Posted this on the gallery by mistake - reposting here.

We had such a lovely day. Thanks to Annabeth for posting some photos on the gallery, and I'd really appreciate anybody else who took photos to also share. I really didn't absorb much because things were so busy.

This is the first Open Garden in which I wasn't able to call my mother and report how things went. She died last August at age 91. She once saw the cemetery years ago, when we were trying to find a rose like the one that her grandmother grew (I'm pretty sure it was Reine Victoria). She wasn't able to travel the last decade of her life, so never saw the garden since I've been volunteering. However, she loved hearing about my involvement with roses, including the people whom I met, and the places I went, and we would talk for hours about it.

Many of the vintage items on the sales and Silent Auction tables were from her estate. I kept many, many things, but there is only so much that you can fit into an already full house. A friend helped me sort through the things so that people would have a chance to buy old linens, hankies, and china, all with roses on them. I loved seeing them go to people who would enjoy them, and felt my mother's presence throughout the day.

Now that all of the activity is over, I'm really missing her. Having lovely people with whom to share the splendor of the cemetery helps fill the void.

Anita