It all started with Erin's birthday wish two weeks ago. She wished for some new heirloom climbing floribunda 'graveyard' rosebushes to add to her garden. This led her to "Country Care Roses" in Fellsmere, Florida. We started on our journey with this pink flyer which Erin had picked up on her last stop at the rose farm:
"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves."
-Mahatma Ghandi
So, off we headed to see Rhonda at "Country Care Roses"
"Planting today's gardens with olde garden Roses"
Yes, that's us alright. That's how we roll. "Olde" with an e. And that is definitely the type of garden we want! So down the long driveway we go.
For acres and acres as far as your eye can see are fields of flowers, herbs, arbors and roses, roses, roses everywhere
And fences and paths and patches of daylilies blooming in all colors
and the roses! The beautiful perfectly tended but wild looking roses! They are like pretty little children with long messy ringlets! And they are spilling everywhere in every color!
heirloom French pink noisette
beautiful blush pink, my favorite
Rhonda (l.) and Erin (r.) under one of the many arbors on the property.
When we had recovered our senses a bit, we yelled for Rhonda to come help us with making a decision. She taught us so much but since my jaw kept dropping into the mulch, I didn't take any notes; just pictures
This is one type of the heirloom roses that Erin picked out. They don't like much attention. They don't even care about pruning. That's our kind of gardening.
fragrant clustery floribunda. If you look closely you can see the bee inside the rose on the bottom
That's right people! Bee heaven! They were everywhere; having a feast!
We rambled down the paths and all around the property. Even down to the river which is where the first greenhouse was built
there are nooks and crannies of arbors and benches everywhere. I kept expecting to see Monet standing at his easel!
Or maybe Miss Havesham from "Great Expectations"
another shady path ahead into a bamboo forest
We finally made our selections; no easy feat
heirloom French for Erin in shades of cream, blush and white
and a "drift" rosebush for me. A white flowering ground cover called "popcorn"
It was a beautiful relaxing day and one of the best days I have had in a long time.
Thank you, Rhonda! And Happy Birthday Erin!!
