I hate cutting my roses since I can see the rose bed from the house and they look so lovely out there, blooming for me and any passers-by. But I had to pick them ahead of the big rain.

Garden roses in bouquets, with late lavender and smoke bush leaves

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Yesterday I picked all the open roses ahead of the big rain expected tonight. When I cut roses I always bring a clean bucket with a couple of inches of water into the rosebed. As soon as I cut a stem I put it in the water so it doesn’t dry and seal up. Then right before arranging I cut the stems again while each stem is in a bowl of water in the sink, at a deep slant. It really helps them last longer in the bouquet. I love my roses.

Full blown garden roses, ready for a bouquet

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We got maybe a tenth of an inch of rain, more than the entire summer here in Seattle! But a big rain is coming in a couple of days, thank goodness, maybe two inches over a few days. The garden is so thirsty. If you grow roses, pick them and enjoy a bouquet if a big rain is coming. No sense in letting them get ruined and go to waste.

Water droplets on the petals of a half-open Peace rose in my garden

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Rose gardeners PSA: If it’s going to rain big, go out there and cut your opened roses for bouquets. They’ll just get ruined if you leave them out there.

Rain is coming. Might as well cut roses and bring inside.

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The ‘Julia Child’ rose bush (own root!) is the star of my rose garden. Only a few years old, she is in her second full bloom this season right now. As the petals fade to cream, sometimes edged in pink, they do fall off quite easily, but are so very beautiful that I try to leave them as long as I can so as not to make a mess below.

The butter-yellow flowers fade to cream as the blossoms open fully

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My friend Cindy has the most incredible flowers. These were in flower boxes on her deck last month.

Purple petunias and other annual flowers on a summertime deck

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We are growing golden raspberries along with the red ones. They are even sweeter and more delicate.

Translucent golden raspberries

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Happy Solstice! Here’s a portrait of sunshine. I planted this ‘Julia Child’ David Austin rosebush three years ago, maybe four. It’s on its own roots. I have never seen such a vigorous, floriferous rose. The Carding Mill I bought at the same time is less than one quarter the size. The only tiny complaint I have is that the flowers lose their exquisite, pale yellow petals very quickly after the roses are fully open.

Only a few years old, this Julia Child rosebush is the star of the bed

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For some reason, our honeysuckle is loaded with blossoms this year. This plant is from a cutting I took several years ago from an unoccupied home’s yard. The plant was thriving in shade and clearly had not been watered in forever. Mine is planted on the north side of my house, but I find that it does seem to need regular watering. The scent at night wafting up to the windows is amazing.

Pink buds on this honeysuckle open to yellow, very fragrant flowers

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The Peace rose is among the first to bloom in my rose garden. So pretty after a bit of rain.

The Peace rose is a yellow rose with deep pink edges, and a very vigorous rose bush

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A recent gift of tulips and peony buds opened.

Colorful peonies and a tulip

Connecting on Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Floral Friday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and All Seasons Sunday1. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

Almost but not quite Spring; just a few more days until the calendar tells us it’s official. My forsythia is getting ready.

Old-fashioned yellow forsythia blooms in earliest Spring in my garden

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