It's safe to say that I don't have the greenest thumb in the world. Last year I considered myself lucky to have gotten a few roses out of the yard before the aphids went to town on them.

Just before I left for girl's camp, I had one lonely rose on the rosebush so I cut it, brought it in and gave it a little place of honor in the round glass beaker I bought at a yard sale. The rest of the shrub was not looking so well. Parts of it had died and I figured it was time to pull it up and start over.

When I returned from camp, I went to check out how overgrown the garden was (a lot) but then I noticed the rose bush finally had a growth spurt and there were even a few other floral surprises.

So today I get to enjoy flowers around the house for free.
It's going to be a good Monday.

Vintage beaker as a vase- $2.00, yard sale
milk glass compote to hold a bloom - .25 cents, thrift shop

Rose postal

Recently I saw P. Allen Smith massacre some rose bushes.

I always dead headed and pruned them but never cut them back so drastically.

There were never many blooms. All I had were holes in leaves.

Even after setting Japanese Beetle traps, they still didn't produce.

I even gave them food. The rose bushes, or lack thereof, were planted by the previous home owners. I figured they should look a little better after 4 years but they didn't.

So I hacked them up. ALOT.

They looked like two sticks in the ground.The worst it could do was end their already miserable state, or best thing - which ever way you look at it.

We don't have a beetle problem this year so I was hoping for a rebound.

I waited and waited and then I saw P. Allen's segment

and felt better about going postal on them.

One lonely bloom was on the bush a week ago so I brought it in and gave it a spot on the windowsill. Today there were a few more so I set them where I'll see them while cooking dinner.

And after seeing so many buds in waiting, it looks like tomorrow there may be enough for a full blown centerpiece.