This morning was a morning of roses.

Mostly, this morning was about deadheading. The Betty Boop and Playboy both needed serious deadheading, but all of the plants had some expired flowers.

I also cut a few and made this rose arrangement.

Among my 32 rose plants (the most recent, a Honey Dijon (a rose hybridized locally by Jim Sproul) my mother bought me last weekend), is one red rose that I have not yet identified. It’s stunning. The rose is a perfectly shaped hybrid tea (I presume) that is a rich, dark red, and sits as a single flower atop a very long stem. I’ve had a hard time photographing this flower (it’s so red) with my limited digital cameras, but here is a picture of four red roses in a vase.

Even though I’ve been unable to identify this rose (for now, I’m calling it the “One Red Rose,” because of it’s long-stem, single bloom sensibilities and in homage to The Blasters), I’ve decided to try and propagate it. I stuck four cuttings in four pots today and covered them with 3-litre cola bottles.

As for my previous propagation efforts, three of the Bakersfield Centennial roses are sprouting. The rose I’ve now identified as a Queen Elizabeth (though I’m still not sure) seems to have taken root, but no new growth yet. The Double Delight cuttings didn’t take, so I trashed those two cuttings today (I needed the pots for the One Red Rose, anyway).

Speaking of the garden, check out this picture of Festus. He’s waiting for a bird to land for a snack at the top of the wall. Even if he got so lucky, there is no way Festus could ever catch that bird. He’s the slowest, most clumsy cat I’ve ever seen. Some people might say it’s cruel to feed birds in a yard where there are cats, but Billie and I think we’re probably being more cruel to Festus. It’s the ultimate tease.

UPDATE: After a trip today to White Forest Nursery and the Kern County Rose Society show, I think I’ve identified the “One Red Rose” as “Opening Night.”