The roses look good now. The challenges of the awful black spot and mildew that the endless wet weather created are mostly gone. I try to keep the fallen leaves and petals off the ground, so that means deadheading when the blooms start to get loose, before the petals fall. What a wonderful excuse to wander among the roses, clippers and bucket in hand, happily peering into the heart of each rose and gathering the spent ones. A pleasure, not a chore, to me.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ruby redness. And click on a new tag or category while you are here, you hear? The latest post can always be found at Sara’s Fave Photos, above.