The Stuff of Fairy Tales

While working in the garden early this morning, I noticed a patch of toad stools growing beneath my lamb’s ears and thought that it looked like something about which a storyteller could spin an amusing children’s yarn.  (By the way, in case you were worried, I wouldn’t try eating these. I have no idea what they are; but they are fun to see.)

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Cinco de Mayo Roses

Of all of my roses, Cinco de Mayo seems to be the most variable, ranging in color from deep maroon to coral to hot pink. (I read one catalogue’s description of the flowers as being anywhere from smokey lavender to rusty red.) While a gardener working with a strict color scheme might find that frustrating, I find it fascinating. From one day to the next, this floribunda can be almost unrecognizable except for the ruffled form of its flowers. Aren’t those ruffles wonderful? These are pictures that I took early this morning. Just a few days ago, the roses appeared to be a deep red-orange. The bush is a pretty consistent bloomer – apart from color – producing lightly scented flowers all summer. My rose bushes had more than normal die-back this winter, so they are all a little small right now. This bush should get to be about three times the size that it is now in the bottom picture below.

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Have a lovely day!