Loss & Acceptance

What is that time-honored saying again?  "If you can't beat them, join them?"  Okay, Lord, I'm beaten down to my marrow and I want to move past it. I'm ready to join up, to "go with the flow," to swim alongside rather than against the current.

If you were wondering what happened to ProfessorRoush and this blog over the past 6 weeks, there is a simple answer.  Mother Nature won.

She beat me.  The abundant, incessant rains that Kansas usually doesn't receive in July and August came despite all expectations, and the prairie grass remains green and rapidly growing, verdant and lush, vibrant even as the end of August nears.  During 27 years living here, on this plot of prairie, I've never before seen the Big Bluestem this tall, the "turkey feet" seedheads reaching above my head in places (photo left). Simply staying ahead of the lawn and keeping the yard mowed has consumed all my free time, and the garden and this blog (and ProfessorRoush) have suffered accordingly.  In a normal Kansas summer, in late July and August, the faucet closes and the flora slows down its growth and browns, reducing mowing chores to an every-other-week (or sometimes even longer) cycle.  At times, even at every-other-week frequency, I normally can barely see the difference between mowed and unmowed areas.

Not this summer.   This summer mowing the lawn was a weekly occurrence and continues to be, the grass so high each week that I am timing mowings between rains merely to be able to keep the house visible.  Okay, that's a little literary sprinkling of hyperbole, but I'm nearing my limits on seeing the bright side of the rains.  In fact, I have been tempted to start mowing twice each week, but I was unable to work in any extra mowing when the grass was almost continuously wet with rain or heavy morning dew.  I certainly have no trouble seeing the mowing lane edges this year and I should be bagging the cuttings lest they smother the lawn. And the mushrooms!  So many huge mushrooms sprouting from the rich prairie soil!

Consequently, my occasionally orderly landscape is a complete shambles, taken over by Morning Glory and Common Dayflowers, the former climbing up everything including the spent yucca seedheads (above right) and the latter (left) covering and smothering any small plants.  I've crawled over my beds twice this summer already, literally on my hands and knees, at eye level with the invaders, literally engaged in hand-to-weed conflict and they've simply outgrown me, outlasted me.  Now, in late August, I simply have surrendered the garden to the heat and my despair.

My grief over the condition of my garden, however, is nearing its end, denial long past, anger spent, bartering for more garden time ended, depression easing as the forecast clears.  I find myself, at last, ready to embrace and accept the chaos of my climate circumstances.  The soft blue Morning Glories have won me over, reflecting the Kansas sky back from the earth.  I am patient now, content to await the return of fall, hoping for better-than-usual red hues in that Big Bluestem. There is ultimately a quiet wisdom in acceptance, a simplicity that allows more sleep, a freedom from outer world concerns.  My new motto; "If you can't beat them, then accept them for all their beauty."   
 

Ralph's Striped Rugosa

Third time is, indeed, a charm!  Or the fourth, or the fifth attempt, perhaps, I've lost track.  I've tried and tried to establish a 'Moore's Striped Rugosa' in my garden, but I failed a couple of times to even get it to the end of summer and only once was able to overwinter it.  Until now.

I have coveted this rose for more than a decade, and ordered it a number of times, planting it out at various sites in my garden and hoping to see it bloom.  I would like to blame all my failures on the seemingly-weak constitution of this rose, but truthfully, it is not likely to be the fault of  the rose, but that of its gardener. At least once, I recall that a rodent pruned the rooted band to a leafless twig before I could even plant it and another time deer consumed it down to ground level.  And more than once, I recognize that I should have watered it more during the hot Kansas summer, which is my failure, not the rose.  As I stated, I lost one specimen that made it through a Kansas winter, only to die in its second winter.

But, last year I ordered it again (from Rogue Valley Roses, I believe) and planted it close to the house where I could watch it, and in a spot of full sunshine with a little evening shade, and I surrounded it with a sturdy chicken-wire cage to provide some deer protection, and I gave it plenty of extra water.  It gave me a few stingy blooms and it sulked, but it stayed alive into fall.  And then I waited anxiously through the first winter.

Now it is blooming for the 2nd time this year, and it looks healthy, so I'll tell you about it.  'Moore's Striped Rugosa' was a 1987 breeding by the esteemed rosarian Ralph Moore, known to many as the "Father of Miniature Roses" because of his many miniature rose introductions and his Sequoia Nursery breeding program.  It wasn't introduced to commerce until 2005 as 'MORbeauty' and it is too new to be mentioned in Suzy Verrier's Rosa Rugosa or other rose anthologies.  Once I learned of it though, I had to try it.  You know my love of striped roses!

