Life is Rose-y

The dreaded news arrived with the seven o'clock weather report. "Cover your flowers tonight as the evening temperature is expected to drop well below thirty degrees." By morning all the roses will be dead, not victims of Al Gore's global warming but victims of anticipated killer seasonal changes. In previous years, in hopes of prolonging the inevitable, 800 thread count king size sheets would carefully be placed atop the rose bushes to shelter them from the cold killer frost. But not tonight.

Grabbing the pink handled Fisker scissors from the drawer, I knew what had to be done. Switching on outside lights as I moved quickly through the house, I flung open the door and lovingly gazed at them one more time, allowing myself one last look at the delicate double petals I had adored all season. A slow deep breath and their light sweet and spicy fragrance was filling me and yet calming me in anticipation of what I was about to do. Moving quickly I snipped again and again, until all that remained was greenery and thorns. While Knock-out roses are hardy, drought resistant, and double bloomers, they are not frost survivors. After trimming off extra leaves, three vases are now full of beautiful blooming aromatic roses. Life is rose-y and come next spring, the whole cycle will begin anew.

Note: Ever the optimist, several flowers were left on the rose bushes just in case the weatherman was incorrect.