Congratulations on your new grandson and your beautiful gardens! Your photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing them.

Thank you for the photo tour. It is absolutely beautiful.

Sammy

Lucky you, a beautiful new grandson, and what beautiful roses!

well bugger me, I was actually thinking about you today, Celeste and wondering how (and where) you were. Spooky! Glad to see you are surviving/thriving and your garden and family are blooming.

Celeste, what a pretty sight your roses are! They take my breath away. I love your feminine gardening style too. Bless you and your darling grandson and I wish you many days of joy ahead. Thanks for giving me joy today, as well.

Juliet

I loved it all -- pictures, story, cute baby. It is cheating, BTW, including pictures of a darling baby, but you get a pass on that. How could you help posting? He's such a beauty, as is his Mum.

I loved the roses, the lilies, the daylilies, the clematis, the rocks, the stone wall. I feel as if I've been on a tour to a blessèd place of beauty, and came away refreshed.

Rosefolly

I have total lily envy. Unbelievably gorgeous lilies, Ms. Celeste! I want, I will, by gum, I AM, going to have a rose/clematis/lily (and for me dahlias too) HEAVEN like that someday. You've already achieved it! Wonderful. Thanks so much for posting. Are the last lilies pictured Conca D'Oros? They look good enough to eat. Really. They remind me of beautiful mountains of wedding cake frosting. Does the smell waft in the breeze? Oh how I'd love to have that vignette of those creamy yellow lilies tossing around on the breezes in my yard. You've given me something to shoot for. Thanks again.

Annabeth

Absolutely gorgeous! (The grandson and the flowers.) Our conditions are the same again, as usual. We should get together and visit! I also enjoyed the 3-weeks early blooms. I think we deserve it all due to last summer's soggy disaster. Glad to see you are enjoying your gardens but gosh you must be busy taking care of the baby and your mother as well!

Congratulations, Celeste on your new grandson. You are going to gather so much joy from this little one, I know. It's a very special thing to be part of their day to day lives as they grow. I'm enjoying my two grandkids immensely since they and their parents moved in with me this past March. It is busy, it is cluttered and noisy - and it's wonderful!! I hope your Mom is doing well - Happy Birthday to her. My Mom, in a similar situation just turned 95 last weekend. She can no longer find words to communicate but her smile said it all when I drove downstate to visit with her and my sister.
And bless your heart for this "happy little post." I enjoyed all your photos no end. For me, too, this was a May like never before, wasn't it wonderful? Only difference was I didn't grab my camera and record it. Thank YOU for taking the time to do so and sharing it with us here. :-)
Anne

Gosh Celeste! You were right about the eye candy. How beautiful your garden is. I was thinking how even though your life is so busy it must be rich and wonderful with your family around you and the garden looking like heaven.I hope you have a great fall bloom.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY for your kind comments! I was hoping
this thread would get people feeling positive & happy.

I get a chuckle when folks think thats the mom with my grandson. That's actually me holding him so proudly. I was one of the first to hold him (mommy & daddy got him for a few minutes) but he's my first grandchild so I got dibs on him over everyone else! I was actually right there in the room watching him be born. He is the apple of my eye, just like his daddy. He looks just like my son, which makes it all the more wonderful.

annabeth....to answer your question about the pale yellow lilies, that is indeed 'Conca d'Or'. I grow over 100 lilies but that is my favorite, hands down. The substance of this lily is such that the flowers last for a very long time, and the fragrance....oh, it is something from heaven! You can see from the picture that I grow quite a few of this lily and the fragrance wafts through the air and perfumes the entire yard. My neighbors love me!

I am glad to hear from all of you, and I appreciate each and every one of your remarks!

Celeste

Celeste, this was so incredibly beautiful, starting with your adorable grandson, and on to one of the most beautiful gardens on this forum. It's really magical, not just the individual roses but how you've put the whole garden together, and the beautiful color combinations. I'd love to know the name of the pink rose in the picture with the little girl with the butterfly wings and the purple rose in the picture immediately following it.

Thank you for taking the time out of your (very) busy schedule to put together this lovely post for us.

Ingrid

My goodness Celeste, Conner is adorable. Such a little cutie. You can see the "proudness" (is that even a word, lol) alllll over your face. Can't wait to see the first pic of you and Conner planting his first rose bush, or lily, or so on..... I can't wait to be grandma myself. My daughter was married in May so I told her she has 3 years then I better start seeing a baby bump. Shes all about herself so I hope she lightens up a little. Heaven forbid she lose her cute little figure. grrrr......

