Paradise and Roses

When I hand-water our roses, 2 five litre cans in hand,

I walk a meditative labyrinth

– circling back to the grey water tank.

All my roses come from Ludwig's Roses Winelands branch.

Edited in September 2014

1 Pushed out of Paradise

Anna in her fuchsia gown met the Black Prince (an Old Cape rose). He was first overwhelmed by her Perfume Passion, then introduced to little Apricot. A line of 3 Anna’s Red remind me how quickly three decades pass.

Pushed out of Paradise
1 Anna's Fuchsia
2 Black Prince
3 Perfume Passion
4 Anna's Apricot

2 Autumn Fire

Papa Meilland, a traditional red velvet rose, reminds me of my father. Karoo Rose is a token of my parents’ choice to come to South Africa. Burning Sky for the African blazing sunsets we saw, when I lived in Camps Bay looking across the Atlantic Ocean. Alec’s Red – takes me back to waiting for a physics lecture, chatting about a Rousseau painting of the jungle, and how studying science returned our sense of wonder. Duftwolke, because roses should be fragrant and my other half has Swiss-German as a first language.

Autumn Fire from 'upstairs'
1 Papa Meilland
2 Karoo Rose
3 Burning Sky
4 Alec's Red
5 Duftwolke

Autumn Fire

3 Summer Gold

I begin with Casanova, because this house was once new. Tropical Sunset since that is the colour of the Tecoma cuttings I brought from the Camps Bay garden. 

Summer Gold from 'upstairs'
1 Casanova
2 Tropical sunset
3 Sheila's Perfume
4 Courvoisier

Summer Gold

4 Winter Chill

In the corner Great North stands for the roses coming from the northern hemisphere, needing life support thru our mediterranean summer. The roses draw me here for breakfast, or tea in Paradise. Pearl of Bedfordview – my belated wedding gift was a string of pearls. Baroque pearls, not smooth, not white, just barely cream.

Winter Chill from 'upstairs'
1 Great North
2 Oyster Pearl
3 L'Aimant
4 Pearl of Bedfordview

Winter Chill

5 Spring Promise

Chaim Soutine reminds me of Rosa mundi and the first time I saw roses in a garden – treated not as A Rose, but as a rose, or a Buddleja, or a Watsonia. Not a prima donna, but a member of the orchestra.

Spring Promise from 'upstairs'
1 Dainty Bess
2 Chaim Soutine
3 Spiced Coffee
4 New Zealand
5 Elizabeth of Glamis
6 Lavender Jade

Spring Promise

6 Indian Summer - sadly no rose survivors.

Indian Summer from 'upstairs'
1 Belle Époque
2 Rainbow Nation

Pictures by Jurg and Diana
words by Diana of  Elephant's Eye

- wildlife gardening in Porterville, 
near Cape Town in South Africa

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