Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica)

Bloodflower
Asclepias curassavica
(ass-KLE-pee-us) (ku-ra-SAV-ik-uh)
Asclepiadaceae (ass-kle-pee-ad-AY-see-ay)
Synonyms: Swallow-wort, Butterfly Weed, Mexican Milkweed, Scarlet Milkweed

This is the first year I have grown Scarlet Milkweed. I picked up three at a plant sale and they have done great. Not quite up to the advertised height of 3 to 4 feet they have been blooming for awhile now and seem to keep going. Since it is rated for USDA Zone 8 and above so I am growing it as an annual. I hope to collect some seeds or have a few drop as it has been a nice addition to the garden. I have found it difficult to photograph and this has been my best effort so far. At least it shows the color! My Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) didn’t come back this year so I will have to replace that. That is a perennial in my area.



Here is another picture of an Asclepias. I think it is Rose or Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata). It seems a little taller than the other two species I mentioned. Which must just be the plants that I viewed as this one is suppose to get 2 to 3 feet tall. The plants I saw were more like 3 to 4 feet tall. It has a nice dusty pink flower color and you can the bees love this plant too. I was actually trying to take a picture of the bee on this one.

Indian Summer Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer')

Indian Summer Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer'
(rud-BEK-ee-a) (HER-tuh)

This is a Black-eyed Susan that has huge flowers. They are up to several inches across. It is sometimes listed as an annual, biennial or perennial. My plants are on their second year so the jury is still out on that. I have a lot of seedlings so even if they die out this year I will have something. It gets quite tall (3 to 4 feet) and has a spread of about 18 inches.

It is named after one of my favorite times of year, Indian Summer.

Queen Victoria Century Plant (Agave victoriae-reginae 'Compacta')

Queen Victoria Century Plant
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Compacta'
(a-GAH-vee) (vik-TOR-ee-ay ree-JIN-ay-ee)
Agavaceae (ah-gav-AY-see-ay)

What an emotional draining day yesterday was. I still feel bad about the whole thing. I can’t wait to get back into the garden on Monday. There at least I know what to expect and do. I guess that is my little comfort zone.



I saw this cute little Agave growing in a pot at Wave Hill. It only gets to 12 inches and is hardy to USDA Zone 7b. There used to be one in the conservatory at work but the person that takes care of the greenhouse watered it to death over the winter. I love the contrast of the green leaves and white stripes. This plant only flowers after many years and then dies.

Here are a couple more shots from the Foreigner Concert on their 2007 Concert tour.


Mick Jones. Like the Dire Straits song says “Oh yeah, the boy can play.” Shot with my cheesy $12 Star Filter.


End shot. Left to right: Jeff Pilson: bass guitar, background vocals, Thom Gimbel: saxophone, guitar, flute, background vocals, Kelly Hansen: lead vocals, Mick Jones: lead guitar, piano, keyboards, background vocals, Jason Bonham: drums, Jeff Jacobs: piano, organ, keyboards, background vocals.


Wide Shot of the whole band. 18mm.


Jeff Pilson, Thom Gimbel. Again with the Star Filter.

I loved the clean look of the stage. No amps or wires, which I don’t think I had seen before. I wanted to reiterate how clean sounding everything was, which for the Ives Center was a major accomplishment. These guys maybe getting a little older but they really gave a high energy performance on a very hot night.

Marigolds for a Friend

Marigolds for a Friend

Today I have to attend the funeral of a young person that Karen and I knew. At 27 Jason is gone long before his time. I decided to post this picture of Marigolds as one of the Mexican people I work with was explaining that Marigolds are used during the "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) to help guide the souls of the departed back to enjoy the pleasures they enjoyed in life. With Jay it would have been friends, family and his two-year old twin daughters. I am not sure if I got the translation and meaning correct here but I sure hope so. The Day of the Dead is celebrated October 31st through November 2nd and is not as depressing a time as it sounds. It is quite the opposite, a time for happiness, family and life. I am going to try and use this to help build a little bridge to my trying to understand senseless tragedy. Not that I think I will ever be able to completely understand I will try and make peace with the situation and try and move on from there. Many people have been affected by this, much worse than Karen and I, and I hope I can help them carry on. His young beautiful wife who I am close to, his mother a genuine, nice person, his young brother just to name a few.

