For a rose hybridizer, that sudden rush of seedlings flowering for the first time is a lot like Christmas: each one a gift that nobody has ever seen before, the product of much patience and tender cultivation. Such anticipation. Except its a kind if
alternate reality Christmas where Tim Burton has made the rules: most of the presents are lumps of coal, with the occasional utilitarian pair of socks in grey or white. Nothing offensive, nothing exciting......and
so many lumps of coal. We all aim, us hybridizers, to create diamonds. Lots of 'em. But the reality is that most of what we get is dull chunks of carbon by the bushel. So be it. The diamonds do appear, if only rarely.
A couple of days ago I posted a photo of a bud of a 'Hansa' hybrid I had been anticipating. This is what I got:
A throwback to its species origin. Ah well. Perhaps it has a trick or two up its sleeve yet. After all, genetically it has an infusion on both sides of its ancestry of non-Rugosa genes. It might look like an ordinary R. rugosa, but what about its genotype? Maybe it will breed something more interesting. Maybe its not a lump of coal at all, maybe it is a sock after all: a sock with a purpose.
A throwback to its species origin. Ah well. Perhaps it has a trick or two up its sleeve yet. After all, genetically it has an infusion on both sides of its ancestry of non-Rugosa genes. It might look like an ordinary R. rugosa, but what about its genotype? Maybe it will breed something more interesting. Maybe its not a lump of coal at all, maybe it is a sock after all: a sock with a purpose.
I, like many others, am glad that you go through the effort and process to end up with those few diamonds. My garden wouldn't sparkle as much without a few of your diamonds.
ReplyDeletePaul, you ARE a poet! Such a marvelous way to state, "All I got was a rock!" I agree with the Rev...thank you for all of your diamonds and for sharing your "coal mining" efforts with us all. You go places and take chances none of the rest of us even think of. Thanks for teaching the rest of us miners vicariously through your efforts! Kim
ReplyDeleteIt's rather sad that your coal looks like my diamonds LOL Ah well... all my geese are swans :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is a diamond in the rough that will reveal its true qualities, like bloom volume, frequency, and maybe even cluster flowering once you knock a few edges off it :)
Could not have said it better Rev Scott!
ReplyDeletei have a plant that is just like that from and op seed of purple pavement
ReplyDeleteit only bloomed once and i threw it out!. but low and behold it came back this spring so i will keep it!.