"Tra la, it's May, the lusty month of May
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray
Tra la, it's here, that shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear."

Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, from the score of "Camelot."

My lusty, shocking, and wicked days are far behind me, but May is still my favorite month of the year in my garden. It's the month of the big rose show here. A few roses are already at the end of their first flush, but the rest are in full bloom or ready to explode into bloom sometime in the next few weeks.

The thumbnail photo for this month is Cinco de Mayo, a russet Carruth floribunda. The petals are rusty orange in the center and smoky mauve at the tips.

As I recall there is a verse that mentions throwing self control away. Hmm, I'd better not go near my favorite nursery...

Lovely monthly bloom as always!

I've got a bunch of fat buds, but nothing in the way of color. I can't wait. I haven't fertilized yet,
because my garden is in a public park and they haven't turned on the water yet. They turn it off
in early November and turn it on when they decide to. I'm at their mercy!

Love the Cinco de Mayo, Zuzu!
David

Happy May! I've got lots of buds but the only ones that have opened so far are the ones that were on new plants when they arrived.

Technically the first to bloom was Desdemona, but the weather hasn't been kind to those blooms.

Koko Loko (my 2nd) and Desmond Tutu are currently opening up.

David, you may be only 45 miles south of me, but your roses are way ahead of mine. It's been such a chilly and cloudy spring here in the lower Hudson Valley that my roses have only just begun to leaf out from their spring pruning, which I finished in March. Not a bud in sight yet.

Happy May! My first round of blooms is almost over. Here are some photos

Eden


Paul Nyron


Jude the Obscure


Scepter'd Isle


Queen of Sweden

Here is a lovely child from Smoke Rings x Cinco de Mayo. I tried my best to add it to the database. It's a mini from Bedard. Presenting:
Midnight Fire

Here's a link for it, Cindi. Please add your pretty photos to it.

Rose (Rosa 'Midnight Fire')

Mike said: David, you may be only 45 miles south of me, but your roses are way ahead of mine.

Yes, we've had beautiful green leaves for two weeks now. A few buds on the less-delicate plants are creaking open...just enough to announce what color the flower's going to be. It's exciting. I used to have a place in Montgomery (NY) and the roses in my city garden always came out well before those in the frozen north !

Oh my goodness Lynnez, how beautiful! Happy Mother's Day...

"My home it is my mother, within her heart I live. Her love is like no other, the sunshine it does give and like the spreading branches of a truly fragrant tree, my mother's heart and arms have made a perfect nest for me."
April Cornell

MargieNY said: Oh my goodness Lynnez, how beautiful! Happy Mother's Day...

"My home it is my mother, within her heart I live. Her love is like no other, the sunshine it does give and like the spreading branches of a truly fragrant tree, my mother's heart and arms have made a perfect nest for me."
April Cornell

Thank you, Margie! Thank you for sharing beautiful poem.

Happy Mother's Day

Today I finally replaced the Peace Rose that I lost years ago when we moved to a new home during the winter. Here are some photos of that rose... I hope the replacement blooms true to form. Some folks believe its color has changed a bit over the years.

Peace was always my favorite rose that my mother grew. I have not had good luck with it here.

Mike, so ironic that you posted your new Peace today. This morning, when I was out watering, I noticed that the first bloom on my Peace (bought from Roses Unlimited in 2004, and supposedly from Pat Henry's dad's original plant of it) was a very deep yellow, darker than usual, with pink edges. Just thought it was funny that mine was going deep in color, and yours is kinda light. Different zones, different conditions :-D

So nice to see all of your beautiful blooms! I'm anxiously awaiting our first flush. I managed to get 11 bushes in the ground at our new place which is only the beginning!

Peace is such a lovely rose. I had planted 3 own-root bushes at our old house but I never had any luck with them. They remained spindly with minimal blooms and didn't get taller than ~18". I would love to find a couple grafted Peace!

lovely blooms and chat. Wishing all a splendid and rosy spring. Indeed peace is a fabulous cultivar.
Speaking of poetry about roses, today I read this by William Shakespeare, it is not wicked or playful, but still its by Shakespeare:
O! How much more doth beauty beauteous seem
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem
For that sweet odor which doth in it live.

Also as many mentioned the cultivar peace, It reminded of this:
if though canst get but thither
there grows the flower of peace
the rose that cannot whither
thy fortress and thy ease.
—Henry Vaughan

Roses are slowly starting to bloom here. I guess the garden will be in full bloom next month when it gets a bit warmer.

Ink Spot



Rosie the Riveter.



Audrey Wilcox


Fourth of July


Love



Graham Thomas


Rock 'n' Roll


Florentina


Artic Blue


Desdemona


Distant Drums


Pumpkin Pie


Sexy Lexy


Tangerine Skies Arborose


Plum Perfect

Beautiful parade of blooms! But the bee steals the show.

Wow! Shyam's back. Where have you been? We've missed you.