Our youngest daughter graduated from college on Saturday morning. We all had to be in Fairfax (an hour away from here) by 9:00am to get a good seat to watch the graduation which started at 10:00.
The graduates marched in precisely on time. We spotted our daughter among the sea of green gowns, and we quickly discovered that her group was seated on the opposite side of the stadium. That's her in the red circle, WAY over on the other side.
Blurry telephoto shot.
The ceremony lasted two hours. Afterward, we stood outside, posing for the obligatory family photos in blinding sunshine. (Note to self: remember to stand up straight and try not to squint so much next time.)
We left Fairfax and headed straight for home, because we had guests arriving for the graduation party/barbeque at 3:00. We arrived home at 1:45, leaving a precious little time for the last minute preparations. Thankfully, we did as much as we could ahead of time on Friday, so there wasn't that much to do. We already had the party tent up, tables and chairs in place, food prepped and utensils ready. All that was left was to put tablecloths on the tables, carry the drinks from the house to the coolers, add ice, and start the party.
A friend of ours volunteered to be our BBQ chef for the day. He cooked delicious burgers and apple-wood smoked chicken.
It was great to eat and drink and visit with family and friends. The weather Saturday was perfect, and the roses provided the beautiful backdrop for the day's activities.
Sunday, we cleaned up the remains of Saturday's party, and readied ourselves for our Open Garden in the afternoon. Most of the roses are in full, glorious bloom right now. We had quite a stream of visitors all afternoon, strolling the gardens, taking photos, and asking questions ... lots and LOTS of questions.
A view through the rose arches, looking toward the barn.
Alberic Barbier on the Rambler Fence.
I talked to people from right before noon, till well after we closed at 4:00. I tried to give everyone who came some individual attention, and I think I did okay with that. I always seem to be teaching ... how to plant, what to use for spray, how to train a climber, etc. ... these things are easy to demonstrate in the garden.
Most of our Sunday visitors left here with a better appreciation for the beauty (and the ease) of Old Garden Roses. They saw roses they'd never heard of before, in astonishing numbers. If everyone who came learned one thing while they were here, I achieved my goal. I want everyone to see that they have alternatives to the mass-market roses ... this place is my classroom.
It's raining today (as it did yesterday) and the roses will be even better for it in the coming days. I'm taking this time to catch up on some administrative stuff (the things I dread) and I will probably work a bit on the walls of the basement bathroom ... they're almost ready for paint. (I'll show you this a little later.)
Don't forget to check back tomorrow for White Wednesday Roses.
(written by Hartwood Roses. Hartwood Roses blog.)