It is well, and truly Spring now, can you hardly believe it?! I can't. Winter did a number on me this year, I can not lie. Typically, I look forward to the cold, darker months. I really enjoy curling up with novels of the American Gothic variety, or I'll take all the time stuck indoors as an opportunity to tear my kitchen apart and reorganize things that got ignored during all those months when the sun was shining - instead of Spring cleaning, I'm a big Fall cleaner. Around the end of September I like to wrap up my outdoor projects, and turn my focus on the interior of my home, and get it ready to embrace and comfort me for the next several months. I didn't do any of that last year. A few posts ago I already mentioned how pretty much my entire year last year did not go to plan at all, and for the most part I was okay-ish rolling with the punches, but by October the wheels really fell off, and it was really ... something. I honestly haven't had a year like 2021 in over a decade, and I'm really hoping I'm good for another ten years!
One bright spot in 2021 was discovering this absolute gem of a rose shop out of Brenham, Texas: The Antique Rose Emporium.
You've gotta get a load of this place! You might be asking, what's the big deal anyway, all these places are the same. No. They're really not all the same. At first glance, I could understand why a person would think that, I'm sure I probably thought that as well at first click, but then I dug a little deeper. Y'all these folks are straight up Rose Nerds, and I love it! They're experts in rare, and obscure specimens, and down right ancient varieties, made even cooler by the fact that you can shop by year of entry. Exibit A: Sweet Briar Rose introduced prior to 1551.
"... a favorite English native that has been recorded in literature from Chaucer to Shakespeare."
**Swoon**
You get a free mini-history lesson all while browsing gorgeous blooms! What is there to not like about that, my fellow geeks? I'll tell you. Not a damn thing! What's even more incredible is that the plants are sold in gallon pots for a solid third of the price other places are asking for the same bushes. I was stunned when my boxes arrived ... I honestly expected little 2 - 4 inch pots for 20 bucks a piece. No, Ma'am. Full, baby shrubs showed up ready to be popped into the ground and strut their stuff this year, not some sad looking twig in a peat pot. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN AT THE WHOLESALE PRICE! Granted, they had to scrap the wholesale program this year because their inventory has been severely impacted by several factors converging at once, but I can imagine when it is up and running, it will absolutely melt my mind.
After everything that went wrong last year, it's been a real treat to have my order from The Antique Rose Emporium arrive healthy, undamaged, and ready to rumble in the garden. If you're looking for roses to put in your garden, I hope you'll give them a try, my only regret is that it took me so long to find out about this place!
xoxo
