“What’s Going On?”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
Today was a fairly nice day, weather wise. A dry front moved through, and early this morning the air felt cooler than normal. It still was hot, but the humidity was down so that made the air a little more bearable. Too bad I had to go to work and couldn’t do a little garden work. I have been working late every day this week, so I could use some garden time.
This afternoon after yoga class, I went for a walk around the garden. Since I really didn’t have a chance yesterday to really check out things, I paid close attention to everything. When I walked by the Fairy Rose bush, I was surprised to see a new rose on one of the bushes was blooming white. Now these roses will fade to a very pale pink as they age, but this was a new rose. How strange is that. Here is a photo of this white rose.
Here is a photo of a normal pink one with the white one in the back – both on the same bush.
I know that plants can often have a branch show up that is a throw back to the parent plants, but I looked up The Fairy’s lineage to four generations back, and none were white. Strange, huh?
Another surprise that awaited me in the garden, but by now it was too dark to take a photo. For years I have had some red shot canna growing in the side yard. I even remember it blooming once several years ago. It has grown well, but hasn’t bloomed in years. I figured it was not getting enough sun now to bloom. Well, this evening I walk by and smell that heavenly aroma of butterfly ginger. That’s right. The canna is ginger! Now, I do not remember planting butterfly ginger there, though it is possible. And, maybe the canna died, and I just didn’t realize it. But, now I realize, I do not have any of the red shot canna from my mother anymore.
I just don’t know what’s going on anymore.
Always Growing 
perennialgardenlover said,
August 14, 2008 at 8:39 pm
It’s hard to keep in touch with the garden when you’re busy. That is really odd about the white Fairy rose. Hmmm….Can’t wait to see a picture of the Ginger.
Anna said,
August 14, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Very odd indeed. It must have been a bit upsetting and I’m sorry especially to discover you lost some heritage plants. I could only guess at why your rose is pink and white. Did another variety ever grow there and parts of that plant were left behind? Even if a small wild rose had grown at one time, it could have grafted itself in to the mature plant roots. Just a guess.
Jan said,
August 15, 2008 at 4:31 am
What’s nice about the ginger is having that wonderful aroma in the side garden now.
No, Anna, that rose is growing in a new container, and the white rose is on an off shoot of a branch that has pink roses on other off shoots. I am sure that somewhere there must be a white rose ancestor.
Brenda Kula said,
August 15, 2008 at 9:56 am
Oh, Jan, I’d so love that ginger aroma! I have a crepe myrtal that blooms two colors. Looks so strange! If we aren’t walking around the garden just one day, no telling what we miss out on!
Brenda
Alexandra said,
August 15, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I know how you feel about not getting to spend time in the garden. Mine is still sitting unfinished up front. My hubby tried to do a little last week, but the tools and buckets are still sitting out front. 😉
Jan said,
August 15, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Brenda, I agree that we have to visit our gardens daily in order not to miss anything. It is amazing sometimes how much can happen in one day esp. with those plants with flowers that last only a short time. I missed two night blooming cereus flowers last night. I have never seen a crepe myrtle bloom two colors though it is common in azaleas.
Alexandra, you have a good reason why your garden is unfinished. When you are feeling better, I’m sure you will out there making things just like you want them.