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Hello Beautiful

June 24th, 2014

Yesterday, as we were driving down the driveway, I noticed a lovely pink flower out of the corner of my eye. When we arrived home a few hours later I walked down to inspect it. This is what I found:
wild rose 4
This is down at the edge of the woods right by the old stone foundation from the original homestead that was built on this property back in the late 1800’s. No doubt this rose, along with the lilac that blooms nearby were brought and planted by the lady of the house. I don’t know much about heirloom roses, looks like I have a new topic to read about this coming winter. If any of you have any recommendation for books on the topic be sure to let me know.
wild rose 3
wild rose 1
It’s a beautiful rose, the perfect shade of pink and very fragrant. It’s hard to believe that this plant, along with a few others, has been living here for three times as long as I have been alive or maybe even longer. Since this rose has been living in this garden for so many years I know it will be a good one to propagate. I’ll be out when it’s finished blooming taking cuttings and hoping to add more just like it throughout the gardens.  I was looking at the heirloom roses plant and it looks a lot like ‘Blush Hip’ rose.
wild rose 2
When I get plants started I’ll be sure to pot one up for my mom. She appreciates a plant with history just as much as I do. We both have plants in our gardens that came from the house she grew up in, plants she remembers being in the gardens at the house when they moved in when she was 3 or 4 years old.

Do you have any heritage plants in your garden?

6 Comments to “Hello Beautiful”
  1. Nebraska Dave on June 24, 2014 at 8:45 am

    Susy, ha, does heritage Canadian thistle count as a heritage plant? :-) I can’t say that I have any such plants in my garden that has been planted there by human hands. When I cut a branch off the Mulberry tree that hung over my garden area at Terra Nova Gardens, I counted about 80 rings until I ran into the hollow center. I estimated the tree was well over 100 years old and most likely much older. The other two branches from that stump are just as big and are still standing. Imagine the history that tree could tell me if it could talk. It’s hard to imagine that it started out as a little sprout like every tree has to do.

    One of my favorite things to do is walk around old homesteads where the house used to stand. Invariably a patch of rhubarb and another patch of asparagus will be found. Hollyhocks were a favorite of my grand parents generation and they seem to be able to regenerate themselves among the tall weeds. It fascinating to think about how a plant like your rose bush could likely live forever and bloom for many generations of humans.

    Have a great propagation day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. amy on June 24, 2014 at 9:14 am

    Susy~I have them here. They are an old old cabbage rose. They were here when we moved here along with a very large quantity of liliac and peonies. I love living in the home of a gardener who loved flowers like I do. These roses are very prolific and I have been able to propagate them here….easy peasy. Their perfume is wonderful. I have them planted in shade and sun….and they thrive. In fact they will spread rapidly if given the chance.

    Reply to amy's comment

  3. Sara on June 24, 2014 at 9:22 am

    That rose is gorgeous, what a find! We had almost zero plants here when we moved in, it was an older couple who I’m sure had simplified their yardwork over the years. But, we do have a gorgeous rhubarb planting from them which I totally appreciate :)

    It’s fun to think about what we’ll leave for the next people.

    Reply to Sara's comment

  4. Tonya on June 24, 2014 at 9:27 am

    I have a snowball bush that came from my father’s family homestead (homesteaded in the 1860’s and still in our family). My great-uncle died as a youth and was buried under the original. One of our beloved cats now rests under ours, just as he did while he was alive – he loved to lay there and “supervise” me while I gardened. I also have a peony that looks very similar to yours in the previous post that was a housewarming gift when we moved in almost 19 years ago. It came from my friend’s husband’s family farm and could be traced back 150 years at the time. Oh, if only they could tell us stories of all they’ve seen and heard!

    Reply to Tonya's comment

  5. Charlie@Seattle Trekker on June 24, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    I love plants that have a history. I have found that many of the plants from the garden of my grandmother and mother have found there way into my garden.

    Reply to Charlie@Seattle Trekker's comment

  6. Jaye Whitney on June 25, 2014 at 8:55 am

    That is one beautiful rose..

    Reply to Jaye Whitney's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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