Top left, Rosa 'Betsy Sinclair', right R. 'Margaret Merril' 7 below R. 'Jaqueline du Pré' - 15 September 2021

A very obvious (to me) advantage of the 20th century over this 21st century is that you rarely then saw bad photographs of babies, dogs and cats. With social media rampant, people like that, “Why does a dog lick his …?” do so, because they, too, can. They post (now a word diminished in meaning) as is the word visit (visit the Vancouver Garbage website) mostly banal stuff with little content.

We have ambulance chasers who already have written their magnum opus in preparation for Keith Richard’s death. But I really take offence with those who “post” “My great grandmother would have been 120 years old today. I miss her, lots,” and worse still, “She would have loved my iPhone 12.”  And even worse to that, is, “Today would have been Leslie Howard’s one hundred and twenty eighth birthday. Happy birthday Leslie!”    

It is easy (but difficult these days) for me to experience the feeling, “I wonder what my Rosemary would have thought of this?” or, “What would she have thought of this rose she never saw?”                

I find it sufficient, and in some way helping me survive my grief for her death on December 9^th of last year, to scan these three roses that were in bloom today. The yellow rose is Rosa ‘Betsy Sinclair’ found in Robin Dening’s garden and named after his wife. Rosemary learned to like yellow roses. I am sure that when I see this rose and I remember her, she would have loved it. The larger but single white rose is one that Rosemary and I adored. It is Rosa ‘Jacqueline du Pré’. The other white rose, Rosa ‘Margaret Merill’, was recommended to us us by former Vancouver Rose Society President Janet Wood. It was one of our first roses.

Will I on April 19, 2022 post, “ Today would have been my Rosemary’s 78^th birthday?” Time will tell.