Snowfire is beautiful - but beware of thorns! "There is no rose without a thorn, but many a thorn without a rose."   That's a quote from Alfred Schopenhauer, who was a philosopher, not a gardener. I know what it means - be thankful for what you have, focus on the good in everything. But after pruning all my roses, I'm inclined to say, "A curse on roses and all their wicked thorns!"   I have 35 roses, a modest number for a flower farmer but a respectable sum for a city garden.

Scotney Castle, in bloom in May of 2025 In late May we spent nine days in England – nine days that gave me enough ideas for several...

I don’t much care for roses in subdued neutral colors like beige, mocha, tan, ecru, buff and sand. I know they’ve been in vogue for...

I wish I could tell you there was one perfect rose that combines beauty, fragrance, vase life, health and vigor all in one gorgeous...

There was a period in my gardening life when I looked at books and catalogs and lusted after ALL the roses. I was seduced by the...

The painting above just went to Gallery 24 in Los Gatos. I painted it from real roses in my garden - a variety called Hot Cocoa. I...