Books and Roses.

Hello,

I hope everyone picked the winner of the "Melbourne Cup". I spent the morning wrapping and packaging the parcels from the giveaway. They have now been posted. So look out ladies you will have some mail shortly. I love reading and are always visiting the local library as well as the Bookshop Cafe. With little on television lately and some programmes we have watched for years getting a little silly I have taken to reading in the evening. The only problem with this is the family room we sit in has a cathedral ceiling so the light fittings are up high. I will have to fix the lighting problem with a new lamp. Then I may be able to see to do some of those cross stitches I have in my stash.

Ian and I love going to garage sales. Sometimes we can go for weeks without getting anything that is suitable for us. Although other people seem to always find something. A few years back we got this wrought iron gate then not long after at another sale we managed to pick up the old white verandah post. We used this down the front of the garden. I managed to pick up the cast iron bird at Target. I had been eyeing them off and waited until they came on special.

I went out in the garden this morning,everything is coming into bloom. Although I have a massive amount of aphids the Ladybirds have arrived so I think I will leave them to eat the aphids. The rose above is a David Austin rose by the name of "Abraham Darby" 1985 It has large cupped blooms of apricot-pink paling on petal edged with soft yellow reverse. It has a wonderful fruity fragrance. This rose always has plenty of blooms when in flower. When I was taking the photo the bees were having a great time collecting pollen.

This is "John Clare" 1994 also a David Austen. This rose has clusters of softly cupped.semi-double blooms in a warm shade of pink with a yellow centre. It has a slight perfume and is free flowering.

This rose is called "Mermaid" 1918 R. bracteata hybrid. When I saw this rose in its pot at the nursery I was attracted to the lovely soft yellow bloom. I read the first bit of the label. Unfortunately I didn't read it all until I had got home. Mermaid is a vigorous climber growing to 7 metres plus. I then put it onto a side fence and left it growing without interference for a couple of years. I pruned it down to a very small stump and thought I had killed it. It grew back and is blooming . I reckon if you had a castle this is the rose to be growing on the castle walls. So I guess the motto is "Always read the label."

Happy days.

Bev C