"Beginnings"

I love roses and have about 30 of them adorning my front yard.  If you like to garden and hear the word "rose" all sorts of fears, anxieties, and down right misery can be conjured up with idea of how difficult they are to grow.  Aside from a few minor issues of Japanese Beetles, aphids, black spot disease, rust infections, downy mildew, and a few others, they're not that difficult to grow....with a bit of tongue in cheek here.  But seriously, they're not all that bad and aside from my yearly infestation of Japanese beetles, I don't have really any of the other issues mentioned.  These two buds here will bring forth a beautiful flower in the next several days and I will post them when they finally open.  The top image is a Black Cherry and the bottom is a Double Delight.  Both are in the Floribunda class and are deliciously fragrant.

But this post isn't meant to be a lesson in gardening and the care of roses although the significance of the rose is rather unique and I will note a couple of facts about the rose.  The origin of the cultivated rose comes from Northern Persia and the oldest rose fossil is said to have been found in Colorado dating more than 35 million years ago.  And for all you lovelorn people (primarily men) out there, if you were to give your significant other 108 roses, it would mean, "Please Marry Me".  So watch out how many you give!!

But, I'm digressing here.  I've titled this post, "Beginnings" as we're in to Spring here in crazy weather St. Louis.  And while we've been experiencing Seattle like patterns here (and this is not a slight to my very special friend living there in case she checks in) but with all the rain and the growth of my roses, it's telling me another season is about to begin which translates for me as a "beginning" and a cleansing of  my soul so to speak.  For the mental desolation I had been experiencing the last several months is fading.  I've always enjoyed this time of year as I walk amongst my roses garden but for this year it's extra special.  Their "return" to life is just that, after lying dormant through the winter, somewhat denuded of life, covered with either snow or mulch are now springing forth (no pun intended...well maybe just this once),with a display of color, fragrance, and accord.  Death can be that destruction that forbids that dormancy to again rise from the earth.  It is with these new buds that eventually bring forth that harmony and new beginning.