Greetings everyone and a warm welome to all my new subscribers this month, We have been going through a warm, dry patch here, so I have been out watering and taking it easy in the garden, keeping maximum foliage on the rose bushes to protect them from sunburn in the last weeks
of warm weather.
The Garden Bench - Rupert Bunny 1915 One of the most important Summer jobs in the garden is to find a seat in the shade, and just observe what is going on around you. You will be amazed when I show you the creatures I found sharing the garden with me, and
I didn’t even manage to take a photo of the gecko with his fancy markings, padded fingers and bulging eyes. The rose which bloomed most abundantly for me this month was Charles de Gaulle (pictured above and at the top of the newsletter). This rose was bred by Marie-Louise Meilland in France in 1966. The magenta
buds open to a warm mauve which fades to pale lilac as the bloom ages. The spicy, fruity fragrance is characteristic of many mauve roses, and I think I could identify this rose blind-folded. And there were plenty of
blooms to share with Pinkie, my ringtail possum, when I deadheaded the rose bush. The Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation, an organisation which recognises the deeds and sacrifices of all animal species, who have given their lives and their loyalty, serving alongside their human comrades, refers to the Charles de Gaulle rose as the War Animal Rose. It has been planted at some of the 33 Australian and International war animal monuments that have been established by the AWAMO, including Newtown
Park Heritage State Rose Garden in Toowoomba, Queensland, and at the war cemetery in Poziere’s in France. Other memorials can been found in New Zealand, at Kokoda in Papua New
Guinea, and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the first ever war memorial permitted in Vietnam in 50 years. Another special mauve rose that is performing well this month is a mini-flora called Gra’s Blue, bred by Graham and Diana Sargeant of Silkies Rose Farm, but I will let Graham and Diana tell you all about this special rose here. Nothing says Summer like the sound of
cicadas. Cicadas are the loudest insects in the world. There are more than 200 species in Australia, and you have to admit they have some of the best names in the insect kingdom including: Cherry Nose or Whiskey Drinker, Blue Moon, Silver Princess, Green Grocer, Yellow Monday, Masked Devil, Bagpipe Cicada, Double Drummer, Redeye, Golden Emperor, Floury Baker, Brown Bunyip, Typewriter, Tiger Princess and Sandgrinder.
Cicadas don't have mouth pieces so they can't chew on your roses. They may lay their eggs into the rose stems which doesn’t do any damage, and when the eggs hatch the cicada larvae drop to the ground and help aerate the soil. So, listen out for your new friends in the
garden. Occasionally when digging in the garden you may disturb a frog. I found this one sitting in the middle of the
path, I thought it might be injured, but it happily climbed onto my hand when I went to pick it up. I found it a nice spot to relax at the side of a pool where its markings offered it good camouflage from predators. When I returned to the pond a short while later, I could no longer see the frog, but I heard one frog call and another answering it. Please make up your own ending to the story, but I’d like to believe that one good frog deserves
another!
Kenzan or spiky frogs are lead plates
with brass needles used in Japanese floral arrangements. The word Kenzan in Japanese translates as sword mountain.
An eco-friendly, reusable support for floral arranging, please enjoy the two videos below, and if you feel inspired to create an arrangement using a floral frog, please send me a photo of your creation to
share in next month’s newsletter.
So that brings us to the end of February, and the end of another Summer. But while the days are still tinged in Summer warmth, remember to make hay while the sun shines! Until next time, love and roses,
Michelle
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My Latest Novel: Upsizing
A story of living large in later life. The soft cover book is 214 pages long and costs $20 (Australian Dollars) per copy via the button below with free shipping worldwide. Also available from online book sellers.
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My First Novel: Rose Garden Reverie
A story of transformation set in a rose garden with rose care tips throughout the seasons. The soft cover book is 110 pages long and costs $20 (Australian Dollars) per copy via the button below with free shipping worldwide. Also available from online book sellers.
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May the beauty of nature inspire you everyday
Michelle Endersby Art
www.michelleendersbyart.com
phone: 0400 473 173
[email protected]
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