A Wedding, A Relocation, A Garden in Bloom
Hello Friends, it’s been a while, and I do apologize for my inconsistent posting as of late. We have had a LOT going on this past month. For starters, our daughter got married (!) and then moved back to Pennsylvania (!!)
‘Apricot Candy’
Yup, this is the one and only daughter who you can catch a glimpse of in my very first post here on Hedgerow Rose. She was only about 14 when I first started blogging and is now almost 22. And MARRIED. I’m freaking out. Crazy!! I’m still waiting on the professional photos from the wedding but below is a sneak peek: that’s the handsome groom in the burgundy suit.
Here’s more news: sadly, after only two years of living here, Madison and Evan decided Asheville wasn’t for them and a couple days after the wedding we packed them up and they returned to State College, PA, where we are all originally from.
‘The Albrighton Rambler’
To say that Jesse and I are feeling completely lost and heartbroken is an understatement. To get a bit personal, why did we move to the Asheville area in the first place? It was so that Jesse could take a new and improved position within his company and also provide a fun place to live for our daughter should she choose to relocate with us.
‘Erinnerung an Brod’
Well, long story short, that position is no longer–although Jesse is still with the company–and now our daughter has moved away. So, of course, now we’re left wondering, “What are we doing here?”
‘Celsiana’
Lots of serious conversations going on in our household trying to decide what’s next for us. If it were the middle of winter I might be saying, “Let’s get the heck out of here!” but now that it’s literally the best time of year, with the roses completely covered in buds, the sweet peas vining up the trellises, the birds nesting, the peonies blooming…our new garden finally looks like a garden…it’s tough.
‘Madame Plantier’
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while also know how much work we’ve put into this house to make it feel like a home. But does a home feel like a home when you don’t have family to share it with? Did I mention it’s tough?
‘Ghislaine de Féligonde’
I don’t have any answers right now. But I do have lots and lots of roses getting ready to flower that I can’t wait to share with you. And, spoiler alert, I am finally getting a proper camera to capture their beauty. In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed these camera phone images of what’s in bloom now. If you want to see more rosy goodness, my rose society had their annual plant sale last weekend and I wrote a post, with photos, over on their website if you’d like to take a look.
Unnamed rose bred by John Clements
One last tidbit to share, our annual Rose Exhibition is coming up and I’ll be speaking again, this time about Sustainable Roses. I think with it being so busy I also forgot to mention the talk I gave to the Master Gardeners about Old Garden Roses. For those of you on Instagram who heard about it and were wondering how it went, it went really well! Anyways, if you’re in the area, and would like to visit our Rose Exhibition and hear me blab on about Sustainable Roses, I’d love if you stopped by!
Until Next Time…
‘Nymphenburg’
It’s always hard when the kids move out. It leaves such a big hole in our homes and hearts. But we need to examine what fills us as individuals. It sounds like you’re in a beautiful place. I hope you can enjoy it a while longer. 😊
Well congrats on the wedding, I know moving would be tough but it is so important to have family close by. Especially once they start having little ones! Your garden is looking lovely this time of year!
Wow. That is a lot to mull over. I hope your roses help you think. Mine are always good listeners. ❤️😘
Congratulations on the beautiful wedding and grown-up daughter!! So sorry that it comes with hard decisions for you in future… For now, I hope you are enjoying the bounty of that beautiful garden and the fruits of all that hard work! They are so beautiful -is the Albrighton Rambler doing better for black spot and such this year? Those blooms are so gorgeous!
Congratulations! Expanding your family is awesome! You’ve done so much hard work to your home and your roses are beautiful for being in such a short time. It’s hard when the kids grow up and leave the nest, let alone the state. I wish you the best of luck on sorting it out and I hope you find peace of mind wherever you decide to live. 🙂
Thank you all for leaving me such thoughtful, kind comments. I really found them to be quite cheering! I’m sure we’ll come up with a happy solution eventually. In the meantime, enjoying this beautiful spring.
Claire, to answer your question, The Albrighton Rambler usually gets blackspot after the first flush, sometime later in summer. I have been amending the soil considerably so hopefully it will be healthier this year.
Congratulations on your daughter growing up and getting happily married! But now you have big decisions to make, I can see. I haven’t been here for a long time.
Yes, big, difficult decisions. But, in the meantime, enjoying the beauty summer has to offer! 🙂
I can’t believe it’s been a month since the wedding. It was such a beautiful time – and seeing your lovely house was so precious. I trust, knowing how hard it is not to be living close to beloved daughters, that there will be more beautiful times together – because there always are.
Wise words! 🙂
Thank you for sharing.
Do you have any more information on the “Unnamed rose bred by John Clements” displayed above [https://hedgerowrose.com/essays/spring-in-the-garden/2018/05/15/a-wedding-a-relocation-a-garden-in-bloom/]?
I’m especially interested in the zone and where one might purchase it if available. I did not see it at Heirloom Roses.
Thank you.
Hi Karla! Unfortunately I do not have any more info on that rose…it was given to my rosarian friend who was asked to “trial” it years ago. I’m not sure if it ever even made it to commerce (and was given a proper name.) Maybe try reaching out to Heirloom? Sorry I’m not much help!