I love this time of year….azaleas blooming, filling flower beds with impatiens and perriwinkles, but my favorite thing in the spring is a gift from my husband.  He plants roses for me.

 In fact, Ron has planted a rose bush for me  every place we have ever lived - including outside the window of my dorm room in college!  Now, for those of you who have lived in the same place for many years this wouldn’t seem like a big deal, but we have moved MANY times.  I have great pictures of the places and the roses. This month Ron planted them for me at our home in Olive Branch, Mississippi.  We have our favorites, Mr. Lincoln, Noel Coward, Queen Elizabeth, Heritage Season, and Wild Rose.

We were married on June 1, 1969, and for the first year of our marriage he gave me a single rose on the first day of each month.  He also writes beautiful poetry and I have no doubt that of the two of us he is the real romantic. 

Watching the buds come on the rose bushes and then opening to their full beauty is a metaphor for our lives together.  Young love, budding and blooming, growing even in thorny times, weathering “black spot” seasons then continuing to bloom and grow, multiplying blooms every season…

 I am very grateful for a husband that tends my gardens - the rose garden, and the garden in my heart!