I never knew how much I liked roses......until we moved into this home that had a full rose garden!
When we moved to this home in December of 2008 the back yard was covered in spiny twigs, crunchy leaves and naked trees and bare bushes.
We were told it would be beautiful in the Spring, but sometimes it's difficult to envision what will be, from what is not.
So the spring came and the yard came to life. Silent twigs burst to life with blossoms. Cold, thorny bushes sprouted in green. New life stretched and twisted towards the sun like mini solar panels stocking up on energy.I have always loved nature, but for some reason this particular spring my eyes became even more aware of the miracles that happen within our natural world.
Nothing tells a tree when to sprout its first bud...
Nothing tells a plant it is time to grow new leaves...
Nothing tells a rose to open its bud to a blossom...
Flowers have always been an important part of my life, the amazing beauty, the alluring aromas. But roses, oh the roses. While I've always found them beautiful, for some reason these spirals of botanical bliss have never quite awakened me as much as they have this year.
How is it that a single sprout, reaches towards the sky, then very next day reveals a tighhtly wound bud of green. Within 48 hours upon the warms rays of sunrise, this compact bud cracks open, peeling away, revealing a burst of color with an ever so light scent carried on the breeze.
By nightfall, the exact same rose has unfurled to reveal delicate satin petals to show a twisted tale of elegance. 
Just when we think this little bundle of floral perfection has no way of getting better the next sunrise brings absolute beauty to its height of perfection.So small and compact, untwisting, into a bloom so elegant there really are no words to describe it.
Each petal, delicate, paper thin; yet the rose as a whole is so powerful as it sits in sunny splendor.
A favorite quote of mine comes to mind... "We can complain that roses have thorns, or we can rejoice that thorns have roses..."
This is the first year I've brought the camara into the yard to capture the flowers on digital film more that just a day, more than just a moment. Usually I'd see a flower, take a picture, and that would be it. I've always loved taking pictures of nature, but this yard, wow, I just keep going back for more! Like I said above, this year I've opened my eyes to a whole new deeper, Universal level of understanding what it is to 'be'.
Flowers just 'do', flowers just 'be'. They let life happen around them and go with the flow. The silence of a flower speaks volumes and I feel we can really learn a lot from the nature around us and the gardens in our yards.
As I captured the artwork contained within the realm of nature with the advancement of digital media, I discovered what inspired Georgia O'Keeffe and her amazing paintings.
Look into this flower, the colors, the hues, the simplicity, the elegance. A picture speaks 1,000 words yet there are no words to capture this beauty.
The beauty just 'is'.
Just like the brush strokes from Georgia O'Keeffe in her black and white rose she painted...
One can only imagine how it all works. It is enchanting, mystical and magical. I am in love with nature. How a tiny seed comes to life and can yield flowers, fruits, herbs and more within such a short period of time.
The brilliance of our world never ceases to amaze me. So now I am a rose gardener. I trim the roses, to bring forth more roses.
Patience is a virtue, each new day brings new blooms. It's worth the wait!
Be blessed and always stop and smell the roses!
Alethea Anderson
