Monday, May 12, 2008

The Gift

that keeps on giving

You see those roses on my masthead? They are old tea roses..David Austin

Graham Thomas to be exact

They are deep butter yellow and and their scent is heady and rich and fragrant beyond belief

And they are in my front garden along with

Souvenir De Mal Maison
Abraham Darby
Ste. Cecelia
Fair Bianca
Mr. Lincoln

and others that I am too lazy to go and look up in my garden journal at the moment.

12 years ago when I was newly pregnant with our first child, my husband planted a rose garden for me in February in our first home.

He tilled the soil with a hand tiller (Georgia clay....he deserves a medal) amended the soil with heaps of compost, laid the timbers outlining the garden. He set the root balls, planted, fertilized and watered.

It was his early Mother's Day gift to me.

Even though I wasn't TECHNICALLY a mother, more like an incubator

Because throughout our courtship he never brought me flowers.

The pattern continued in the years of marriage before we decided to start a family and bought our home

Sweet cards, jewelry yes......... but never roses.

When he created this garden for me I asked him why.

He told me that he never bought me roses before because the ones you get at the florist had no scent and they just die. They don't last.

So when we bought our home and I promptly became pregnant....he set about the task of creating a rose garden for me.

One that would last and the scent would be heady.

And I have had roses on every Mother's Day since...sweet!

5 comments:

Kimberly said...

what a man.
why haven't i ever seen a picture of michael?
great description of the roses too. makes me think i can smell 'em from here.

Rachael said...

Awwww, that is so sweet!!!

Patrice~ said...

oh, Lisa!
what a romantic story.
and your roses are beautiful.
how do you remember all their names?
I'm with Kimberly - I can smell their sweet goodness all the way here!

Christi said...

oh I love the smell of Mr. Lincoln roses!!! I bought my mother 6 hybrid teas for Mother's Day - Welcome Home, Voluptuous, Change of Heart, Spellbound, Wildfire & Beloved.

My mother has a David Austin rose in her grandparents garden - David Austin for her father, Daniel Austin, Witch Hazel for her mother Hazel Austin, Marguerite for her mother-in-law Margaret Spadoni and Sweet William for her father-in-law William Spadoni.

Kimberly said...

are ya hangin' in there?? only a cuople more weeks until may is over, right? won't bball be over by then?