So here is my humble offering to Jay and his family, a large patch of Marigolds to help guide this spirit back so they can enjoy a little more time with his warm, friendly and caring personality.

“Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped away into the next room, I am I and you are you; Whatever we were to each other, That we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me in the easy way which you always used, Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we shared together.
Let my name ever be the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant,
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well.”
Henry Scott Holland, Canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral

Chihuly Glass at Fairchild Gardens, Miami

Chihuly Glass at Fairchild Gardens, Miami

Since I stayed out late last night here are some archive Chihuly Glass shots from Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami. I have recently been going through my hard drives trying to get rid of some old pictures and came across these two. The first one is from the 2007 exhibit and the second one is from 2006.



I went to the Foreigner concert last night. It was great. Even though it isn’t my favorite band they really put on a good show. I got a couple of pictures. The first two are Mick Jones the lead guitarist and songwriter. The other one is Kelly Hansen the lead singer with Jason Bonham (drums, his dad was in Led Zeppelin) and Jeff Jacobs. They played a lot of the ‘hits’ and a couple I didn’t recognize. Somehow I had bought front row, dead center tickets. I was sitting next to the mayor and his wife.






Here are some other posts I have made on Chihuly Glass:

2007 Fairchild

More 2007 Fairchild

Gardens and Glass, 2006, NYBG

Yellow Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans 'Flava')

Yellow Trumpet Vine
Campsis radicans 'Flava'
(KAMP-sis) (RAD-ee-kans)
Synonyms: Yellow Trumpet Creeper

It is nice to post a flower that I grew. I am happy with my Yellow Trumpet Vine and I like it more than the species and red type I am also growing. It took a while for it to start blooming but now every year it is loaded with blooms. I planted it in the stone dust base of the gazebo terrace and trained up on to the roof, which it has completely covered. I often see Hummingbirds at the flowers as well as butterflies, bees and some ants. It really only requires an occasional clipping when it comes down to far over the edge of the roof. It has never had powdery mildew or any pest problems. It is sometimes referred to cow-itch vine because it can cause skin irritation in some people. I have never been bothered by it but you may want to wear gloves when pruning it. It is not recommend for planting near buildings and may become invasive under good growing conditions.

Here is a picture of the full flower cluster.


Yay, tonight I going to see Foreigner at our local concert venue, the Ives Concert Park. I have front row tickets and hope to bring in my camera.

Dwarf Red Tree Fern (Blechnum brasiliense)

Dwarf Red Tree Fern
Blechnum brasiliense
(BLEK-num) (bra-sill-ee-EN-see)
Synonyms: Red Brazilian Tree Fern

This is a beautiful fern that is native to Brazil and other parts of South America. I have seen it a few times before including the New York Orchid Show. I am not sure why they call it a Tree Fern because it doesn’t have that traditional stem that I so love about Tree Ferns. This photo is of the new growth rolling out. When it is completely unfurled it is a nice red color, it later hardens off to green. This fern is tropical and is hardy to USDA Zone 9. It was growing in the tropical plant section of the Bartlett Arboretum and was just spending the summer outside here in Connecticut. Some of the cultural tips I saw when I looked this plant up


It is again ‘ABC Wednesday’ over at Blog Catalog. This weeks theme is starts with ‘B’ and again I am using the scientific name, so ‘B’ is for Blechnum and brasiliense and Brazil.



Here are some of the other participating blogs:
mrs nesbitts place.blogspot
Kissing the Dogwood
gemmas house
Ruth's Me My Garden, My Life
dwq online
photowannabe
tech the man

Flowering Okra (Abelmoschus manihot)

Flowering Okra
Abelmoschus manihot
(a-bel-MOS-kus) (MAN-ee-hot)
Malvaceae (mal-VAY-see-ay)
Synonyms: Sweet Hibiscus, Edible Hibiscus, Palmate-leaved Hibiscus

This is probably going to be the most interesting flower that I saw all summer. It was planted at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, Connecticut. The plant was not too much to look at (a bit tall and stalky) but the flower really captured my fancy. If it hadn’t had a sign (which I took a picture of for reference) I wouldn’t have known what it was, although I would have guessed the Hibiscus family. I actually used the flash on this photo, which is something I usually avoid like the plague. I guess it is the fear of the unknown type of thing. I think it is more like the on-board flash usually washes everything out and is difficult to control. I want a Nikon Speedlight for Christmas.

