La Vie En Rose

When Roses cease to bloom, Sir,

(By Emily Dickinson)

When Roses cease to bloom, Sir,
And Violets are done --
When Bumblebees in solemn flight
Have passed beyond the Sun --
The hand that paused to gather
Upon this Summer's day
Will idle lie -- in Auburn --
Then take my flowers -- pray!

This weekend I attended a Rose Show at the South Coast Botanic Gardens. Yeah, this post nearly writes itself. ;-)

Rose: Trumpeters


So, let the Trumpeters sound!!! And let's do some flower blogging.

When I appraise roses, there are three elements that I assess: color, scent and shape. Obviously, we will not be spending much time on scent in this post. However, color and shape are viable topics.

Rose: Black Magic


Here's a classic, Black Magic. The velvety texture of the petals gives this rose a deep, dark red coloration. It's shape is a large, complex bloom. Absolutely beautiful.

Rose: Lady Emma Hamilton

Now check out Lady Emma Hamilton's dainty petals and gentle colors. She is so light and refined upon her narrow stem that she seems to float. Gorgeous!!!

Rose: Hot Princesses

But these Hot Princesses prefer to stand out from the crowd. With their bright coloration and long, pointy petals, they really make a spectacle. These pretties demand our attention.

Rose: Graham Thomas

This Graham Thomas is also an attention-getter, but it has a more refined boldness. The petals have a gentler rounded shape and the blossom is large but intricate.

Rose: Chihuly


And here's Chihuly working the middle of the road. It's orange color grabs our attention, but doesn't get too loud. The petals are not too bold and not too dainty. The blossom is of medium size and moderate complexity. A rose for Goldilocks.

Rose: Double Delights


These Double Delights take the bipolar route of design. They are delicate whites on the inside and flashy reds on the outside. Insert off-color humor here. ;-)

Rose: Royal Sunset


We can go on and on about roses, but we'll let this Royal Sunset wrap up our show.

And some music:

La Vie En Rose, Edith Piaf

Here is the Rose Wikipedia page.

Here is the South Coast Botanic Garden website.

And Edith Piaf's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!