Thursday 20 October 2011

Autumn roses...



The temperature has dropped, but the sky is still blue over my garden, and I've been admiring the late flowers, whilst also giving the honeysuckle a gentle trim (its blossom is long gone, and the highest branches are looking bare and spindly). Every so often, the wind whips fast, and the last petals are blown away, quicker than I can capture them on camera (which makes me wonder if one should ever try to catch a rose), but then I notice another rosebud, on the verge of opening...
So I'm not feeling as apocalyptic as Emily Dickinson, but couldn't resist the temptation to quote her poetry (again).

The name—of it—is "Autumn"—
The hue—of it—is Blood—
An Artery—upon the Hill—
A Vein—along the Road—

Great Globules—in the Alleys—
And Oh, the Shower of Stain—
When Winds—upset the Basin—
And spill the Scarlet Rain—

It sprinkles Bonnets—far below—
It gathers ruddy Pools—
Then—eddies like a Rose—away—
Upon Vermilion Wheels—

6 comments:

jaywalker said...

I guess spring and autumn are similar times in both hemispheres so yesterday I spent the afternoon pruning the floribunda rose bushes which line out front fence and to which the current never-ending rain has given a huge spurt of growth and produced a mass of buds.

At each end I have a tree rose, one deep red and the other bright orange and they are just starting to flower.

I shall look at them anew after reading Emily Dickinson's poem!

Lilacs said...

What beautiful roses. Toni Morrison said, "At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough." Glad you haven't reached that point, I hope I never will. The dark months would be hard to endure without photographs to inspire.

enid said...

or as Getrude Stein said a rose is a rose is a rose. We too have roses now and are going to a small town Wellington near us to see the annual open gardens which feature roses.

Karen, Surrey said...

No roses here, they've all gone. Just fuschias, a few cosmos and the winter flowering jasmine is about to bloom. Sedum is giving me some colour as well as the last of the perpetually flowering geraniums/perlagoniums. There's a nice jug on the table though filled with hips, berries and sedum - warming, cheerful and very autumnal.

enid said...

What about the World War 1 song The Roses of Picardie !!!!!!

lyn said...

It's spring here & my new rose garden (planted in June) is about to blossom. Lots of buds & it's been warm & rainy so I'm hoping to see some roses this week. Lovely photos & wonderful Emily.