Very Special Surprise

   In one section of the Small Gardens, there are quite a few rose bushes.  Even though the arbors have gone the wayside due to hurricanes, the roses have made a comeback and are doing well.  One, which was Grandmother's Rose, has outdone itself with blooms.  Granddad rooted this rose for me many years ago and he was the one that dubbed it "Grandmother's Rose". The name stuck and I will never think of it as anything but.   Grandmother always loved her flowers but never worked in the gardens.  Her "work" consisted of taking her little snips, cotton gloves and flower basket out to clip a few blooms to bring indoors.  Still, they were Grandmother's gardens.  When I stepped outside today, I was tickled to see so many blooms on the bush.  I tried counting but somehow got lost after a hundred!  Grandmother's Rose!

   There is something very endearing about that rose bush this year.  Right smack dab in the middle of the bush is a bird nest with several baby cardinals in it.  Mama Cardinal is mighty tolerant of me wandering about the gardens as I work.  Sometimes, I am only inches away from her nest but she never makes a fuss.  While it is not unusual to have a cardinal nesting in the Small Gardens, I find it heartwarming to know she chose this particular rose bush.  Northern Cardinals were Grandmother's favorite bird.  How appropriate that Mama Cardinal chose Grandmother's Rose as her home!  Maybe it was just meant to be,

  

Maybe a picket fence?

   Several times in the past, I have written about a pathetic rose bush that I bought from the local dollar store.  Once it was brought home, it was put in a large pot and I hoped for the best.  The bush has outdone itself every year since.  It is beautiful and blooms year round if I remember to trim it occasionally.  One crazy thing about me is that there are some "weeds" that I consider to be garden plants.  Wood sorrel and woods violets are two of my favorites and both just happen to have taken up residence in the same pot with the rose bush.  All three get along fine so I never found a need to get rid of any of them. The pot is filled with an assortment of colors now!  

  Early this past week, I noticed Mama and Papa Wren were scoping out the rose bush.  It was not long before a fine, tightly woven nest was nestled down in the oxalis.  Mama Wren never worried that I would be working within two feet of where she decided "home" would be.  She and I have always had a special bond.  Nothing has changed.

  Today, I noticed five beautiful eggs fitted into that tiny nest.  Mama Wren is going to have her work cut out for her again this year with her large brood.  Last year, she nested in the hanging fern three different times and each time had a nest full of young'uns.  We shall just have to see how this plays out with the predators on the hill since now she is so low to the ground.  I am pondering if I should add some fencing around the entire pot!  My sweet bird friend needs a little help now and again.  That is just what friends do.

Nestled in the Violets

   There are several plants in pots that I just have not found the place in the yard to put them.  The lemon trees from yesterday's post, five large fig trees, some quince trees and a few rose bushes need to be transplanted but finding the space, the right time and the energy to do the work is not forthcoming.  I will get to it some day.  In the meantime, the plants (trees) are all flourishing so I am assuming no harm is being done by leaving them a bit longer.  

  One of the rose bushes that still is pot-bound, is one that I picked up from the local dollar store. It was in pretty bad shape as it had been kicked around on the floor for a few days as nobody wished to by a "broken" bush.  I did.  When I got home, I stuck it in the pot and it has stayed there for a number of years.  Each year, it blooms profusely for the entire summer.  In fact, it blooms all winter.  Perhaps I should leave it in the pot.  

  I was doing a bit of weeding today and noticed that the rose bush had a bunch of wildflowers growing around the base.  Well, I could at least pull them out and move those to a better spot.  Just as I was about to pull a handful of woods violets out of the pot, a pair of wrens started fussing.  Thinking some predator was nearby, I stopped work and looked up to find the wrens.  "I" was the predator!  As soon as I pulled my hand from the pot, both wrens flew down and started work on their little nest!  I have homebuilders in my potted rose bush!

  I guess the wildflowers will stay in the pot along with the rose bush.  A mental note was made to be careful when watering the bush as I sure would not want to flood out the babies!  I do worry, however, as we are to have some terrific storms for the next three days with up to a foot of rain.  Maybe I need to put the umbrella over the rose bush!  Love my wrens!