Winter

Winter

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Joseph's Coat?

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Years ago my girlfriends Gloria and Erika and I were at a nursery in Woodland on a quest of Gloria's, if memory serves me, for a special plant the species of which I can't remember. Not being monitarily flush at the time, I hadn't planned to make any purchases, but was there to be with my friends and enjoy being surrounded by some else's plants. Walking into the "sick bay" (did you know that most nurseries have these?), I spied a very sickly-looking rose in a one-gallon pot, obviously struggling to survive. One small flower had bloomed amid the almost leafless canes. There was no price tag attached, nor a name. I took it to the sales counter, was told I could take it home for $5 and that it was probably a Joseph's Coat, but they couldn't be sure.

That was 15 years ago. I first planted it in my Winters garden, then brought it with me when we moved up here. It grows 7 to 8 feet tall, is always rather leggy, gets blackspot every summer, and puts out glowing, firey orange and yellow blossoms. And it always reminds me of Gloria.

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