Tuesday, January 31, 2012

1 - Blooms

Roses can be wonderful, and they can be frustrating.  If I had to choose just one rose that was the best bloomer last year, you would probably be surprised at the winner.  I know I was.  That's because for a couple of years I was frustrated with this rose.  So much so, I almost got rid of it!  I'm so glad I didn't.  Because this year, it was covered with blooms nonstop.



The #1 rose for blooms for 2011 in my garden goes to Carefree Celebration.  It was spectacular in spring.  It was spectacular again in the fall.

Carefree Celebration


Why did I ever think about getting rid of this rose?  Well, it fades to a funny color.  One that didn't really appeal to me.



But this year, there were so many blooms, I didn't notice that.  At all.  All I noticed were blooms, blooms, and more blooms.



I hope it blooms that way again this year.  But even if it does, it may not be the winner again.  I have some more roses that are maturing, enough to possibly knock Carefree Celebration off her throne!

Carefree Celebration grows in zones 4b through 10, to around 4 to 5 ft high and wide, and is disease resistant.

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On another note, I have been awarded the Liebster Blog award from Wisteria and Roses.  Thank you, Bama Girl.  This award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers.  Liebster is German for 'favorite' and I was honored to have been named.  In accepting this award, I must pass it on to 5 blogs with less than 200 followers.  My favorite subject is roses, so I want to give this award to the following rose lovers:


Congratulations!



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I was also nominated for the Versatile Blogger award from Nitty Gritty Dirt Man, Graphicality-UK, Gardens Eye View, and Blogging in Myrtle Glen.  I want to thank each one of them for thinking of me.  The rules to accepting this award are:

1. Add the Versatile Blogger Award.
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
3. Share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
4. Include this set of rules.
5. Forward this award to 15 fellow bloggers, and inform them with a comment on each of their blogs.

So, here's a little bit about me:
To finish my bachelor's degree, I went to night classes and worked during the day. (#1.  I'm a hard worker.)  I first decided to major in geology, but there was not a college near me that offered that degree, so I changed to computer science.  Computer science got too time consuming, and classes for a teaching degree were only offered during the day, so I changed to math.  Then I changed it to business, because that was what everyone told me was most logical.  But business classes were not fun to me, so I changed again to Speech.  (#2.  I'm very versatile!)  (#3.  Majoring in English never entered my head.)  And finally, just when I was going to change my major again (!), I was told that because of the "sunset rule" I would begin to lose credits.  I knew I had more credits than necessary to graduate, if only they were all in one field.  So, I talked to my professor and he came up with a plan for me to graduate by taking only two more (of his) classes.  (#4.  My teachers always liked me.)  I graduated with a very liberal arts degree, which is affectionately known in our family as "The Smorgasbord Degree" (#5).  My mother always said I was stubborn (#6.  I like to think of it as determination instead.), and I guess I am because I don't know many people that go to school for 20 years for a 4 year degree.  (#7.  Maybe I'm not so smart after all.)

And here are the 15 blogs I am awarding the Versatile Blogger Award to:


Congratulations!



38 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I really was impressed with this rose this past year. I kept walking past it, admiring all the blooms. I hope it repeats its performance next year!

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  2. Hi Holley, thank you very much for nominating me for the Liebster Blog award. That is very nice of you. Since I am from Germany it is also quite a fit :-)!
    The amount of flowers on your Carefree Celebration is absolutely stunning! No wonder it was the winner in the category best bloomer in your garden. I know only one rose that comes close to that: Iceberg! It is so nice when roses are blooming their heads off!
    Christina

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    1. How interesting - I guess you knew what Liebster meant without my explanation! My Iceberg doesn't bloom as well as the ones in California - they are legendary. I'd love to see a California Iceberg rose in full bloom in person!

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  3. You made the right choice in keeping that rose--I think the faded color is pretty too. I like that you give awards within your own garden!

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    1. I am very glad I kept it. I don't usually get rid of plants, so it wasn't in much danger, but if I had been a little more hard-hearted, I would have missed its show!

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  4. Congratulations on you Liebster Award, and thank goodness you kept Carefree Celebration. Sometimes I feel plants are listening to our thoughts. I've murmured, "I am going to get rid of this plan if it doesn't well," and sure enough, the next year it blooms like crazy. Perhaps it needed a little encouragement or feedback. I know, it sounds crazy, but I've been there and surely feels right.

