Monday, October 13, 2008

Flower Power

For He's A Jolly Good Yellow

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON


There is no better floral tribute to the memory of a cherished family member than flowers from your own garden. Our home this weekend was full of the scent of roses, in honour of someone who enjoyed walking through our garden at this time of year and always commented on how the scent of our many rose bushes along the entire perimeter of our property simply filled the warm spring air.

The roses are just coming into bloom now. I cut them back in early August, much later than other gardeners, for a simple reason. I don't believe in pruning while we still have winter frost. So I cut back when the nights are (fractionally) warmer and the roses seem to reward my thought process.

Each plant is thriving despite the dry weather, the arid September and the fact that because of water restrictions, we cannot water our lawns. Our garden is now an array of colours and scents and so from this point onwards, while the rest of the world readies for winter, our vases at home are full of a profusion of the beat that Nature has to offer.

These roses are from a climbing Freesia variety. I never used to be a fan of climbing roses until I bought one by mistake a few years ago. It now occupies about seven or eight metres (roughly 24 feet) across part of our back fence and I guess that convinced me that there is always room in a garden for more of the climbing variety.

These yellow roses were chosen to complement the colour of our bricks. Interestingly enough, I often get asked why I don't have a traditional wooden trellis supporting them. That's when I take people closer, to notice the subtle wire mesh across the brickwork, strong enough to support a heavy rose as it arches across an expanse, but slim enough not to be noticed.

By the way, you did notice the reflection in this last shot, didn't you? Sometimes even a six-footer has to stand on a chair to get that sort of angle.

Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

33 comments:

Saz said...

just gorgeous golden yellow hues...I love roses my favourite flower.I have one on my sidebar from our garden this summer, its so pretty l havent taken in down as yet! I can still smell its scent if l close my eyes and imagine it.

I always think flowers are a wonderful gift too, but are rarely given.
more blooms please....its dark, damp and dark on the Border here.

Maggie May said...

Those roses are really lovely and they look so healthy.I can almost smell them!

Katney said...

Three of my rose bushes are still blooming wildly despite the advances of autumn here. Three others finished for the season nearly a month ago. I have only grown roses in the last few years. I always thought they were difficult before.

Cath said...

These are beautiful. My favourite rose in my garden is my yellow one. It starts as a bud a deep yellow and gradually as it opens and then grows older, the colour gets paler and paler.

I prune "late" as well. Always after the frost has gone. They reward me too.
And I LOVE climbing roses. I just love roses actually but climbing ones are good. I have one or two!

Annie said...

Ah, well doen David...a lovely garden of roses for us! Wonderful color!

Annie

Anonymous said...

I'd love to see a shot of that fence filled with this climbing rose! Just beautiful yellow roses!

Gill - That British Woman said...

I am not a fan of roses in the house, but these ones are lovely.

Gill in Canada

Misty DawnS said...

Oh David! These are absolutely splendid! WOW! Now I want a climbing rose bush so I can enjoy this beauty around my home.

Oh, and, by the way, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the reflection in that last shot, and, yes, I immediately noticed it.

♥ Denise BC ♥ said...

Hi, yellow roses are very special, beautiful photos, congratulations for the great contribution.
hugs, Denise & Santilli

Leslie: said...

I love this particular colour, David. Would you please tell me the name of it as I'd love to put one in my garden next spring. I have one spindly little rose that keeps growing long stems but not many buds bloom. But I just love this yellow one of yours.

Jules~ said...

I so love the buttery golden glow of yellow roses. You are blessed with a "green thumb" and the joy of having these beauties around.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! Looks like photos you can see in the magazine! Mine is posted HERE. Happy TF~

Anonymous said...

A lovely tribute, indeed with flowers. These are beautiful yellow roses.

Paz

Jennifer S said...

Gorgeous! Too bad there's no scratch n sniff on this post...

Gretchen said...

Just absolutely gorgeous!

Lee said...

Exquisite roses, David, and wonderful images of them. You've definitely shown them to their best advantage.

Someone once told me that yellow roses are the most fragrant. No wonder you keep that color in your yard.

Cheers

RiverPoet said...

Makes me thing of the yellow rose of Texas! Gorgeous flowers....Peace - D

Arija said...

Yellow was never my favourite colour for roses, and I too have a few, like 150 at last count. When I planted Friesia however I really grew to love it not only for it's scent and bright colour, but it's disease resistance and healthy, strong growth and constant flowering as well. They do say yellow roses are for friendship.

TerriRainer said...

Beautiful roses! I have a black thumb...it's really very sad.

:) Terri

Lew said...

Beautiful roses! Great photos!

DeniseinVA said...

Your garden must be an incredible sight with all these gorgeous roses in them, and how lovely the tribute to your friend. My father was an incredible gardener and grew roses everywhere in his garden. These remind me of him. Great photos. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Those are absolutely lovely! Great shots and what a cheerful, sunny shade of yellow.

Hilary said...

Each one of your photos is like a perfect rose. Beautiful blooms.

Lizete Vicari said...

Lindas rosas amarelas!
Um beijo. lili

Rune Eide said...

I'll take my hat off - your yellow roses far outstrips my single one!

Unknown said...

Excellent captures, David!

Thanks for the tip.

Deb said...

I have never been a huge fan of roses but am finding them to be more attractive as I get older and find my likes and dislikes changing. Yellow was always on the bottom of my favorite color list and it is slowly moving on up! The last picture with the reflection is my favorite - and I agree with the other comment - please show us a picture of the wall of roses! :)

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

David: A beautiful view of the great Yellow Roses. You have done such a great job on this garden flower.

Gypsy at heart said...

I think yellow roses re my favorite...shades of Texas, then I see red roses...then pink....then...

Nice shots and commentary.

http://wanderingwonderinggypsy.blogspot.com/

Carver said...

Yellow roses were my mother's favorite. Yours are so beautiful. I planted my yellow rose bush for my mother when she was still alive and since her death, the roses on that bush always bloom on her birthday. It's really uncanny.

Luiz Santilli Jr said...

Yellow roses, marvelous roses!
Great photos!

Thanks for sharing these wonderful roses!

Luiz & Denise - TODAS'S FLOWERS

PERBS said...

Your mistake in choosing that climbing rose bush was a blessing it seems! Not only to your family but to all of us that get to share it worldwide! It looked so pretty, I wanted to smell my computer screen!!!!!!!

Come and see my entry. . . our roses are almost gone as it is Fall here but I have another Cosmos with a "friend.:

rosecreekcottage-carol.blogspot.com said...

These are magnificent! Climbers are my favorites.