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Little story about my late Mother in Law

(18 Posts)
Alexa Sat 06-Apr-19 10:51:55

and roses. She lived most of her life in the city without a garden and still she did love the country best. She deserved better but was good humoured about what she could not change. Her favourite rose was the large buff coloured sort. She called them "Tea roses" and explained they were the colour of milky tea and that's how they came to be called tea roses. Not the history I knew but I still prefer her version of tea roses and I like to remember her when I see that colour of rose. I have Buff Beauty in my garden and yesterday I fed Buff Beauty a gallon of liquid rose fertiliser and remembered Gran in Glasgow.

EllanVannin Sat 06-Apr-19 11:08:08

Aww that's lovely Alexa. I remember buying a rose after I lost my husband and because he'd liked whisky it had to be Arthur Bell, a yellowy/gold prolific grower. Sadly when I old the house the rose stayed put but I do intend buying another before the year's out.
I also had a couple of Caron Keating rose's too at the same house.

Roses are always the best when it comes to remembering someone as there are so many names attached to them.

EllanVannin Sat 06-Apr-19 11:08:52

* sold not old.

Gonegirl Sat 06-Apr-19 11:14:48

That's a very good explanation of the term "tea rose". I still don't, to this day, know a better one. grin

Gonegirl Sat 06-Apr-19 11:15:23

Did the grand ladies have them on their tea tables I wonder?

Anniebach Sat 06-Apr-19 11:37:34

I Always call them tea roses

DanniRae Sat 06-Apr-19 11:57:47

Thank you Alexa - I enjoyed your post. Had a bit of a difficult morning and reading that has calmed me down smile

agnurse Sat 06-Apr-19 20:44:11

I have read that they're called tea roses because their fragrance is reminiscent of tea.

Namsnanny Sun 07-Apr-19 01:01:02

I have a wonderful deep velvet red rose that grew in my MIL's garden. It has the most delicious fragrance.
Unfortunately I don't know the name of it.

After she died we transplanted it to our garden, its been through the wars but is making a good come back at the mo!!

It's impossible to not think of her when its in flower!

DanniRae…..hope your day has improved [flower] (not a rose but the next best thing!!)

CanadianGran Sun 07-Apr-19 02:03:42

That is a lovely story, and the rose brings nice memories when you see it.

Our old beagle "Rosie" has her ashes in the back garden under a white shrub rose. I'm not sure what the type is since we pulled up some roots from a house that was being demolished. It is very fragrant and very prickly. The opposite of our little Rosie...smelly and cuddly! We call it the Rosie Rose.

BradfordLass72 Sun 07-Apr-19 06:00:51

I had a wonderful mother in law as well, although she wasn't a gardener.

She used to be up at 4am, 7 days a week, to go to a local depot and load her electric cart with crates milk.

From these she would deliver bottles to the door steps of customers, in all weathers, in time for their breakfasts.
At weekends, she added all manner of requests: orange juice, bread, eggs, newspapers and so on.

There was a constant welcome to all around her big farmhouse table and although she didn't bake, in fact wasn't keen on cooking at all, there was always something to feed us with.
I miss her a lot.

crazyH Sun 07-Apr-19 11:19:10

My son (d.i.l. really) got me a yellow rose shrub, it's called 'my loving mum' ...hope it thrives xx

Starlady Sun 07-Apr-19 12:06:39

What a delightful memory of your mil, Alexa! It sounds as if you got along well, which is beautiful, too!

midgey Sun 07-Apr-19 14:26:39

Canadiangran I wonder if your pink rose is one that reminds me of my mother, Pink Grutendorst. (Or something very similar!)

Namsnanny Sun 07-Apr-19 22:20:17

Bradfordlass…..Just building a picture of your MILs life and wondering if her husband (FIL) was alive when she did the early round?
Different times.

CanadianGran Mon 08-Apr-19 06:53:38

Midgey, yes I think it is a rugosa. It is hardy and unfussy but so prickly that it is a danger!

I love to hear all the stories connecting people’s memories to plants. We also have a very impressive ‘Nellie Moser” clematis, chosen for my mother in law Nellie. We always take her photo with it when it is in bloom.

Alexa Mon 08-Apr-19 10:15:28

"Connecting people's memories to plants" Canadian Gran wrote. An oak tree self seeded itself in my garden very close to a Japanese cherry. I was going to uproot the seedling oak but my son said leave it it's an ideal place for an oak(I am blessed with a large ex-council house garden).The oak is a straight grown 30foot tree now and would make a mast for a small sailing boat if need be. When I am long gone it could be there years later even if the house and garden are developed for flats.

CanadianGran Mon 08-Apr-19 17:55:32

Alexa, that's such a nice story, and you will always think of your son when you see the tree.