Rugosa roses are constant and sturdy companions in the garden, unfussy and independent, with powerfully fragrant blossoms in summer. As the growing season winds down, their fat scarlet hips signal a resistant flickering flame in the face of the coming cold.
The garden teaches us endurance. Every year is different. Conditions change, we change. With luck, we will get another chance to plant, replant, experiment—and possibly fail—and try again.
Creating a journal of tiny paintings is an act filled with wonder and celebration: Examine nuance and detail helps claim possibility. Capturing the colors of your garden allows you to hold this moment against the winter months ahead.
The above essay and color study appear in Color In and Out of the Garden, my recent book that I describe as a memoir in color, plants, and paint.
Purchase and download a hi-res image file of ‘Rose Hip’ that may be used for printing (can you say holiday cards?) or simply as botanical inspiration across all your digital devices. Non-commercial use only, please.
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