Sandy Soil Grows Beautiful Roses

But only if you fertilize them! Ha!

The Rose

by Christina Rossetti

The lily has a smooth stalk,

Will never hurt your hand;

But the rose upon her brier

Is lady of the land. 

There's sweetness in an apple tree,

And profit in the corn;

But lady of all beauty

Is a rose upon a thorn. 

When with moss and honey

She tips her bending brier,

And half unfolds her glowing heart,

She sets the world on fire.

Roses

by George Elliot

You love the roses - so do I. I wish

The sky would rain down roses, as they rain

From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?

Then all the valley would be pink and white

And soft to tread on. They would fall as light

As feathers, smelling sweet: and it would be

Like sleeping and yet waking, all at once.

The Garden Gate

by Amber A. Whitman

Open the garden gate 

Butterflies float gently on the breeze as they flutter by 

Emerald tones of grass blanket the ground. 

Rose's trail and twist on the broken trellis. 

Petals glisten and radiate rainbow blooms 

Tiny birds flit across your path 

The sun warms your face. 

This is utopia 

Open the garden gate 

ROSE PETAL BEADS

In enamel pan place one pound of red rose petals with just enough water to cover. Simmer very slowly for one hour but do not boil. Cover and let stand over night.

Repeat these steps three more times.

By the fourth day,the petals and water will have become a smooth paste. Take a small amount and roll it between your palms, forming beads 1/4 inch in diameter. Pierce each ball with a needle for stringing and let the beads dry on newspaper in a warm closet. Thread the beads onto silk thread for your necklace. The heat of your body causes the beads to give off the smell of the rose.

"I don't know whether nice people tend to grow roses or growing roses makes people nice."

~Roland A. Browne~