Here is a link on the Flowering Okra. They explain everything better than I could.
hibiscus.org

Here are a couple excerpts that I found interesting:

“The Malvaceae family has a number of food plants. One of these is Abelmoschus esculentus, or Okra. It is best known for its mucilaginous* seedpods which are fried or used to thicken soups and stews. However, this is a true multipurpose plant with edible leaves, flowers, seedpods and mature seeds. It is an annual and is very heat tolerant and relatively free from pests.”
and
“While the large yellow flowers are very ornamental, the importance of this plant is that it is one of the world's most nutritious leafy vegetables because of its high protein content. The leaves are tender and sweet and can be served raw or steamed (leaffor life).”
(This series is being compiled by Colleen Keena from Queensland, Australia, Kristin Yanker-Hansen from California, USA, and Marcos Capelini from São Paulo, Brazil.)

*mu·ci·lag·i·nous
adj.
1. Resembling mucilage; moist and sticky.
2. Relating to or secreting mucilage.

Yesterday I got a little too much sun. It started out as a low-grade headache and then I got sick to my stomach. Luckily it was at the end of the day. I also might have been partially dehydrated. I think it was from pole pruning most of the day, which required looking up at the sun. I most definitely got sunburned on my forehead, which for me is a little unusual. I feel better this morning but it looks like another hot day. It wasn’t as bad as the time a couple of years ago when I got too much sun and became disoriented on the way home. That was scary. It just goes to show that even people that work outside all day and are used to the sun can feel the effects.



Here is an interesting Lily I saw blooming at Bartlett.

Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides)

Gooseneck Loosestrife
Lysimachia clethroides
(ly-si-MAK-ee-uh) (klee-THROY-deez)
Primulaceae

This plant isn’t for everybody. It is way too invasive to be used as an everyday garden plant. It is good for certain areas where it can be allowed to spread. It isn’t good for borders, rich topsoil areas, areas adjacent to lawns and small gardens in general. My plants are in a rock planter but I still have to keep a careful eye on it. It is a really wet area and it can’t spread in two directions. I usually pull up any runners that are going outside their area a couple of times a year. I don’t have any mercy for them and I never plant them anywhere else in the garden or throw them in the compost. The flowers are attractive and a bit novel and they appear in summer when I welcome the color. I also love the fall color of this perennial. It is a great mixture of red, yellow and orange, really super. Carefully consider using this plant and if you don’t have the time or urge to maintain it get something else.

This week I am continuing the pruning job I started on Friday. It is a nice garden but it has been let to run amok a bit. I am removing some plants and severely cutting back others. After that we are going to do some planting. I want to see what it looks like when it is all cut back. I have become a real journeyman with dealing with mature gardens. There is definitely a whole different approach you have to use as compared to getting a garden established.

Spice Island Foxglove

Foxglove
Digitalis ‘Spice Island’

This Foxglove probably isn’t new to anyone else but me but this was the first time I had seen it. It was obviously re-blooming because I could see the stalks that had been cut off earlier. The color is nice, a little strange but agreeable. The couple of references I found on the net said it was a perennial but only time will tell that. Basically I will believe that when I see it. I did notice the price was almost twice as much as the ‘regular’ Foxglove. I wish I had looked at the foliage closer as the websites I visited said the foliage is ‘felt-like’ and ‘evergreen’. I think this one is going to have to be tried out to get some first hand observation of the characteristics. This is the best thing I found on ‘Spice Island’:
“A new evergreen foxglove that just doesn't know when to stop blooming! Unique and stunning peachy-yellow flowers are lightly dusted inside with nutmeg. They bloom on numerous densely-packed spikes which branch from the base of the plant, providing continuous color from summer into fall.”
Big Dipper Farm (scroll down to see 'Spice Island')
It looks like a really cool nursery and website.