Your roses and gardens look beautiful as always. I will have to look for that lily you were talking about. I received a B&D catalog the other day so now I need to go pick a few. Thanks for catching us up on everyone and I will talk to you later. Take care, Judy

Thanks so much for this uplifting post. You have a beautiful grandson. With a grandson, a mother, and a garden to take care of, you must be very busy indeed. I'm glad you popped in to give us some cheer.

Your gardens are magnificent! You have done a wonderful job creating small vignettes that are beautiful. I, too, find the lilies enticing. Thanks to your post, I will remember to order some bulbs to place in my garden this fall. :)

I think we may have forgotten the beauty of May and only see the ugliness of August. Thanks again for reminding us of lofty goals to be reached.

What an adorable grandson! And you don't look a day over 35 (I'm jealous). Your garden looks amazing as usual.

OMG... Just what the doctor ordered. Thank you for helping me fall in love with this list all over again.

Veronica

Very nice pictures. Thanks for sharing. You have quite a garden there.

Incidentally, I did take you up on your past suggestion regarding DA's Morning Mist rose. I did get one, and it has been blooming on and off through our excessive and triple digit heat although the flowers aren't very big or last very long. They are pretty, quite fragrant, and simple. I think it would look good with Dainty Bess and Windrush if I could ever get all of them to bloom at the same time. It also looks like Morning Mist will be a big, sprawly bush so I will have to figure out where to put it when I take it out of its pot.

Celeste thank you for the good vibes and wonderful photos. Congrats on your grandbaby. That is one cute child! How exciting.

Can you tell me the name of the whitish pink rose that is 5th down on the rose photos and has kind of a cascading habit? Love it. All the pictures are much appreciated though. Take good care.

Kate

GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY!

I am finally getting around to answering some of your questions. Connor is taking a nap and Mom is watching her favorite Lawrence Welk recording, so I have a few minutes to sneak in here and talk.

Ingrid, the rose you are referring to next to the butterfly girl statue is brand-new this year and still small but is a cutie. It's David Austin's 'Sister Elizabeth' and it reminds me of a small version of 'Marchesa Boccella'. In my garden soil, it starts out pink but changes to a lovely lilac shade. It is a petite-sized rosebush which makes it great for the border. The rose in the following photo you asked about is the hardy 'John Cabot'.
(I'm posting a closeup of 'Sr. Elizabeth' for you to show you how darling it is.)

the bustopher....You will find that 'Morning Mist' is a very large bush and needs plenty of elbow room so plan accordingly. The bloom size may get larger as the plant matures. Hummingbirds and bees love it.

Kate....If you mean the rose in the very center of the photo, then that is 'centifolia Variegata'. That is one of the first of my old roses to bloom every year and has one of the longest bloom times. It is very hardy, prolific, and lovely...but it has some nasty thorns! The blooms look good enough to eat! See for yourself in the photo below.

Thanks everybody....I treasure all your comments and your friendship.

Celeste

Sister Elizabeth (For Ingrid)......
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'Centifolia Variegata' (for Kate).....
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Celeste thank you so much for taking the time. Going to do some reading now on Centifolia Variegata. What a beauty!

Kate

Dear Celeste,

Congratulations on handsome Connor (one year younger than my littlest boy, born 5-13-09) and all the best with your busy family life. I've wanted for some time to write and tell you how much I appreciate your photos and rose observations here and over on Helpmefind. Did you know that you often enable me to roses or confirm my choices--if I look a rose up and see a photo from your garden, I know it must be a good one! Thanks for taking the time to share these beautiful photos with us.

Well Celeste I checked out the lovely Centifolia Variegata (aka Village Maid as I just learned) and now I think I have to order it. I see they have it at Rogue Valley Roses whom I have not ordered from at all this year. They also have it at Vintage but only as a custom root. Do you recall where yours came from? I just love it. Thank you.

Kate

Celeste---How wonderful to see your post----I've missed you dear friend---

I don't know how you are able to do so much --care of mother--care of grandson---grow roses and still look gorgeous---

Your post made me happy tonight---

Your roses as usual are beautiful

Thanks for taking the time to lift our spirits--BTW--How is your father doing?

Love, Florence

Celeste, Congratulations on your precious Connor. Like Florence, I marvel at how you manage everything. Your garden looks great. Is that 'Topaz Jewel' in one picture?
You are such a strong person Celeste. God bless you.
Thanks for the beautiful photos.

Carla

Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!! Your garden is totally awesome, as always. I've got serious garden envy. Just look at those lilies and roses. STUNNING!

Congratulations on your wonderful grandson, what a cutie he is. :)

And, wishing you a Happy (belated) 50th Birthday, Celeste!

