Sentimental reasons are the best reasons, to my mind.

What a wonderful thread and what wonderful stories. Anna-Lyssa, your father is a treasure! What a gift to grow this piece of his spirit in your garden, and how fitting the rose is the HM Prosperity.

Kim, thank you for sharing your beautiful stories! I teared up and I smiled as I read your narrative.

I may have mentioned on the forum that the last few years have been some of my most blessed (the adoption of my daughter and our growing relationship) as well as some of the hardest in my lifetime. I've lost 90% of my family of origin since 2012, and each member was very, very dear and irreplaceable to my heart.

Anna-Lyssa, like you, I grow plants that represent close members of my family. Years ago, my mother gave me a start of her Zepherine Drouhin, (which I had started at my last garden and to sent her), blue irises and double orange daylilies (which had been passed down from my paternal grandmother). They are my connection to Mom's garden. I also bought a Red Pinocchio because she grew one.

My aunt's favorite rose was Nearly Wild. She unsuccessfully tried for years to root a cutting and finally sent me one from ARE. Also, before she passed away, she sent me a birthday check. I bought Botzaris which was nearly killed by squirrels three times! I nurtured that tiny plant while I flew back and forth to TX to care for my aunt even as I held up a quarter of a school and parented my infant daughter.

Combining birthday checks from my mother and aunt, I bought 2 vintage daylilies to add to Franz Hals that my aunt sent me years ago. The daylilies also remind me of my paternal grandmother who walked through her garden with me from age four on up and taught me how to cross pollinate daylilies. I used to ask to do a garden walk every time I visited with my grandmother and then my aunt until they were both gone.

My maternal grandmother loved mock oranges, so I have planted 5! My maternal grandfather loved roses, and I grow those aplenty. Someday, I'll plant a Tropicana because he grew it and passed a cutting to my mother. I grew up with Tropicana in my mother's garden (and Peace and Mr, Lincoln, which I also grow). When my parents and aunt came to Portland, I took them to Heirloom Roses, and my dad asked to see the only rose whose name he knew, Tropicana.

I grow a magnolia for my paternal grandmother who was a painter and pastel artist. I have 3 of her southern magnolia/Magnolia grandiflora paintings. I grow Rocky Mountain columbines for my paternal grandfather who was a nature photographer and loved Colorado and its wild flowers.

I have my mother's milk glass rose vase and my maternal grandmother's silver rose bowl and my aunt's plain white ceramic vase.

Anna-Lyssa, thank you for starting this lovely thread! I look forward to reading everyone's stories. Carol

Certainly. Mine are mid 20th century HTs which were here when we moved in - planted by my DH's grandfather. They were all in deep shade by the time I rescued them. I was able to root Peace just as it was dying, and planted it in the garden, and it is doing fine.

The other three, 'Chrysler Imperial', 'Duet' and 'Sutter's Gold' are all rust and blackspot magnets, so I put them in large pots in full sun on the patio, where I can spray them without getting the horrible spray all over. They are the only HTs we have in the garden - other 100+ roses are all better suited here, and none of them get rust. Some get BS or damask crud in the Spring, but not other wise.

Oh, we do have other "sentimental" roses in the garden, but that's not why I keep them, unlike the HTs. I keep them because they are fabulous roses. They are several way older tea roses which were planted by my DH's great grandfather, and they all have clean foliage and are still growing where he put them (a couple died of old -100+ years - age, but the rooted cuttings are happy). They are Le Vesuve, Duchesse de Brabant, a huge variety of the shrub Cecile Brunner, and Anna Olivier. Oh, also some non-tea roses: the once blooming Cl American Beauty, which was growing in 3 different places when we moved in, Awakening, Dawson's Apple Blossom, Hume's Blush tea scented china, & Eugene de Beauharnais.

I won't even mention the 2 dozen roses we still have growing which were planted by my DH's father....

Jackie

My paternal grandmother's name is Charlotte. After her passing about 3 years ago, I planted a shrub of Austin's Charlotte in my parent's garden in her memory. It's probably the only rose there that my dad can identify.

Conveniently, yellow roses were her favorite and it has performed admirably thus far. While several younger roses succumbed to the drought in their yard last year, Charlotte persisted and is thriving .

Suddenly this past Friday night, my father had be taken to the ER for unusual and intense head pains that turned out to be due to a type of brain hemorrhage. Very very fortunately, the prognoses have all been very positive. He is in good spirits and condition while being observed in the hospital for another week with no signs of cognitive or physical impairment. Yesterday I stopped by my parent's home and was able to cut a bloom of Charlotte to bring him on Mother's Day. It's hard to describe, but it meant quite a lot to us all to be able to appreciate Charlotte - in every sense - with the whole family together in such a difficult moment.

As far as roses and my father, he has brought home a rose for my mom every Friday for over 38 years now. Going with him to pick one out is likely my earliest exposure to them. On Friday afternoon my dad went out and got my mom a rose despite the intense pain he was experiencing. I'll be picking one up on his behalf this Friday while he's still in the hospital.

I think Charlotte is a beautiful rose.

ArbutusOmnedo, that was such a lovely story. May your parents have many more happy years together.

Cath

My heartiest best wishes to you and your parents,ArbutusO.

Thanks so much for all these stories!!!! So wonderful that our roses and other plants can remind us so much of the important people in our lives.....

Thanks for the kind wishes everyone! It looks as though my dad will be more than capable of picking out a cut rose for many Fridays to come. Our family has been blessed by phenomenal care and simple luck.

Sequoia Greenfield---She was my friend-and neighbor on Greenfield Ranch for years---I burst into tears when I found the rose at the Celebration of Old Roses a few years ago---and its a *Great* Rose!

I have taken a cutting, to plant in Her garden

Arbutus, I'm so relieved to hear that your father is recovering and that your parents will share many more roses! Carol