A Rose by Any Other Name, Still Wouldn't Smell

I once made the mistake of saying that I would not purchase a rose bush if the rosees did not have a fragrance. Was I ever ignorant. After educating myself a little bit about roses, I learned that there are beautiful roses available on the market that are recently developed (last several decades), but lack a fragrance. For example, I have a Blushing Knockout Rose and a Rainbow Knockout Rose, in which both rose bushes lack a fragrance.

It's not that rose breeders intend to create a rose that would not have a fragrance (seriously, who would intentionally breed a non-fragrant rose for commerical purposes). It's just that in trying to create a rose that would be disease resistant (e.g. powdery mildew, blackspot), would flower continuously throughout the summer (it's hard to believe that roses only flowered once), and/or be hardy to colder climates, the fragrance is unintentionally bred out. For those who live in warmer climates, there is a variety of fragrant roses to chose from, which I think is a luxury. However, I think those living in colder climates don't have that luxury. As I mentioned before, unless one is willing to "tip" one's roses every fall (and I will admit that I am too lazy to tip), then one is forced to choose a rose bush that is still beautiful but lacks a fragrance, or keep on purchasing new rose bushes every spring.

Pita Pizzas

A good friend, who is of Greek heritage, taught me to make pita pizzas. I don't know why I've never thought of it. Seriously, I've turned bagels and slices of bread into pizza, so why not pitas. Pita pizzas are sooooo YUMMY. When I'm in the mood for something quick, tasty, and comforting, I make myself a pita pizza.

Recipe for 1 pita pizza (serves 1)

1 pita

1 slice of provolone cheese (1 1/2 slices if you want it to be cheesy)

Several sun dried tomatoes in oil

Marinated artichoke hearts

Strips of roasted red bell pepper

Dried or fresh chopped oregano

A. Take the pita and put provolone on top of pita.

B. Slice or chop up sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Sprinke the sun dried tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, and oregano on top of cheese.

C. Place pita underneath broiler until cheese has melted and bubbly.

D. Enjoy!

Roses Aren't Always Red

One of my rose bush is blooming. I purchased the rose bush in the fall, left it in the garage during the winter, and potted it in the spring. I believe the rose is called "John Davis" and is a part of the Canadian Explorer Series, developed in Canada with hopes that the plants could withstand very harsh winters. For many rose lovers living in zone 4 and lower, one would either have to purchase a rose plant that is hardy enough to survive the cold (such as the Canadian Explorer Series or the Knockout Rose Series), or purchase roses that may not be hardy to the zone and each fall "tip" the roses (the "tip" is a method developed in Minnesota, in which a trench is dug by the rose bush and the bush is then buried for the winter), or else just hope that the rose bush will survive the winter.

The roses are a beautiful shade of medium pink and with a nice scent. The petals are so soft and fragile, which may be due to the fact that my plant is not yet established, but I hope that the petals will continue to stay soft in future blooms. I can't wait for the other rose bushes to bloom, but right now I'm pretty content with what I have.