XX Becky

Hi again,

Kate....I don't recall exactly which it came from many years ago....either Pickering or Hortico, but it was grafted. The funny thing is, this rose has 'self-rooted' for me a couple times, where its canes had bent down to the ground and where the cane touched the ground, it rooted.
Its very low-maintenance and gets no special treatment, yet rewards me every June with amazingly beautiful and plentiful blooms. It would be a perfect rose, except it does sport some nasty thorns, so be forewarned. In spite of them, I adore this rose and its one of my favorites.
I'm posting one more picture to convince you...lol.

Florence, thank you for your always endearing words of support & love. My dad is doing great now. He stays with my brother now but drives to his house so he can still have his amazing vegetable garden. He is turning 87 next month and still has the most LUSH garden I have ever seen! Dad is nearly hidden when he is working in his garden. You may recall a post I did about him & his garden a couple years back....well here is a picture of him the other day in this year's garden. Thanks for asking about him. He did have a bad fall awhile back and couldn't walk for awhile, but he's walking & climbing stairs again.

Good to hear from you, Carla! I have missed you. I hope
all is well in your life. Thank you for your kind words.

mille fleurs....that is so sweet of you & I appreciate your taking the time to let me know you've enjoyed my pictures. Its not easy being a cold-zone roselover!

Becky, thank you for your cheer and compliments. I always love to hear from all of my friends, and it does a heart good to know I have some wonderful rosey ones.

Thanks, All....

Celeste

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Dad, in his veggie garden....

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With a beautiful baby boy and all those roses, you live in paradise. Fantastically beautiful. Hard to believe anyone can grow such perfect flowers. Great job, Celeste.

Sherry

Celeste, you have the best looking roses! I am always happy to see you post a thread on this forum, because I know it will be a treat. Your whole garden looks great.

Congrats on the grandson! And I also thought it was a photo of mother & child, not grandmother and child :-) You look so happy.

Wow, that's quite a vegetable garden of your Dad's. Now I know where you got your green thumb.

Randy

Hello Celeste, it's good to read your post! Congratulations on your new grandson! One of the great things about babies is that they're not seasonal. He'll be going strong in January when the garden's asleep, giving you lots to do and enjoy. You're on your second round of children, of course, since you've reared your own to adulthood, and so you already know what I've been learning ever since my daughter was born: children are wonderful. My daughter is eleven and with her summer growth is nearly as tall as her father, while her appetite has surpassed mine. It's fun watching her get ready to leap into adolescence.
This year for once my once-blooming roses were really good as we had a cool spring and late summer, and could possibly stand comparison with your beauties. Your garden looks marvelous, but it always does. Thanks for the photos! Have a good fall!
Melissa

Thank you Celeste! I just found out they have a five gallon Village Maid at Rogue Valley Roses so I might have to make the trip to Oregon:) Great photo and very thoughtful of you.

Kate

Thank you, Sherry. But I'll be envying YOU in a view months when the snow flies...lol.

Randy, its SO good to hear from you! When you were away,
I really missed your presence here. I always enjoy your
input and your photos as well. Yep, I sure did inherit
my dad's love of gardening. He and I were just talking about that yesterday, laughing at ourselves and how we keep gardening in spite of pain, getting older, the deer, the woodchucks, the japanese beetles, the short growing season, etc.

Melissa, its always so refreshing to hear from you. Even though you live so far away from me, I feel like I know you. I have never been to Italy but I can only imagine how beautiful it, and your gardens, must be. Thanks.

Kate, you go girl! You go get that rose....you will love it. I am a little envious that you can drive to Rogue Valley to get it. Be careful, though. There will be other roses calling out your name while you're there...lol.

Celeste

Oh my congratulations that was nonderful!

Wow! You are one hot grandma! And the baby is cute too. Since you don't know me, I probably sound like a wierdo. Really, I'm a housewife with 3 kids. Does anyone say housewife anymore? Well, I guess I do.

Your gardens are beautiful. With your busy schedule I shouldn't ask. However, if you ever get a moment, I would love to see a full yard shot (how your gardens blend together).
Thank you,
kitty

Thanks Celeste. I am going to try and do that. What you say is SO true, last time I went I left with around 10 roses. I went there to pick up one:) Janet was really gracious. She and her staff let me run around like a tiny child putting my nose in greenhouses, asking millions of questions and just in general having sensory overload. Okay now I really have to call and make sure they have that rose. Have a great weekend.

Kate

Kitty....your remarks made me laugh! (and blush) Thanks!
I am sorry to say I don't have any full-yard shots because for one, I can't get it all in one shot since I have numerous gardens scattered all over my 1 acre yard, and the other is that I have tried to take full-garden shots in the past but they end up not looking like the garden really looks like in real life. I really need to get a better camera or more likely, learn how to take better pictures!

Kate, enjoy your trip and let me know which other roses you came back with (grin).

Celeste
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