Foxglove is such a classic garden plant that I always get requests for. The only thing is that I don’t like planting a lot of biennials in people’s gardens, as they need to be replanted. They generally don’t seed since we use mulch on almost everything. I just make sure they know that they require a bit more interactive gardening then standard perennials and that if they have a wonderful show of Foxglove one year they may not have any the following year.

Olympic Mullein (Verbascum olympicum)

Olympic Mullein
Verbascum olympicum
(ver-BASK-um) (oh-LIM-pih-kum)
Synonyms: Greek Mullein, V. longiflorum var. pannosum

I saw this plant blooming at Wave Hill. It looked like a majestic perennial. The hairy leaves and flower stalks were quite tall and I liked the color of the flowers. I haven’t had much luck with Verbascum it always seems to be monocarpic. It has only come back once for me and then it died after flowering. I am not putting them down and now that I have seen this plant I might be tempted to try again. I am not going to give any growing tips because I don’t seem to be able to grow it. I do know some people that have been successful with Southern Charms Verbascum and I love the delicate color of those flowers. I have secretly always wanted to grow Arctic Summer Verbascum.



Here is the same flower with an Oriental Beetle (Anomala orientalis) crawling on it. These things were all over the garden this year. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article:
Oriental Beetle

Rose of Sharon Bud (Hibiscus syriacus)

Rose of Sharon Bud
Hibiscus syriacus
(hi-BIS-kus) (seer-ee-AK-us)
Malvaceae (mal-VAY-see-ay)
Synonyms: Althea, Althaea syriacus

Most gardeners are familiar with this great summer flowering plant. I bought about 20 of them and planted them in one area and it is just a riot of color right now. For a lot of years the deer kept the flowering down but they also made the plants bushier and more compact (trying to make a positive here). I have since taken to pruning them hard in the spring to keep them from being overgrown. There seems to be a nice range of colors and flower types available now. I am partial to the blue ones but like them all. I have seen them grown as a shrub, a tree and a hedge so they seem pretty versatile. Looking around the net I noticed a lot of people complaining about the seedlings and that plants are late to leaf out. I haven’t had a lot of seedlings but the ones I am growing are named varieties so they maybe sterile. As far as leafing out late I have never noticed that (it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen) and I guess if I had it planted in front of the house that might be problem. Those are minor problems in my mind. The color these shrubs provide are worth it.

Both of these pictures are leftovers from trying to find something that started with the letter ‘A’. I also took this picture of Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima). I had a post on Alyssum awhile back:

Here



This is a purple cultivar called ‘Oriental Night’. I bought a few growers packs of seed (it is like 25 packets) and spread some here and there, in situ.


I think this last picture is a Crab or Flower Spider (Thomisus spectabilis) sitting on a Coneflower. It is a master of disguise and ambush. This is the first time I have seen one at the Estate in over 20 years but from what I understand they like to keep a low profile. I took a few pictures of him (her, actually) and when I went back to show the person I was working with sure enough she was munching on a small fly. Unfortunately that picture didn’t come out. Here is a link for more information:
spiderz rule.com

Moosewood Maple (Acer pennsylvanicum)

Moosewood Maple
Acer pennsylvanicum
(AY-ser) (pen-sil-VAN-ih-kum)
Synonyms: Striped Maple, Whistlewood, Goosefoot Maple


I wanted to post a Wordless Wednesday but some of the people over at the Blog Catalog Forum want to start a group effort called ABC Wednesday. It is a nice very knowledgeable group over there. So the theme is easy, just photograph something that starts with ‘A’ the first week, ‘B’ the second week and so on. I thought it maybe interesting and give me a reason to go and make sure I shoot a picture on Tuesdays. Of course I found several plants with the right starting letter and maybe posting a few more over the next couple of days. It is open to anyone so if you feel like joining in by all means do it!

'A' is for Acer.

The genus Acer is an important one to gardeners. It is rich with ornamental trees and even some shrubs. There are only a few I don’t care for like Norway Maple and Silver Maple but those are far outweighed by the ones I do like. Like today’s tree. I don’t see it growing in gardens too often and I wonder why. It is a handsome smallish tree (15 to 20 feet) that likes to grow in moist part shade. I often use them in shade gardens. Wikipedia says it is considered the one of the most shade tolerant deciduous trees. The foliage is large and the lobed leaves grow in pairs. Fall color is a nice clear yellow. The whitish striping does seem to be most pronounced on the younger branches, the twigs are a nice coral color.


