I was so thrilled to see my rose bushes in bountiful bloom this year. Then I noticed that the roses all around town were looking spectacular. Everything’s coming up roses, I thought. Whatever bad weather we’ve had this past winter and spring, it sure seems the roses didn’t mind. When I first bought my knockout roses, I had trouble with pests and I struggled to find a solution. I almost gave up on them, but now I am so glad I didn’t. Rose bushes remind me of my grandmother – she had the most beautiful mound of them near a massive rock in her yard. She took such pride in her roses. It’s a nice memory that I now relive every time I look at my roses.

I hope that everything keeps coming up roses this summer. For now, I’ll stop and smell mine as much as possible.