I may have 40, mostly old roses in my garden. In our Kerrisdale garden we had 85. Some died. Some were taken by enthusiastic gardeners. Some of the hardy Gallicas went to my daughter Ale who lives in dessert cold and dessert heat Lillooet.

But since 2002 I have scanned all the roses we ever had or have and many of Rosemary’s perennials. These high resolution scans are safely backed up.

How do I feel about these long gone roses?  I believe I feel the same sense of loss as I do of my dead friends and relatives. Of my friend and relatives I retain memories that are reinforced by photographs.

In the parlance of this digital century, photographers capture their images with their cameras. Have I in some way captured a tad of the uniqueness and essence of my roses?

The rose here  (not a scan but a photograph) came from a Langley friend with no confirmed name to it. Because of its look I named it (for myself) Rosa ‘Blowsy’. I have no idea if Blowsy is in our old garden. But I look at these images and I must smile on a cloudy February 18 as we get ready for our trip to Italy.

Because I like to associate stuff I immediately did so with Blowsy and my friend (have no idea where she is now) Salem.