Roadside Rose Rustle

My husband and I were driving through Virginia’s Northern Neck yesterday evening. “There’s a rose,” I said, as we passed some sort of utility building. He turned around so I could check out my discovery.



It was Rosa palustris, the Swamp Rose, growing happily in the ditch next to the building’s driveway. I don’t grow this one yet, and I wanted to take cuttings … but we were in his truck, and my cutting kit is in my Jeep.

We searched the truck and we found what we needed: pruners and a left-over bottle of water in the console, leather gloves in the bag with the bungies and tie-downs, and napkins and a zip-lock bag in the glovebox. I had to borrow my husband’s shoes because I was wearing flip flops … not exactly the footwear of choice for walking through a thorny ditch.



I tip-toed along the ditch and took a handful of cuttings. I laid my cuttings out on the tailgate of the truck, wrapped them in napkins, put them in the zip-lock bag, and poured in some water. They’re in the basement refrigerator right now … I’ll put them in the greenhouse later today.