Beautiful, brassy and extraordinarily tarty, she resembles Marilyn Monroe bursting out of a red dress.
Yes, this is the one!
Summer fades like old beach towels drying on a clothes line and I hadn’t even selected my annual perfect rose for 2017.
Each summer of my childhood, my mother took me to look at the roses in our municipal rose garden, which happened to one of the best in the state. Together we marched along the colourful boarders and selected our favourites. I like to continue this annual practise, it’s a great way to get to know rose varieties.
I headed for my local park where the rose beds still displayed abundant late blooms. Scores of roses held themselves with glorious confidence, many with strong clear colour while others floated in shades of soft perfection. All had elements of loveliness.
But as soon as I saw her, the one I named Marilyn Monroe, I knew she was the rose.
My perfect rose for 2017.
She has an antebellum excess, look at that scarlet shawl wrapping itself around a hot pink gown covering her subtle peach petticoats. I’m surprised Rhett Butler isn’t declaring his love.
She is Hollywood glamour amongst classic Shakespeare and I surprised myself with this selection.
Where had my taste for quiet elegance gone?
Refinement was out the door because this beauty’s lavish ‘joie de vivre’ overwhelmed me.
I was so bedazzled I didn’t catch her name, but my dear mother tells me she is ‘Double Delight’.
Below are the runners-up.
JT