We went to get our Christmas tree this past weekend but before we left we got a two-inch blast of snow that left a clear coat of white over the garden and the rest of the yard. So before the snow arrived I took one last tour of the garden to see if there had been any tasks that had been missed. The hoop houses were secure, holes in the fence repaired, the leaves all raked, the garlic and strawberries bedded under a blanket of straw and the roses mulched.
As I passed a few of the rose bushes I noticed that a pair of tiny pink and a bunch of red roses were confused and making a display for insects that had long since left the garden. So with my trusty Felcos I cut them and brought them in for my wife who has been enjoying them with her meals as a reminder of what to hope for in the warmer months ahead.
The pink roses were almost spent but the red rose had a fat and ripening bud that has not disappointed us over the last few days as it has swelled and should reach a full display later this week. It is these small miracles that give us solace and an expectation that this season of impending darkness and chill is but a respite for the warmer, more lighted days and months ahead.
A few years ago I planted a trio of hellebores or Christmas roses as they are more commonly known. I had hoped that they would live up to their promise of exotic and bountiful blooms in the snow during the late winter. Unfortunately I have not had that type of luck with them though last year one gave up flowers in late April.
After my harvest of roses I checked the base of these perennials and noticed that all had fat little buds embedded in the ground looking as if they were ready to bloom. They are now covered with a veneer of snow though parts of their variegated leaves are pushing through. Perhaps this will be my year.
