Roses in Bloom

The Bonica Roses

It's been a while since we've heard from our Oregon correspondent, Desiree.  That's mainly because they had a rather harsh winter and a very cold spring.  In fact, the winter was so harsh it killed many of her plants, and even took the lives of a couple of her resident hummingbirds.  (So sad!)

Anyway, it's finally warmed up and 'decided to be summer', she writes .

Her Bonica roses, above, are glorious.  She says they finally became full-size bushes this year.

"Three years ago they were literally one spring four inches tall.  Now they are full bushes four feet tall.  I have twelve of them around my vegetable garden"

Lovely.

Desiree says she had to tent her sugar snap pea plants and strawberries to protect them from cold nights and save them from the scorching afternoon sun.  Temperatures have been fluctuating between cold nights in the 40s (degrees F) and then skyrocketing to 90 degrees F in the afternoons.

The wild temperature swings aren't good for the baby plants.  Or humans, says Desiree.  I don't blame her on that one!

Below you can see Angel smelling the lovely Bonica roses, while Rocky (the black smudge in the upper middle of the photo) is watching a bird who is in the tree above him!

Angel smelling the roses

The kitties are enjoying the beautiful garden.

Desiree says that Rocky has befriended the squirrels who come to eat the sunflower seeds at the bird feeder. In any event, Rocky doesn't chase them... Desiree thinks he's too afraid of them to chase them!

(Rocky may have something to say about that!)

It's nice to know that the animals are all getting along with each other and enjoying the garden.

Hey, maybe it's a reminder to all of us to stop and smell the roses today!