A Small Reward.

[leene_chan]

Oh, "Julia"..., a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

Here's floribunda rose "Julia Child"'s first flower. Isn't it lovely?

The plant still has a wee bit of blackspot, so I cut off those leaves and gave it another dose of Actinovate. It's normal for rosebushes to have a little blackspot at the end of the season, but I don't want that crap overwintering in the soil. Besides, that pouch of powder expires next May!

At least I have a beautiful, clean flower to enjoy. "Simon Estes" should also give a little something in the next few days. "Julia's" fragrance has been described as "clove," "licorice" and "strong tea." I think it smells a lot like herbaceous peony "Moonstone." Maybe green tea, with a hint of honey?