I picked for you today a rose...

The rose, the queen of the garden.  My neighbor loves her roses.  She nurtures them each year, and snips the spent blossoms, one by one from her beautiful bush in order for there to be another glorious, full, blooming.

I love how she interplants wildflowers with her roses, the light, sweet Queen Anne's Lace then later will come the indigo bluebells.  This corner of her yard is wild and free to fullness of color from the flowers.  They look as if they just happened to land there as a surprise show where someone forgot to mow.  It takes artistry to get that to happen.  And she has the knack.  

The sadness, the thorns, in all this is that my neighbor has become increasingly overcome by Alzheimer's.  She no longer tends to her beauties and I am afraid that this year's garden she will not get to cherish as she is used to doing.  I wanted to remember her flowers for her and share them with others who might want a bit of wild beauty in their day.  So friends, here's your bouquet of delicious abandon.  From one woman's quiet, heartfelt delight of The Rose.