Fairy Tale Rose

Caught at the perfect moment in time, no rose is lovelier than ‘Le Vesuve’. It’s shading from pale pink to deep magenta/red is captivating to me.



You can’t tell it from the photo, but ‘White Maman Cochet’ was huge today – at least five inches across. I suspect there’s a knot in the middle of this flower. The next photo shows a flower at a slightly later stage of opening.



This is the stage of bloom that I find so tantalizing in Old Garden Roses. The knot of ‘White Maman Cochet’ is quite cute. Tomorrow the knot will be open, and the flower will look more like a messy, fluffy chrysanthemum than a modern rose.



Here’s the same flower in a wider shot shared with an older bloom showing the outer petals gone completely pink instead of just at the tips. When the bush is more mature and productive, it will be an amazing sight blooming pink flowers and white flowers at the same time.



Another ‘White Maman Cochet’ before the knot is visible and the opening bud showing its deep pink outer petals.



And again.



Can’t resist throwing in some Coneflowers. I’m a little surprised that they’re still blooming, but I guess I shouldn’t be.



Here is a very curious bloom of ‘Maman Cochet’. Sometimes the Cochets can have quartered blooms and sometimes knotted. This one opened rather oddly in five sections. I’ve never seen one like this.



‘General Schablikine’ was blooming this evening – oh, joy! – but I was too late with the camera. He’s pretty though just like I remember him. And ‘Louis Philippe’ is looking very handsome, close to seven feet tall with lots of flowers. I’m thinking that they like the cooler weather.