There are about 20 species of Striped (aka Snakebark) Maples and this is the only native to North America (Minnesota to Nova Scotia and south to Georgia). Its common name is derived from the fact that Moose love to eat it. I am glad that hasn’t transferred over to the deer as they seem to leave it alone.


Here is a list of participating blogs. I'll add more when the others post their 'A' photo.

mrsnesbittsplace.com
my tropical escape.com

Meadowsweet (Filipendula 'Kakome')

Meadowsweet
Filipendula 'Kakome'
(fil-ih-PEN-dyoo-luh)
Synonyms: Double Meadow-sweet, Dwarf Meadowsweet, 'Kahome'

I took these pictures at the nursery in Long Island though I have been growing this plant for several years. I have it sited in a part shade moist area and it seems very happy. I know it can grow in almost wet conditions also. I like it better than Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) and Queen of the Meadow (Filipendula ulmaria) mainly because it is a dwarf form (12 inches) that doesn’t flop or sprawl. It has been in the garden a long time and hasn’t needed to be divided yet. The flower and foliage color is good and it has shown deer resistance. The flowers are corymbs that look a lot like Astilbe.



Here are a couple more pictures from the ferry. There were two Jet-skis that were putting on a show riding up the wake of the ferry. It was better entertainment than the usual feeding Doritos® to the sea gulls. To be fair I wanted to post the power plant that is on the Port Jefferson side of the ferry trip.

Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata 'David')

Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata 'David'
(floks) (pan-ick-yoo-LAY-tuh)
Polemoniaceae


This is a beautiful cultivar of Garden Phlox. It is the most resistant to the dreaded Powdery Mildew in my experience. The bright white blooms are fragrant and don’t need staking in my garden. Phlox is such a classic flower and it is nice to see it in the border. It does need good air circulation and it is best to water the plants at the base. I wanted to find out a little more about Powdery Mildew and I found these pages:

Plant Clinic Cornell.edu

Garden Guides.com



Thankfully it hasn’t been a bad year for PM. I haven’t seen it on the usual suspects, Bee Balm, Lilac, Phlox or Roses.






This is another Phlox that I am growing. I think it is ‘Laura’ but it might be ‘Little Boy’ as the tags got all mixed up. I found pictures with both of the names on the net.



I went to Long Island to buy some perennials on Saturday and everything was blooming out there. I took the ferry and passed the time shooting a few pictures. I don’t know why my circular polarizer kicked in so well on this shot but the sky really wasn’t that color. Normally I try and avoid Converging Verticals but in this shot I thought they would look good. Of course I couldn’t really get them to converge when I wanted, just when I don’t.



I had a little fun in Photoshop with this one. I made the bottom of the photo B&W and kept the sky in color. This is the big power plant that you see when you leave the ferry terminal on the Bridgeport side.

Sunrise Coneflower ( Echinacea 'Sunrise')

Sunrise Coneflower
Echinacea 'Sunrise'
(ek-in-AY-shee-uh)

This is another of the ‘Big Sky Series’ that Richard Saul at Itsaul Nursery in Atlanta, Georgia has been developing. This is my second year with this particular plant so it wintered over in Westchester County, New York. Although our wacky winter probably wasn’t the best to judge its hardiness on. I actually like the color and size (plant) of ‘Harvest Moon’ better but I have had no luck growing those. I might try again but after you have been burned by a plant a couple of times it is hard to keep buying it. I am just considering it for a more protected location. ‘Sunrise’ has been growing out in the open and has been mingling with the regular Purple Cones. It is quite tall and can seem to hold its own among the purples. It seems to have been blooming for an awful long time, which I have read is one of the traits of the Big Sky Series.

I planted a Coneflower garden last year and holy mackerel did they grow. It is a small border that used about 10 different types in and it just went crazy. When I saw it I thought that it was just too much but the customer was happy, ecstatic actually, so I thought well what the heck. There are several hundred flowers out in that garden now.



I know some garden purists don’t like the new Coneflowers and I have seen some disparaging remarks about them but I like most of them. They liven up the summer for me and just goes to show how far plant breeding has come.

