Herb of the Year, 2012, The Rose and An Update About Our Friend!!

I was getting ready to go to Canada last year about this time so I think I must have missed this beautiful rose.  This is a rugosa rose called 'Alba' and for being edible it is the most delicious one I have ever had.  Roses have been around for centuries.  Shakespeare spoke of them in his plays.  I just got a book about roses appropriately called Rose (Rosa) Herb of the Year 2012 compiled and edited by Susan Belsinger and the International Herb Association.  It is mostly in black and white but it does have a section of color photos and a wealth of information about the rose.

We usually start fertilizing our roses about April 1 and end about August 1.  We usually use an organic fertilizer of some kind because as the fertilizer is taken up by the plant the majority of the fertilizer ends up in the flowers.  You don't want to be ingesting more chemicals into your body.  I always say that I probably would glow in the black light with all of the chemicals I have ingested over the years.  Another favorite rose book of mine is by Stephen Scanniello called A Year of Roses.  I should be reading this every year to refresh my memory.  It gives you good basic information month by month for major chores to be done if you have one bush or a bunch of rose bushes.

Finally, a rose book by one of my favorite contemporary herbal authors (He is alive and well and living in Missouri.), Jim Long.  He wrote How to Eat A Rose way back in 2004 and it has been revised (with color photos) and has a lot of good recipes using roses.  

 

I also want to give you very good news.  All of your thoughts and prayers have helped our friend, Deana get to her 40th birthday over the weekend.  After an exhaustive year of treatment, she is in remission!  Her numbers continue to be great.  In case you don't remember, she has been battling multiple myeloma. She has the fantastic support of her family and friends.  Happy, happy 40th dear Deana!  She celebrated with her husband on a cruise to Bermuda.  There is no one more deserving than you!

It is very rainy here.  As you can see the lemon verbena is leaping out of the ground.  We are going to be in the 30's later in the week, but it should get through that just fine.  The bucket may make a return appearance.  I'm probably going to be all over the place with posts now because topics are coming fast and furiously!  I have lost some plants in the herb garden (by force) and death so I'm going to do a quick redesign and I'll share that with you as I come up with a plan!  Hope you have had a great day.  Talk  to you later.