We can all hear Juliet’s famous words:
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;”

Perhaps a rose is a rose, but around here we use proper names! We refer to our roses as if they were the old ladies of the neighborhood. I say old because many are antique hybrids. This is Cecile Brunner (1881), — antique polyantha nicknamed the Sweetheart Rose. She is long lived and healthy, tolerates poor soil and part shade.

SALE
Starting tomorrow I will have a 72 hour flower sale for Valentines. I will give you the details tomorrow at 10am. If you would like to buy a flower for someone you love: your spouse, mom, sister, grandmother, or best friend, there will be a dozen to choose from. Each flower will be $100 with free shipping in the US, beautifully packaged – complete with a gift message of your choice.

Here is the description of this beauty from Antique Rose Emporium’s catalog:
“Katy Road Pink” was in fact ‘Carefree Beauty.’ Forming an open, but extremely graceful bush, ‘Carefree Beauty’ appears to have few insect or disease problems and is not particular about soil or growing conditions. It is free blooming, probably one of the most floriferous pink roses that we grow, with new buds appearing all the time. Large hips are a nice treat!

Oh, how my mind personified this as I painted…remembering all the carefree beauties I have admired over the years…free blooming and not particular. For all the large-hipped beauties this could describe – bloom on!