Everything’s Coming Up Roses!

May in Baltimore was the third chilliest on record, so all the plantings continue to be late in their blooming. My friend Andrea’s front rose arbour is among the prettiest I’ve seen. People literally stop and stare at it, because it’s just picture perfect!

Of course, I had to do the same, and when I drove by on Saturday morning, I was lucky enough to see Andrea and her husband on the porch preparing for a family event later in the weekend. She invited me in to see the arrangement that was going to be the centerpiece of the buffet table.

One of the most beautiful flowers in this arrangement was the pale apricot-coloured David Austin rose.

They are my favourite variety of rose and I am fascinated by their structure. You can also see some of the other roses Andrea used, including the little yellow and red striped ones on the bottom left.

Here’s the arrangement with two of the smaller ones Andrea created. She and I just sat and talked as she stuck roses and berries here and there and came up with this stunning arrangement. Such a talent!

Back to the rose arbour… I snapped these pictures as I was leaving. It was before 10:30 on Saturday morning, so the light was still that clear light.

I think that the roses are New Dawn climbing roses and they have fully covered the trellis!

The peonies I got last weekend dropped a lot of their petals, sometimes with an audible thud! I picked through the stems and found that many of the buds which were tight last week, had opened up. I trimmed the newly opened flowers and put them into two little silver pieces I have. One’s a sugar bowl, minus the lid, and the other’s a creamer. They’re the perfect container for small stems of flowers.

How was your weekend?