Flowers in my cup? Or Rosehip Tea!

The roses did rather well this year until they were discouraged from blooming by the lack of rain. Still in early Spring, the arbors were covered with the most beautiful array of blossoms ranging from the clustered "Seven Sisters" to the huge blooms of the antique rose "New Dawn". There are probably at least ten different types of rose bushes lining the fences of the rose garden and then there are quite a few shrub roses in front of these. Today, though, they are not blooming and it is most likely as much my fault as it is the drought's. I was lenient about deadheading the old blooms. As bad as this sounds, there was a bit of method in my madness as I actually wanted the roses to go to seed. I wanted rosehips! I am in hopes of getting enough to add to a batch of herbal teas that I am experimenting with creating. I noticed that most of the purchased herbal teas have rosehips and Hibiscus flowers. (Yes..I am game to eating a few flowers! Or in this case, drinking a few!) Oh..and did you know that most Hibiscus flowers will make a tea that tastes a bit like cranberries? The blooms will make a sweeter tea than the leaves but both can be used! The whole interest in making my own herbal teas came about merely because I found that there were so many "fillers" added to the purchased brands. I read the ingredients and those that are listed are simply things in the garden! Voila! Tea in the making merely by taking a hike around the yard!

Back to the rosehips, though! When weeding the gardens, I noticed masses of the plumpest rosehips growing on several of the vines. Two in particular had more than the others and both are antique roses. This causes me to believe that the newer roses are cultivated varieties or "cultivars". These will not grow true to the seed if you try to propagate in that way. It would be far better to root stock or graft if you want to replicate one of these. My rosehips are on the "New Dawn" climbing rose and the "Yellow Elegance" shrub rose. Both of these roses were "hand-me-down" plants that I inherited as gifts. One came from my grandfather's place.."New Dawn" was one of my first loves in the floral world. Granddad had a large trellis on the west side of his house with this beautiful palest of pink rose vine. At first glance, one would assume the bloom was actually white but on closer inspection a slight blush of pink can be seen. The "Yellow Elegance" was a gift from an elderly man and lady that used to live down the road a bit. After Hurricane Katrina, they were moving since their house was demolished. The rose bushes were battered and had been under salt water but they still offered them to me. I was not sure that they would even live and I surely had no gardens ready for planting but I accepted the offer. The bushes were temporarily bedded in the only thing handy..a wheelbarrow! Now, years later, the "Yellow Elegance" has a place of honor in the rose garden and is flourishing!

Needless to say, I am elated with my crop of rosehips! I will have to wait until late Fall or early Winter to harvest them. Hopefully, no bird or critter will take a liking to rosehips for supper between now and the time they are ripe! The hips will be cleaned, dried and pulverized to blend with different flowers, leaves and spices! A few will be saved for planting just to see if a new rose can be grown from seed. If any sprout..I might need an addition to the garden!