The envelope containing my Fathers' Day card from the USA this year arrived late (12 days in the post). However the stamps more than made up for that.
USA - 2015
I recently discovered that Bulgaria is one of the most important rose breeding countries in Europe. Roses appear on many of their stamps. A set of eight stamps shows four types of rose.
Bulgarian Roses
What better way to say it with flowers than with roses like these.
To see what other flowers have bloomed this week just follow the links at Sunday-stamps-ii-32.
I just had to pick roses for the Valentine theme this week as these where the only 'related' items I had in my collection. On 30 June 1976 a set was issued to commemorate the centenary of the Royal National Rose Society.
Great Britain - Elizabeth of Glamis
Named in honour of the late Queen Mother it was the first rose to be granted copyright protection in Britain.
Great Britain - Rosa Mundi
Rosa Mundi was first described in 1583. Sir Thomas Hanmer's Garden Book (1659) says it was originally found in Norfolk.
An earlier legend says that it was named after Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of Henry II (1154 - 1189)
In the last two weeks I have been given an envelope that originated in New Zealand. I'll show this later but for now the roses it contained will suffice.
New Zealand - Roses
These are Super Star, Cresset and Michelle Meilland. I believe Michelle Meilland must be related to the French grower Francis Meilland who bred the rose in 1945.
Now all I have to do is to wait for the roses in our garden to bloom again this year.
My A-Z posts this year
are based on my garden – flowers, animals, the birds and the bees, butterflies
- with a bit of poetry thrown in. For some letters I am expecting to cheat
somewhat – wishing they were here.
R – Rose, Rhododendron, Robin, Rabbit, Retriever
For a rose we can only begin with Burns:
My love is like a
red, red rose
That’s newly sprung
in June
An older verse applies to roses too as not all are as red as
those.
Thou blushing rise,
within whose virgin leaves
The wanton wind to
sport himself presumes.
Over the years we have been
nurturing a rhododendron bush that didn’t thrive in the soil in the front
garden border. It has gone from border to tub, to ericaceous tub to back garden
border where it now flowers happily.
Rhododendron
Three girls,
engrossed, were wrenching full clusters
Of cerise and pink
from the rhododendron,
Mountaining them on
spread newspaper.
They brassily picked,
slowed by no chagrin,
I’m pleased to be able to show a
photo of one of my favourite birds which I’m sure you will have all seen on
Christmas cards.
Robin
No noise is here. Or
none that hinders thought.
The redbreast warbles
still, but is content
With slender notes,
and more than half suppressed;
Pleased with his
solitude, and flitting light
From spray to spray,
where’er he rests he shakes
From many a twig the
pendant drops of ice,
That tinkle in the
withered leaves below.
Cute but less welcomed is this fellow about to attack the
plants.
Rabbit
Now if today had been Friday then perhaps I’d get up early and
sing along:
The song was written for Noel Gay's
show 'The Little Dog Laughed' which opened on 11 October 1939, at a time when
most of the major London
theatres were closed.
The farmer with a gun would have
needed a Retriever to fetch the rabbit. I know one that could do the job.
Cody
Incidentally Cody was 15 years old on Easter Sunday; he’s no
April fool.
