The 12 Days of Christmas series about roses has concluded, but who wants to leave a garden of roses so quickly? There is yet another rose to identify, even though it has faded from memory.
This rose once adorned a fence surrounding a horse pasture. Decades ago, the horses left and their pond was filled with sand from the nearby river. Grass covered the former paddock, leaving virtually no trace of horses. Only this rose remained, but its fate was in jeopardy. The flush of blooms occurred just once a year, and they did not bloom long enough to provide long-term brightness to its far-off location. However, the spots on the leaves stayed throughout summer. The blooms did not appreciate going indoors in vases, either. This rose clearly wanted to stay outside, which was just fine, because the numerous thorns were tricky to navigate when cutting. The thorns kept people from getting too close, making it easy for wayward acorns to take root within the shrub's tangled center.
Who was this mystery rose? Was she the famous old rambler known as Dorothy Perkins? The one known for tolerating shade and lousy conditions? She certainly seemed to fit the description. So many people laud her beauty, but her not-so-great attributes finally outweighed her charms when a subsequent property owner had enough of her prickly manners. Besides, the circular driveway had to be enlarged to accomodate an old oak tree whose roots were endangered by the well-worn pathway. She was simply in the way.
As they say, where there's a will, there's a way. While burning leaves and discussing the new driveway, the property owner's spouse noticed a few clumps of greenery near the ashes. Could those be the remnants of the recently removed rose shrub? Rather than pointing out the tenacity of this mystery rose, she opted to stay quiet. A bit later, she returned to the location with a shovel.
Stay tuned for further developments!