Winter provides the opportunity to dream, plan, and order your roses now for shipping at a later date. Don’t forget to budget for things like mulch, pots, potting soil, garden soil, pruners, and other garden tools you may need. In just a little over nine weeks, it will be officially Spring!
Looking for something relaxing and educational to watch? This free documentary on YouTube known as “Rose, Queen of Flowers” provides excellent information about the rose. Like me, you may learn something new!
After the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, I made sachets filled with my homegrown fragrant roses, lavender, and love. I had hoped and prayed that somehow these sachets could reach the hands of those suffering in Israel. There was just one problem: I didn’t know a soul in Israel, nor specific organizations serving those directly impacted. I’ve never even been to Israel. Nevertheless, while pondering sentiments found in Isaiah 35 and listening to the daily news of Israel, I continued to fill the sachets with every last dried petal and lavender bud I harvested in my Maryland rose garden, thinking and praying somehow they could be used for something and someone special.
Many days, many tears, and many prayers pooled while my fragrant sachets awaited purpose in a pink, floral box. Long story short, I learned that a local rabbi would be visiting Israel on a solidarity mission and would be meeting with the families of the hostages. Various donations were welcomed. A smile formed across my face as I realized this could be an answer to my heart’s cry. The rabbi graciously took the remnants of my roses in delicate sachets to Israel. We thought it fitting to deliver my homegrown sachets into the hands of the hurting so that they may be reminded of the promises of God found in Isaiah 35. The promises for the anxious to be strong, to not fear, God is coming for Israel’s eventual requital, recompense, and victory! We talked about how smells and tangible items in our hands help alleviate anxiety and how many of the victims in Israel are from gardening communities (kibbutzim). How fitting to bring them fragrant rose and lavender sachets!
According to news reports, Hamas leaders are calling for a ‘Day of Rage’ / ‘Day of Jihad’ this Shabbat on Friday, October 13, 2023, against all Jews. Authorities worldwide are providing additional security to Jewish communities and synagogues due to heightened tensions.
I photographed this hybrid tea rose known as ‘Love & Peace’ and made this graphic years ago. Indeed, may this Sabbath be full of love and peace.
Please pray for Jews worldwide.
~ Oseh Shalom – Plant Peace ~
A Garden-Themed Prayer
by C. Renee Turner
Adonai Tzva’ot (LORD of Hosts/Armies), may You uproot and forever compost antisemitism.
Adonai Tsidkenu (LORD of Righteousness), You prune us, producing and arranging fragrant, vivacious blooms of righteousness.
El Roi (The God Who Sees), nurture and repurpose precious, fallen petals.
Shekhinah (Dwelling Presence of God), plant permeating peace in all souls. May everywhere we are planted become holy ground.
El Shaddai (God Almighty), hedge Your chosen, eternal garden – Yisrael.
Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King), forgive us for the days we took for granted – Adon Olam; forgive us for missed opportunities to plant peace in one another, in Yisrael, and beyond.
Elyon (God Most High), hear us; heal us. Oseh Shalom. Plant Peace.
The below rendition of Oseh Shalom by Elana Arian plants peace within my soul.
The lyrics from Hebrew liturgy:
Oseh shalom bimromav
Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu
V’al kol Yisrael
V’imru Amen.
Translation:
He who makes peace in high places,
He will make peace for us
And for all Israel
And let us say, Amen.
Despite the oppressive August heat, along fences and trellises throughout my new garden located in Maryland 7b, three different clematis vines bloom. Next year, they, along with my roses, lavender, and other flowers, should pop with vibrant complementary colors!
Here’s a peak…
As the plants prosper and acclimate, there should be plenty of photo opportunities to capture the clematis and roses highlighting each other’s beauty like good friends or perhaps like a summer romance or eternal flame often do. 😉
Bring out the best in others! Highlight beautiful character in those planted near you. Be complementary! Be ever-blooming.
I hope you have a beautiful, ever-blooming weekend!
(Bolero is a fragrant floribunda rose nestled besides lavender)
This is a fragrant, yellow hybrid tea rose known as ‘Eternal Flame’. Soon, the bush will be tall and narrow. I suppose like a flame.
I planted this rose in my garden because the name ‘Eternal Flame’ reminds me of the eternal flame burning at the altar described in Scripture. In synagogues, the eternal flame or lamp hovers above the ark. The ark is like an ornate wooden chamber that houses Torah scrolls. What’s Torah, you ask? The first five books of the Bible. Various Scriptures also refer to Torah as the light. Also, some churches have a lamp, or eternal flame, over their altar.
Be fragrant. Be bright. Be the light.
After living on a sailboat for a few years, I thought it appropriate to plant a floribunda rose marketed as ‘Ebb Tide’. She’s only been growing a few weeks in my garden located in Maryland Zone 7b, but already she profusely blooms in clusters of evolving purple. Surrounded by mini nuggets of pine bark, her petals exude a lovely fragrance and she fends off disease with ease. ‘Ebb Tide’ is a stunning, simple choice for your garden.
Follow for more rose photography and gardening content. In the meantime, may we all choose to be ‘ever-blooming’.
Carrie Renee Turner
Throughout this glorious Spring, which recently transitioned to Summer, I have enjoyed designing a garden full of flourishing blooms at my new home in Maryland, Zone 7b. I’ve added a few flower beds that several roses call home while fuzzy lamb’s ears and purple bursts of lavender are nestled nearby. One said rose, a floribunda, known as ‘Intrigue’ boasts wine colored velvet petals. Her intriguing beauty and delightful fragrance keeps me coming back for more! She briefly displayed slight blackspot, but her foliage appears to be quite disease resistant thus far. Intrigue’s prolific blooms, stunning color, delectable fragrance, and vibrant, healthy leaves has me intrigued. This impulse, Mother’s Day purchase made at Stauffer’s Kissel nursery in York, PA has been a joy. An ever-blooming rose indeed!
–Carrie Renee Turner
