There is an awkward grace to the rose Penelope that warms the heart. Plus, I was a bit cheeky in my last post on a Pemberton rose (Bloomfield Dainty, the Reverend, Well-Limed Thighs, and my Sordid World), so I thought I’d try to make amends. (Who am I kidding? I revel in the debauchery). Anyways, Hybrid Musk rose Penelope bears flowers of no particular distinction; her habit is chunky and open. Yet, I love her still. It’s as if the sum of all the awkward parts blends into a whole which is beautiful and graceful, a gawky sort of beauty.

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Unfortunately, disease resistance with the rose Bloomfield Dainty is not very good, so this rose is for those in climates not favorable to blackspot, unless you intend to spray…which is too much effort for me personally. Barrie’s rule: If I have to spray or stake, the offending plant is keeping me from riding a motorcycle or drinking tequila or having a carnal experience of some sordid type…or the best of all worlds: driving a motorcycle while licking tequila from between the freshly limed thighs of a willing and open-minded lass. Oh, the reverend. Well, Hybrid Musks, of which Bloomfield Dainty belongs, were developed by a man of the cloth, the Reverend Joseph Pemberton.

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