Vineyard Song

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the garden, church and life.  In life, both of our kids graduating, Anna from Oxford College of Emory University and Thomas from Prague High School.  In church, we had four services on Easter beginning with a Sunrise service and finishing by hosting the Prague Ministerial Alliance Community Easter Service with nine congregations participating together and rushing to complete the re-carpeting project just in time to welcome our guests.  And in the garden, everything has moved through its first flush of flowers, creating the opportunity for many pictures and now the follow up care of deadheading and taking new cuttings. 

Here are a few pictures of Vineyard Song, one of Ralph Moore's shrub roses with miniature sized flowers.  Kim Rupert told me Ralph Moore nicknamed it "Bunch O' Grapes."  When he said that I kind of remembered that name from a Sequoia Nursery Newsletter or maybe even a catalogue. We can all be thankful that the name Vinyard Song was selected because it beautifully fits this rose. The rose has much to offer but its growth habit tops the list for me. So far it is a spreading plant about 2' x 3' in my garden (I think it will probably get 3' x 4'), with many clusters of small purple old fashion cupped flowers.  I don't care for the class "Shrub Roses" because it covers far too wide a range of roses, but we will live with it until (with time) we are better able to sort this group out.  Vineyard Song's habit reminds me of the better Polyantha roses.  Now to the pictures.