Rosa 'Olivier Roellinger' 11 September 2021

Busqué en el internet información sobre el nombre de mi mujer. La conocí con su nombre en inglés, Rosemary. Nunca use el nombre en castellano Rosa María. Por otro lado mis amigos latinos la llamaban Rose Marie quizá por la antigua película musical Rose Marie del 1936 con su tema canadiense.

Esto me resultó gracioso y conmovedor: Instituto de Historia Familiar

Rosa María es encantadora y pasional. Coqueta que echiza y huye para preservar su independencia, lo que la hace dueña de sí misma, pero en general, poco feliz. Si llega al matrimonio será esposa diligente y entregada. Posee un gran instinto maternal.

Todos los días ahora que se nos viene el otoño en Vancouver aún florecen mis rosas. Una de ellas, Rosa ‘Olivier Roellinger’ es una rosa que Rosemary compró en octubre, dos meses y pico, ántes de morir el  9 de diciembre. El rosal y otros dos me llegaron a la puerta en febrero. El rosal, y esta linda flor para mí es un recuerdo directo de Rosemary. Es un recuerdo y regalo póstumo y veo en la flor la presencia de mi Rosa María.

18 August 2021

Clematis heracleifolia davidiana 9 September 2021

Clematis heracleifolia davidiana

A semi-herbaceous perennial with strong stems that mature into a clump. The lightly scented, clear lavender-blue, hyacinth like, 1.5″ (3.5cm) flowers, are produced in late July through September. Mature height 3′ (1m).

The genus name Clematis is from Ancient Greek clématis, ("a climbing plant") from κλῆμα klema – 'twig, sprout, tendril'. Over 250 species and cultivars are known, often named for their originators or particular characteristics. 

My Rosemary was singularly responsible for not only making me a gardener but also a serious one. It was in the garden where in small way I got away from my obsessional interest in portraiture. But in the end I took many portraits of our family including our two granddaughters in our garden.

We became so serious that our interest in plants focused on using the proper botanical nomenclature. It was Rosemary who nudged me away from hostas into other plants like hardy geraniums, roses and all kinds of plants I had never heard of. 

Clematis 'Taiga' &  Hosta 'El Niño' 21 June 2021

Rosemary also brought into our life her acumen for financial matters. Now at my age of 79, finances are not a worry in the least. Our two daughters, if I were to die today, would not have to be concerned about where their next buck would come from.

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I have to admit here that while I was very good in mathematics (even calculus) in my past, compound interest and everything else related to banking is beyond my understanding.

And then there are Rosemary’s clematis (to be pronounced because the origin of the word is from the Greek “klém –ahtis” and another word from the Greek that which women have that we men do not have should follow in the same pronunciation) which to me are as complex to understand as banking.

The climbing clematis has to be pruned according to which class its from. I think there are 3. Some in particular like Clematis montana if not pruned regularly can bring down your house. I would assert that this clematis is an honorary bamboo/wisteria.

Rosemary in 2020 had the idea of planting non-invasive clematis with our potted roses. Eventually I will have to figure out how to prune them as I try to figure out my banking statements.

But there is one small relief. There is a class of clematis called herbaceous clematis that does not climb. You do not have to prune them and you treat them like any other perennial.

I have waited all summer to finally scan today Clematis heracleifolia davidiana. I have yet to confirm what the correct name of this clematis is. I have seen:

Clematis heracleifolia davidiana

Clemats heracleifolia var davidiana

Clematis heracleifolia ‘Davidiana’

In any case every time I look at a climbing clematis or a herbaceous one in my garden I can imagine Rosemary doing her banking with her iPhone 7.

Is there anything around me that does not remind me of her? No.

Rosa 'Buttercup' & Salvia patens - 6 September 2021

Grief, I now understand comes in many levels.  

My mother  was 59 when she died in 1972. Rosemary was there with me when she breathed in and did not exhale. The only doctor in our neighbourhood of Arboledas, Estado de México, was a veterinarian. He tried to soften the blow by saying (using a diminutive), “Está muertita.”

I have had 49 years for my grief to dissipate. That my mother died in the presence of my wife was one of the many important experiences that we shared. Rosemary loved my mother.

Now with the death of Rosemary on December 9 I have had almost 10 months of a terrible time and I know I will not have 49 more years to perhaps lessen my grief.

With all this happening I had one moment of lucidity today. I have a nephew (I adore him) who is two years younger than my 79. His name is Georgito O’Reilly. He lives in Buenos Aires. When he was 13 his mother, my first cousin and godmother, was widowed. Georgito had two younger brothers and a sister. He had to quit school and got a job as an office courier at Remington Rand when he was15. For the rest of his life he was plagued by lots of bad luck. His wife had a brain aneurism 10 years ago. Then in the span of three years, a couple of years ago, he lost his mother, two brothers and a son.

I cannot begin to understand how he navigates his grief. It does not make me feel better but I do consider now that grief has levels of intensity.

I cannot leave this blog with this melancholic negativity. The scan here is about plants I have often written about. When we started gardening in 1986 Rosemary only wanted plants that had either blue or white flowers. But slowly she developed an appreciation of yellows.

The Blue & the Yellow

Rosa ‘Buttercup’is an English Rose.When she saw the rose at a local nursery she immediately had to buy it. The blue Salvia patens was always a favourite of hers. With the garden in decline, today 6 September 2021, a sunny day, somehow seeing these two bright beacons of Rosemary’s taste for the good things, made me smile.