Roses and Wreaths

The November rose blossoms are still bravely holding out at the Inn at Middletown. Amazingly, even with a wind chill of 5 degrees on Friday morning, only a few of their petals were lying in the snow.

Roses in the Rain

I know there's a lot of important business going on in town lately, but I didn't want that to distract us from one of the North End's shining moments: the annual blooming of the roses. Planting a rose near the door is part of this neighborhood's long tradition of front yard gardening, and this week (and last) are the peak of the season. The placement of most houses right up close to the street makes for a very pleasant sidewalk stroll.

I had a brief but intense baptism into the world of roses for a few weeks in the Spring of 1991, as I was trying to choose a climbing rose for the Luis Lopez Herb Garden on the corner of Green & Main. Ultimately, we went with an old-fashioned rose called Ballerina -- and due to the warm brick wall at her back, she is thriving (pictured at right). At my own home, I planted both New Dawn and a prolific raspberry-colored rose whose name I've forgotten, both of them climbing well up to the second story. But my own roses are in the backyard, and that just doesn't have the charm of a front-yard rose.

In spite of Friday morning's rain, I took several photos of North End roses, though some of my favorites have already wilted. If you'd like to see a particular photo a bit larger, just double click on it. Enjoy!


The corner of High & Liberty; on Park Place:











On Grand Street, I saw a rose grafted onto a sturdier trunk; a few houses to the West, a light purple rose that, according to the gardener, was acquired 3 years ago at the Christmas Tree Shops:













In the image at the top of this post, a Pearl Street gardener has trained a red rose to grow across Mary's breast. Here are two other gardens which put Saint Mary in the roses, one from Stowe Avenue, and the other at the corner of Bacon and Grand.










A Spring Street doorway:








A rosebush on Prospect Street, one of many North End yards that fly colorful flags:









One of the newer roses in the North End, at NEAT's community garden on the corner of Erin & High. A neighbor out walking her dog proudly told me that last year it hadn't done much, but look at it now: