Rosa 'St.Swithun' 12, 2026

Joseph Bonaparte, regnal name José I, was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1806, Napoleon made him King of Naples, and then King of Spain and the Indies in 1808.  Joseph Bonaparte fled Madrid on July 30, 1808, just ten days after first entering the city, because of the French defeat at the Battle of Bailén.

The Spaniards have a good memory for history and especially when it is about Napoleon’s older brother who was king of Spain. As soon as Joseph understood that Wellington was on his way he fled (to New Jersey). Since then Spaniards say “Goodbye French style” or "despedirse a la francesa".

I thought of this today when I spotted what may be the last blooms of English Rose, Rosa ‘St. Swithun’. It has a marvellous scent of myrrh. St. Swithun was an English bishop and saint and the tradition is that when his bones were moved from one church to another, it rained. My St.Swithun is predicting the obvious for Vancouver.

Thanks to my Rosemary who gently pushed me around 1991 to become interested in roses, I can practice my delight in using that most human of peculiarities which is our ability to associate disparate subjects.

My fellow members of the Vancouver Rose Society would frown on my scan as it does show a rose not at its best. At its best yes, but not with the “other” ugly blooms.