“But whether I’m the rose of sheer perfection
A freckle on the nose of life’s complexion
The cinder or the shiny apple of it's eye
I gotta fly once, I gotta try once, Only can die once, right, sir?”
- Don’t Rain on My Parade
Compassion Roses, From My Garden and From Janet Inada’s Garden
I have always loved roses.
From my earliest memory, I grew up across from a wonderful, massively large field with lots of horses and they ate the grass around large mounds of wild roses with small pink petals. The field was irrigated, so it was always green, and the horses ate the grass down low, so it looked like it was tidily mown. The mounds of roses bloomed with gracefully curving canes, and it was just beautiful. Sometimes the horses would run with each other across the field, adding fluid motion to the beautiful scene.
At the time, this vista seemed like a normal part of life, but I have yet to experience such stunning scenery in any other place I’ve lived. What would I give to live across the street from horses and wild roses now?
At the same time, my mom had a Peace Rose growing by the driveway out of an old tractor tire. She enjoyed this large, classic rose with spectacular peachy pink blooms, and I was proud of it. Today I grow a similar rose called Compassion.
My paternal grandmother, Ollie Dean, lived just up the road, and she had a few Harry and David's style roses, which my mom did not value as highly because they were grafted and not on their own root stock. Ollie Dean had a special silver rose which I was very impressed with, though. She wasn’t a big rose person, but, along with my grandfather, was an incredible, lifelong farmer and gardener. They grew much of their own food, so the roses were kind of a sidenote as they grew food and canned, dried and preserved the harvest.
As a young adult, roses were not usually top of mind, even though I love them. I was living my life, trying to keep my house and yard clean, trying just to function really. I had a child very young, so I was fully occupied with that. At some point in the overwhelming tangle of trying to get a handle on life, I ran into my fourth and fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Janet Inada, at our local Farmer’s Market. She had a stall and was just starting to sell roses on their own root stock. This pricked at my brain, because my mom taught me about the difference between grafted and own root roses. I introduced myself, and Janet remembered me – said she remembered I was smart, so I course I swooned. She told me about her business, which she had just recently started in retirement. She had the opportunity to buy someone’s entire stock of roses and jumped in with both feet. I was awestruck by her dedication, passion and knowledge.
At the time, I lived in a rental in Ashland, Oregon with ugly chain link fences, so I bought a couple roses to cover the back fence. I bought Darlow’s Enigma, and one other that I can’t recall the name of. I still drive down that alley occasionally to see the huge bush it grew into. It’s fully 15 to 20 feet high and a mess of thorns. And it does cover the fence. I’ve noticed that whoever lives there now doesn’t water it enough, so it’s not looking it’s best. But it is hard to kill a rose, so it will be fine.
When my husband and I were able to buy our own home, I quickly called Janet and was immensely privileged to have a special tour of her property with truly so many roses you would not believe it. I collected a number – Moje Hammarberg, Fantin LaTour, Compassion, E. B. LeGrice, Jeri Jennings and Unconditional Love. I am happy to say I have painted all of them, except E.B. LeGrice. (Note to self: Paint E. B. LeGrice in 2025.)
Now, our property has very little room for more plants, but I still spend quite a bit of time on Janet’s website considering which rose I might like to squeeze in. I recently brought home Stelzer Noisette which I am going to train up the side of a pine tree. My friend Jennifer has a large yard and a bunch of space for roses, so I'm happy to say I've got her started on habit of planting roses with their own root stock, and to spread my joy in growing roses.
Over the years I’ve been privileged to visit Janet at her delightful property, and she kindly invites me to paint there. I am always charmed by this wonderful, enthusiastic, kind and intelligent woman and the gift she gives the world by cultivating such a special garden and business.
Janet has not had a stall at the Farmer’s Market for many years. She started there in the early 2000’s and quickly realized online sales was the way to go. Since then, she has sold roses through her website, Rogue Valley Roses. She needs and deserves her privacy, so she doesn't invite the general public to see the rose garden, but her extensive website offers an education into the world of roses, and you can research to find which roses are right for your space and when to plant them.
If you like roses, I insist you hop on over to the site and start making lists. Spring will be here before you know it!
Shop available paintings of roses and other flowers HERE.
