Roses, Seeds and Garden Tours

 A late neighbor planted this rosebush in memory of his wife about 30 years ago and despite many challenges to its growth, it came through again this year.

Ready for its close-up!. The velvety texture of the petals and the way they capture light cannot be rendered in a photo, or at least not with my tiny camera.

Rose petals can be gathered and made into beads that retain the scent. I made some once and enjoyed them for a long time. See one method of making rose beads here.

Seed-saving has begun, with the shiny, jet-black seeds of Forget-Me-Nots. I listened to some of my favorite radio shows on WNYC and WFMU while reducing a bunch of seed-bearing stalks to a neat small envelope of seeds. The easier way is to cut off the stalks and just throw the whole mess where you want a patch of Forget-Me-Nots. It all depends on your OCD needs and how much time you have to spare.

This is the weekend that traditionally launches the summer season, although the summer solstice does not occur until June 20. Happy growing season to all my fellow gardeners, and don't forget to visit the Shakespeare Garden on June 5 for Shakespeare-in-Bloom and the Friends of the Plainfield Public Library Garden Tour on June 12.

--Bernice