R IS FOR?
RED!
~ as are these ruby hips of rosa rubignosa. This rose was formerly known as rosa eglanteria and is the eglantine in Shakespeare's famous lines from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream"
"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk - roses and with eglantine."
I have two of these rose plants ~ one of in the garden and one at the allotment. It will be a while before the hips appear ~ the rose has still to flower. However it has been a source of great pleasure in recent days. After weeks of dry and warm weather we finally have had some rain and in mild, damp conditions the leaves of this rose smell like ripe apples, their scent carrying through the air ~ all that's missing is the custard!
N.B. I had a rare senior moment last week regarding the sequence of the alphabet and published this in error in case some of you think that you may have read it before :) I was just about to post to ABC Wednesday when I realised. I must have a mental block about the letter Q - that's my excuse. Race over to ABC Wednesday now where you can really relish the letter R!
seriously, the only reason I don't muff what week it is copmers from writing ahead.
ReplyDeleterighteous red!
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
Red, I like it. Great shot.
ReplyDeleteand word verification shows rettous.
I remember the smell of rosehip syrup...mmmmm!
ReplyDeleteJane x
I'll take some red apples and custard.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty picture indeed!
I love being part of ABC, it enRiches my vocabulaRy. You choice of R is teRRific!
ReplyDeleteWould you mind to visit my R post, please?
What a fabulous photo, Anna. I love that color.
ReplyDeleteI love rose hips and know a lane where the wild roses grow in abundance and the hips are red and rosy in the fall, all ready for drying.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to miss any letter - Q would be the one to choose!
ReplyDeleteEsther
I'll take the apples without the custard. I still have flashbacks to my school days when custard came in all colours including pink and green, it turned me off for life.
ReplyDeleteI love that Shakespeare quote and didn't know what eglantine was before now, so thank you! Beautiful rose hips, do you make rose hip syrup? I suspect there may have been several of that type of rose in one of the estate gardens but they were all pulled out when the garden was taken over by a new (non-gardening) tenant, what a shame!
ReplyDeleteQ is so troublesome
ReplyDeleteI like that rose I want some with rosehips to go along the back fence, I wonder if it would tolerate shade
I love the hips.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of buying rosa moyesii as apparently they produce large flagon shaped hips.
I have always loved that Shakespeare quote, its so evocative.
ReplyDeleteThe fragrance of the leaves must be lovely Anna. I'm longing for the smell of fresh earth after rain - but no sign of it any time soon. I'm loving the sunshine though.
Jeanne
x
Beautiful and I love your post about Malvern Show also. Wish I could have come along - maybe next year!
ReplyDelete