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    1. Maybe that's what happened - it was worried so it decided to outdo all the others! Maybe I'll start thinking threatening thoughts to all my plants! haha

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  5. Thanks Holley for the award. I'm honoured.
    I feel like a light-weight compared to you as I struggle to write one post a week, while it seems effortless for you (though I did take note that you're a #1. hard-worker ...)

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    1. Yes - #1! haha Your posts are always a bit more complicated than mine are. I guess I could have included: #8. Can rattle on and on about the garden! :) Congratulations to you.

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  6. Hi Holley,

    Thank You Very Much for nominating me..:-).....I am so happy...you made my day :-).

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    Replies
    1. That makes me very pleased. I'm so glad I did. :)

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  7. You said it all in your first sentence. Roses are frustrating in out humid climate and that keeps me from growing many that you show. I love the variety and beauty, but if the Japanese beetles are not eating them, the fungus and aphids are.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the right plant for the right place. If roses didn't do so well here, I probably would have very few. That's why I love them so - they like it here!

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  8. Thanks for the mention Holley :) I always like these thing, learning weird factoids about those I 'know' in the blogosphere!

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    1. I like learning something new about people, too. As you say, I already feel I know so many bloggers, and learning more about them just makes me feel like that even more so.

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  9. Thanks for the nomination! Accepting is a lot of work for someone like me that struggles to get a post out once ever week or two. I will have to see what I can come up with. Thanks again for thinking of me.

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    1. No pressure. There is no time limit, so no worries. I think what you have done with your garden is amazing and hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

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  10. Ha ha, they always know when you're going to get rid of them and start performing!

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    1. It seems that way, doesn't it? Do you think plants and computers are related somehow? My computer never acts up again after I call the repair service!

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  11. Holley, It was so nice of you to nominate me for the Versatile Gardener award...I am very honored! The Carefree Rose sounds like another winner. And do you know that I have ordered the cobrahead after reading your post on "Winning"? It sounds like a great tool to have around. (I learn so much from your blog...I think you would have made a wonderful teacher!)

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    1. I hope you love your Cobrahead tool! I've been using mine to put in plastic edging. It's perfect for making a line in the dirt - and it' so much easier than anything else I've tried. And that's saying a lot with the type of dirt I have!

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  12. It is reassuring, Holley, that your Carefree Celebration was slow in getting going. I've planted Rosa geranium 'Moyesii' and several Ferdinand Picard. The latter did OK-ish last year, the former less well. Obviously, I'll need to be more patient. (Your potted education history is amazing. I felt quite exhausted having read it)!

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    1. I've always heard to give a rose 3 to 5 years before making a decision. I guess that saying is true. And you think you were exhausted just reading about my education history? I was exhausted going through it! :)

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  13. Great to see the blooms, especially on such a cold and frosty morning. Reminds us that spring really isnt that far off now!

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    1. I'm sooooo anxious for spring to get here! Those pictures remind me of all I'm missing!

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  14. Congratulations on the awards....I also received a Leibster award a while back. It warmed my heart as I'm sure it did yours.

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    1. It really is nice to be recognized. Congratulations to you, too.

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  15. oh my gosh, thanks so much for thinking of me! This is a fun way to get to know more about our fellow blogger friends. you certainly are versatile, and when people call me stubborn, I tell them I'm determined and tenacious instead! ;)
    Have a great day!

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    1. Surely that stubborness (I mean determination) helps us to keep going as gardeners! Congratulations to you.

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  16. Thank you so much for this sweet award Holly! I am blushed!

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    1. I'm so glad you're happy about it. Congratulations!

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  17. I stick to mostly knockouts due to Japanese beetles..they are great bloomers too...I cannot believe you only have 200 or less followers with this great blog that let's me get my rose fix...I don't have much more than 200 and I am fine with that...congrats on the well deserved awards...

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    1. I love my knockouts, too. Thank you- that's so very sweet of you to think my blog deserves following. I appreciate it.

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  18. Thanks for the nomination! So sweet of you! Like Bluestem - I'll have to see what I can do to fulfill acceptance.

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    1. Don't worry about it, please. Just have fun with it. You don't really have to name 15 blogs, if you don't want to, or any, really! :)

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  19. Holley, as always I'm slow to the party, but thank you for the award! I'm not sure whether I'll be able to do it justice, but I sure appreciate your thinking of me!

    I could almost have plugged my sister's name into your description of your long-term Bachelor's degree, except that she started in interior design and ended up in archaeology... She sure learned a lot!

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  20. Stacy- No pressure on the award. I hope you're feeling back up to par. Your sister and I would probably get along very well. We certainly wouldn't run out of subjects to talk about! :)

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