I am taking the boat out to Long Island today to get some perennials at the wholesale farm. I need to get two Crape Myrtles out there too. I have a client that wants to try them in New Canaan. I will be visiting a couple of retail places for those. I am going to try and get them from the ‘Indian Tribe’ series from the U.S. National Arboretum. They seem to have increased hardiness as I have a couple growing at the estate and one in Darien. I must remember to site them in one of the warmer microclimates in the garden.


This is a weird abstract of a backlit Banana leaf.

Red Daylily (Hemerocallis)

Red Daylily

Inspired by 1-2-3 Go Garden’s great collection of Daylily photographs and Ki’s post on July 18th I decided to try and take a picture of the nicest Daylily at the Estate. We don't have a lot of different cultivars for two reasons. One, the people don’t live there in the summer and two, the amount of deer we have. There are a few nice ones and I got the nifty fifty from White Flower Farm a few years ago but they are pretty much planted around the house and in the courtyard for protection. Like I said this red is the nicest and I think I bought at a Wave Hill plant sale many years ago. It got transplanted several times and finally has found a home next to the greenhouse and just behind the Weeping White Birch (Betula pendula 'Youngii'). I took a close up too.


Just a quick post as I got in late last night. I went to a Chef’s Table at a local restaurant and went for a couple of nightcaps after. The Chef’s table is fun and delicious. Two fellows that own a local restaurant cook a private dinner for just a few people that have bought tickets in advance. There were 16 people last night and it was an intimate fun evening. They make it personal which is nice. They are thinking of doing it every month and while I don’t think I would go every time I would certainly go again.

'Oregold' Hybrid Tea Rose

'Oregold' Hybrid Tea Rose
Synonyms: TANolg, Miss Harp, Silhouette, Anneliesse Rothenberger

This rose blooms best during the cool weather though it was chugging along last week with a couple of flowers last week. It is good performer though seems a bit tender as I have had to replace it twice after the winter. I don't do a lot for winter protection for my roses and usually have a couple of losses after the winter. I think this because most of these roses are rated for USDA Zone 7 and my gardens are on the edge of 6 and 7. 'Oregold' has a mild fragrance and a petal count of 25-30. Its parentage is 'Piccadilly' × 'Colour Wonder' and has a good pedigree with 'Peace', 'Tropicana' and 'Crimson Glory' roses in its lineage. Bred in Germany it won the AARS Award in 1975.

I think I have said before that I have really warmed up to yellow flowers over the course of my career. Some of them are amongst my favorites now. Who would have thought that. Yesterday’s Wordless Wednesday featured a couple of nice yellow flowers and I thought I would carry it on today. Yellow roses symbolize friendship and caring according to Rose Meanings Explained.

Since I have heard the phrase “Yellow Rose of Texas’ hundreds of times I decided to look up just who or what that meant. Everybody out there probably knew already that it is a song and here is a snip of an article:

"The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a song about how a slave named Emily Morgan helped win the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution, on April 21, 1836. According to legend, Emily was a mulatto slave owned by Col. James Morgan, of New Washington, Texas, who was kidnapped by soldiers under the orders of Mexican general Antonio López de Santa Anna. She was reportedly brought to Santa Anna's tent, where she entertained him sexually throughout the day of the battle. The distracted general supposedly failed to put his troops on alert, and when the battle began, the Texans caught the Mexicans by surprise. In fact, however, "Emily Morgan" was a free-born black woman named Emily D. West, who worked as a housekeeper at the New Washington Association's hotel. No evidence supports the story of a tryst with Santa Anna.

One of the earliest versions of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" dates back to the first administration of Sam Houston, who became president of the Republic of Texas in 1836. A handwritten manuscript of the song, now in the A. Henry Moss Papers in the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, was allegedly delivered to one E. A. Jones.”

Read the rest here:
Handbook of Texas Online



This second rose is the Hybrid Tea ‘Sunny Delight’. I really don’t know too much about this rose as I took this picture at a nursery. I took the picture with the idea that I would look it up when I got home because I only want to buy disease resistant roses at this point but I couldn’t find much information on it. It looked pretty though with a big flower and delicate shading.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday