summer soon to be here

May closed with numerous blooming roses in Washington, DC and I took a long walk to collect a few photos of them because there is no prettier bloom on a rose than the first flush in spring. I used to grow a lot of roses and even had luck with floribunda roses in extra large terracotta pots years ago. They were so nice that some creepy guy came and took them away pot by pot over the course of a few weeks.  He dropped one and that ended the thief's interest. the first winter they all died after an ice storm deposited two inches of solid ice on them twice in one winter, very unusual weather for Washington DC. However it was all beautiful in spring and it still is where every you happen to see them. On my recent sunny afternoon walk I collected a few good photos of the neighbor's roses and the Monastery roses at the top of the hill here in Brookland. I also bought and planted a new type of rose called the care free shrub type rose for my mother on Mothers day in her yard. I steer away from roses now because of all the troubles we have with fungal infections on them in this region and the toxic spray needed to prevent those black spot and powdery mildew fungi. Since I came to Brookland I have become enchanted with the birds and bees and butterflies and fungicide kills them all. Guess they always looked best in spring before the fungi got to them anyway! Thanks to all those neighbors who have found some way to raise lovely roses; I hope none of you Brooklanders are using fungicides on your roses. I only have two in my garden they have been seen in previous posts.