Soleil d'Or

In the center is Soleil d'Or, a historically important rose plant, because it was the first to bring fiery reds, oranges and yellows into the palette of garden roses, through a cross with Rosa foetida by Joseph Pernet-Ducher.   Appropriately, here it is seen clashing with the bright pink flowers of Cistus x purpureus.  I have also read it's a very hard rose to keep alive, so this may be its last appearance on the Inter-Ocean Parabolic. Two descendants of this rose were used to memorialize Pernet-Ducher's only two sons.  He had planned to pass his life's work on to them, but they died within days of each other in World War I.

This moth seemed to want to help me explore the possibilities of my new camera lens.  He sat for minutes, slowly folding and unfolding his wings as I zoomed and focused and adjusted the aperture.

After only two apples last year, it's looking like a potentially big harvest from the Hauer Pippen.

Yet another view of the mystery Tibouchina.

It's also been a floriferous year for the Countess of Haddington rhododendron.

Here are two moods of the 'Duchesse de Brabant' tea rose, in bud and bloom.