Friday, March 12, 2010

Friday flowers

You'll notice that you don't see roses on here often. I'm not very fond of them - I joke with D that if he ever brings home a dozen red roses I'll know that we have to break up immediately, because they are so not me.

But frilly garden roses with actual scent and non-uniform shapes? Those get me. They are real roses, heavy with full blown, droopy petals, perfect for gathering by the armful and carrying in from the garden, treacherous with thorns and spiky dark green leaves.

garden roses, counter
{garden roses, counter}

They're hard to find (unless you are blessed with space for your own rose garden) so when I saw a small bucket of these sitting off in a corner at the farmer's market this weekend, I quickly snatched them up. I could only afford three, but the saleslady nodded knowingly, said, I'd take quality over quantity any day. We exchanged sage smiles. I left the neat bundles of roses by the dozen, buds tightly shaped, each one identical, without a second glance, clutching my precious paper wrapped trio with gnarled, thorny stems, inhaling deeply.

garden roses, trio
{garden roses, trio}

42 comments:

  1. Wow, those colors instantly put me in a much better mood. Beautiful :-)

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  2. What beautiful colors! Next time you're at a garden center see if they have Double Delight. My Mom always grew them when I was younger. It is the best smelling rose ever. Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. Just the other day I was trying to explain to someone why I really didn't like shop bought roses and loved garden roses - they didn't get it in the slightest. So glad I'm not the only one.

    PS: My husband knows it's immediate divorce if he ever gives me a dozen red roses...or even one!

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  4. Oh, you make your mama smile! What a magical find. What redolent pictures. I must remember to go bury my nose in some garden roses this very morning.

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  5. I am not a roses person either, but I think I could make an exception for these beauties. And while normally drawn to white, I can't get over the deep orange ones. Just lovely!

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  6. i couldn't agree more with meghan - i'm not a fan of traditional roses but THESE - oh my. these are magnificent.

    (and the colour?! i love that they're not red!)

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  7. Love those roses! I am not a big fan of these flowers either but the ones you feature here are stunning! Like looking at a painting!

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  8. i had never been able to put my finger on exactly what was so unappealing about roses that you'd get at the market...these are superb.

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  9. Absolutely stunning pictures! I agree - not usually into roses, but these are amazing.

    And I love the angle of your photograph. :)

    Love your blog as always- happy weekend!

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  10. i've never come across so many women who dislike traditional roses! i feel like i am among dear friends :)
    these frilly roses however are quite lovely -- and such beautiful colours.
    happy friday!

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  11. Those are beautiful, I love that first photo!

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  12. wow, I'm so with you... those are stunning.

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  13. I adore garden roses. Those colors are beautiful.

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  14. I totally agree with you on roses. I also loved your ranunculas a few weeks back (or last week?) thanks for the flowers. They're so nice to see when it's yucky outside (like it is here.)

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  15. Wow - how lovely. The color of those is ridiculous! I love them!

    xo

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  16. Those are wonderful! I feel the same way about roses. The poor things have become so cliched, but it's not their fault, I guess ;)

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  17. i know what you mean. this is reminding me to go see the roses in bloom at the botanic garden this summer. for the perfurme of real roses.

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  18. Your description was almost poem like! I was entranced!

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  19. they're lovely! Hoping I can find some this weekend!

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  20. I whole-heartedly agree.
    When I go home to my parents' house, my dad has 5 bushes lining the driveway. Each time I get in and out of the car, I have to stop. Their fragrance stops you in your tracks.
    Enjoy your garden roses + your weekend.

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  21. Those garden roses trump any arrangement from the florist!!! But I agree, the ones from the florist are so rigid and straight... I like the wild ones that bloom open like huge magnolias!!! :)

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  22. viva the non-uniform, indeed. happy friday, rachel!

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  23. I so agree. The uniform roses at supermarkets make me sad.

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  24. These are absolutely beautiful! Wow... I'd take these over "normal" roses any day!

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  25. Stunning.

    I, too, am not the biggest fan of roses. These, however, I'd be over the moon with delight to receive.

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  26. I share your feelings about cliche, florist-y roses. I love your flowers! They're so big and they burst with the authenticity that is MEANT to be seen in roses. Gardens, tea parties, summer love and . . . Oh gosh, these conjure some beautiful imagery in my brain. :o)

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  27. With you COMPLETELY. I like me some big slutty English cottage garden roses. The tight-budded sweatshop roses from South America? No thanks.

    Not that you don't have a million other books to read, but if you want an excuse to bask in the glory of the history of the rose, and then morselize every word as Michael Pollan describes tight-budded varietals as a symptom of 1950s cultural prudishness in America, you MUST read the chapter on roses in "Second Nature." Actually, you just need to read the whole thing. You probably already have. It's literary and botanical heaven.

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  28. P.S. Because you'd appreciate them and exchange sage smiles:

    http://bigbangstudio.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-roses.html

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  29. the angel of the pic is just great!!! like the roses there...

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  30. I went to Scripps College in Claremont, CA, and we had a rose garden that was specifically for students to cut flowers from - it was the loveliest thing ever. I love garden roses and miss being close to my mother's Portland garden full of 'non-uniform' flowers!

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  31. Those colors look amazing against white. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  32. I know exactly what you mean....and how you feel !

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  33. Well said! I think I know what you mean. I love roses but the English roses-I think this is their name, they look almost like Peonies-are my favorite. I also hate red roses, so I feel the same about my husband. If he brought me red roses, I think I'd just be insulted!

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  34. They are absolutely gorgeous.

    We live around the corner from a public rose garden. I think that 'public' means I can take the occasional rose home. My husband disagrees, spoilsport. We did gather up the fallen petals to dry for our confetti though. Boy did we get some funny looks that summer.

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  35. I absolutely love these photos. orange roses are my favorite and especially straight out of the garden or from a local farmers market.

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  36. I agree! Those are beautiful and very natural. My mother has her own rose garden and I love oddly shaped ones and with a wonderful aroma.

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  37. Love that color! My dad is a rose addict. If you're ever down in OC, come on by and pick as many as you like, he always has more than he'll ever bring inside and they smell uh-mah-zing. :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/4321191812/in/set-72157617173157681/

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