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Wednesday, July 09, 2014

His Caravan Of Red

From top left clockwise - Rosa 'Souvenir du Docteur Jamain', R. 'L.D. Braithwaite', R. 'Munstead Wood', R. 'Blaze'


122
Emily Dickinson

A something in a summer’s Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer’s noon —
A depth — an Azure — a perfume —
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer’s night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see —

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle — shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me —

The wizard fingers never rest —
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed —

Still rears the East her amber Flag —
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red —

So looking on — the night — the morn
Conclude the wonder gay —
And I meet, coming thro’ the dews
Another summer’s Day!

These four roses are red. But red roses come in many shades. Some are only red at their peak. Gallicas, in particular and many of the English Roses (there are two here, Munstead Wood & L.D. Braithwaite) turn to wonderful shades of purple and sometimes to an almost metallic gray. When we first came to our present home in 1986 there was a very large spread of the only commonly red climbing rose at the time. This was Rosa 'Blaze' Through the years she has waned and sometimes all but disappeared. This year she is back and even though I don't find her particularly attractive or fragrant she is faithful to her colour until the bitter end when purple, just a small shade of it sets in. Rosa 'Souvenir du Doctor Jamaine' is a hybrid perpetual. These were roses that bloomed once and then came back in the fall. They were popular from 1837 for 60 years. Doctor Jamaine is very dark red and as he ages he goes almost black. The fragrance is sweet and very strong.