. For many years I searched to find out what type of roses I had planted. I suspect that they were a hybrid rose. As a tea rose variety, they had no right to be so fragrant, but I had been truly blessed with my special find. Those glorious roses caused a love affair with roses that has lasted for 45 years. I can't imagine that love ever ending. Over the years I have explored potpourri recipes, perfumes, dream pillows and sachets, soaps and various foods that would include roses in their recipes. Some of my photo creations have been centered around roses. Je t'aime les roses! Let's hope the dragon likes roses as well!
Another area of joy for me was that of herbs. Delightfully, I found that rose is the Herb of the Year selection by the National Herb Society. Rose is my favorite scent. I wear a toilette water that is rose scented, Tea Rose by Perfumer's Workshop. How great is that when one can load up on rose anything?!!! Many years ago my first gardening efforts were centered around roses. I had purchased some roses that were sitting in a clearance bin at a local store. They were cheap and I was willing to take a chance on them as they were unmarked as to the variety of rose. The naked rose stock was planted and eventually flourished in the spot I had chosen for them. I've never been a big red rose fan and these roses turned out to be a delicate mauve color. There were two plants in the bag I had purchased which allowed me to put one on either side of the doorway from my family's driveway. The fragrance was unbelievable. For many years I searched to find out what type of roses I had planted. I suspect that they were a hybrid rose. As a tea rose variety, they had no right to be so fragrant, but I had been truly blessed with my special find. Those glorious roses caused a love affair with roses that has lasted for 45 years. I can't imagine that love ever ending. Over the years I have explored potpourri recipes, perfumes, dream pillows and sachets, soaps and various foods that would include roses in their recipes. Some of my photo creations have been centered around roses. Je t'aime les roses! Let's hope the dragon likes roses as well!
What is it about roses?! I vowed I would never have them in the garden. Then I found myself dumpster diving to retrieve 8 bare root stock from a project we working on. Then several miniature roses found there way in. Then I found myself hacking my Grandma's red rose out of the frozen ground in the dead of winter.......her house had been sold and wow could she grow roses. Like you I'm not a fan of big red roses but there it was the next summer blooming and perfuming the backyard....... Still I say, not one more rose! Two weeks ago I started to catalog my photographs and the rose had been photographed more than any other flower in my garden. I guess I'm hooked......
ReplyDeleteUnless you have allergies to roses, the aroma is a hard one to resist. The fragrance is considered an aphrodisiac aroma. Cleopatra was notorious for using rivers of roses as she vamped the famous men in her life. I could use a little of that! LOL! I always find it interesting to see who picks up on my rose scented perfume. I have one photo buddy who always commented about me being in the vacinity because he could smell roses. He liked the aroma, by the way. He so associated roses and me that he was fooled by a bouquet of roses that was sent to his work place for another lady. He thought I was there in the office, but I wasn't. Too funny! I guess that's about as nice a signature as I could ask for.
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