Roses Posies and Westies, Candylei

We've been under layers of snow and ice, but we are not dampened on planning the new gardens. (I do feel so bad for the 30,000 plus who were out of electricity here in Maryland and Virginia when the temp was in the teens which it still is.) I give up counting the times I have slipped and fell walking around outside. We live on rolling hills. There isn't any "flat" ground here. It rolls one way or another.

I heard on the radio that if you didn't remove the ice off the top of your vehicle the police would give you an $80. fine. 81, the freeway all the truckers are forever racing on, was closed for 2 days because of ice.

So, you stay inside and look at the gardening catalogs that have been nicely delivered to your door. I am so falling in love with roses all over again. I never fell out of love, but to look at the pictures and read the descriptions. The old-fashioned roses that are so crinkled and fragrant! They may only bloom once, but it so spectacular. You run your own perfumery for a few weeks at a time. This is living on love. Everyone is drawn to it, just like the perfume counters at fine department stores....lifting one rose to their nose after another to find the best of the best fragrances.

I like the english david austin roses, too. They are more delicate and smaller in stature, but carry some great fragrances, as well. They are continuous bloomers. I have 12 of one variety, graham thomas, and it is the softest apricot yellow. Mix this with a purple cranesbill or smokey fuschia and it is stunning. No need to go to England, we're bringing England to our house and so can you.

Westie puppies and dogs are dancing around in roses in my new paintings now. How could the two be separated when I love them both equally. I can't navigate around in our dormant, icy rose garden so I will paint myself one. One that is alive with colors and more beautiful than my own.

Roses and orchids were my gifts for Valentines.