a rose is a rose is a rose

Story and photo by Lis Johnson

Funny thing about roses, you never really know what they’re going to do, at least this inexperienced gardener doesn’t. 

Years ago my husband and I tried tea roses, which are the most sulky bunch of beauties I’ve ever come across. Occasionally they would give us a gorgeous spray and then go away for a long time. 

These roses were purchased — I don’t even remember where — planted and more or less ignored and yet every year, with their leggy gnarly stems and devil make care attitude, they produce and produce, and produce again. 

There’s a lesson about life in there somewhere and I’ll leave it to you to take from it what you will. As for me, they remind me there’s beauty everywhere, even when you don’t always pay attention.