Roses recovering

White fungus has set in on a few branches, but the astonishing news is that the row of rosebushes that looked like a poster on "How to Identify Black Spot" has suddenly, in the past couple weeks, put out a few fresh green leaves and -- I was shocked -- real live roses. Jay had to call me out to the side yard to look at them: They're actually blooming!

"Double Delight" is the flashiest, three or four blossoms, and more of a blended bright pink than the juicy red-and-white in the catalogs so far, but its scent (though strong) is not a pure rose scent to my nose.

"Fragrant Cloud" is the best surprise -- a really rich dark coral and a really strong true rose scent. I don't know about these notes of "tangerines and oranges" that J&P rabbits on about, it smells like pure tea rose to me, which is a joy. Beautifully shaped blooms as well.

Rock-solid "Belinda's Dream" is hanging in there, "McCartney Rose" put up a feebly-colored straggler, and even the doomed "Tiffany" that I bought a replacement for is making a bid for recovery... though I should probably go ahead and move it to the hospital anyway.

Sad to say "Brigadoon," which had been doing well in the relative shade, now looks worse than the others! I will keep up the regular watering (like a coward, I've been lurking inside the fence and watering with the remote timer, not daring to go observe the suffering in person) and perhaps they could all do with some seaweed for encouragement as well.

For now, though: They're not dead yet!!