The fully double, 25-35 petal blooms are striped magenta and cream, with a magenta-red reverse side to the petals, and, according to helpmefind/rose, it is hardy to Zone 5B, so it could be, and likely is, of marginal survivability in my garden in a bad winter.  Blooms come in clusters, and, at least for my young bush, repeat blooms are slow to develop.  The bush grows to 4 feet wide and tall, but mine is only at 1.5 feet midway into its second season.  In its favor, the mildly rugose foliage of 'MORbeauty' is blackspot free, dark green, and healthy.  The only downside I can see to its Hybrid Rugosa heritage is that it inherited the delicate, crepe-y texture of a Rugosa's petals, making them easily susceptible to sun and rain damage.  You can see the slight damage I'm talking about on the photos displayed here if you look closely.

As the very first striped Hybrid Rugosa, 'Moore's Striped Rugosa' certainly is a novelty, but I sincerely hope it grows better and blooms more floriferously for you than it has for me.  As for me, I will just wait again, anxious through a 2nd winter, and then the next, and the next, and so on.

Lily Extravanganza 2

Orienpet 'Anasthasia'

Wherein, we continue last week's display of various Oriental & Orienpet lilies and some new (to me) daylilies.  Again, I'll let the photos mostly speak for themselves.  We begin with gigantic Orienpet 'Anasthasia' at right.  So fragrant! Wowsa!

'Baferari'

Baferari  is a white/yellow Oriental blooming for me for the first time.  A website describes it thusly: "Highly fragrant Oriental lily known for its large, 8-inch, star-shaped blossoms. It features pristine white petals accented by a striking pale lemon-yellow starburst, chartreuse veins, and cinnamon-colored anthers."

'Trahlyta'

I'm personally rather partial to the lavender tones of 'Trahlyta'.

'Indian Giver'

Both the name and the white-rimmed appearance of 'Indian Giver' tickle my fancy. 

'Double Pardon Me'

Pardon me, if I superficially introduce you to daylily 'Double Pardon Me'.  The red glows more when the ambient temperature isn't quite as hot.

'Rising Moon'

'Rising Moon' is an apricot and profusely-blooming Orienpet lily in my front beds that I added last Fall.

'Wisteria'

Going to finish with a trio of delicately-colored daylilies:  'Wisteria' (recurved and sometimes-lavender), 'Julianna Lynn' (the most delicate and pale pink blush possible), and 'White Formal' (not-so-white), all from my front bed.  Enjoy!

'White Formal'

'Julianna Lynn'

 


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Beetle Update

Some of you may be wondering if you have missed my annual tirade against Japanese Beetles, but never fear, they have arrived.  I saw my first beetle of the year at the KSU garden during the Garden Tour on 6/20/2026, and my first beetle in my own garden, on 'Blanc Double De Coubert', on 6/25/2026. 

I was able to spray Sevin® on all the roses on 6/28/2026, and the picture above are a few already-pesticide-anointed beetles who were happily munching on a former bloom of 'Therese Bugnet'.  I am risking my good Karma saying this, but I hope they all die writhing in agony and are transported immediately to the gates of Hell, where they belong.

Lily Extravaganza 1

'Casablanca', 'Yellow Dream', &Orienpet 'Purple Prince'

 ProfessorRoush wanted to title this "Lily Porn 1", but the term "porn" is so over-used these days as a description for any collection of photographs that one can gaze at until they lose their soul. "Extravaganza", meaning a "lavish or spectacular show or event" is so more apropos, don't you agree?

The "event" here is that my mixed daylily and Orienpet lily border is blooming "spectacularly", beyond my wildest dreams, and I just have to show you!  So the next two blog entries, will be primarily visual and drool-worthy, at least if you can overlook the volunteer weeds and morning glory about to choke everything out.  I need to blog less and weed more!

These are all in what I term my "front left" bed, a cover for the brick wall of the side-facing garage.  There is no carefully-thought-out plan here, I simply keep planting lily bulbs here, for summer fragrance and color.  And, woo boy, did they deliver!

Some of my favorite daylilies are here; 'Beautiful Edgings' (above), which I believe is the most beautiful daylily of all, appearing to be surface-dusted with diamonds at times, and bright orange 'Alabama Jubilee' (left) to pop out from the crowd, and delicate 'Julianna Lynn' (next week!). 

Orienpet 'Robina'

The daylilies alternate and contrast with some of the most beautiful, statuesque lilies imaginable.  Oriental lily 'Yellow Dream' is one of my favorites and dependably returns and proliferates every year. I've added the white Oriental 'Casablanca' (last photo below) to this area, and a number of Orienpet lilies to this area, with the vivid pink 'Robina'  my new favorite.  

Here is 'Robina' centered in blooms of  'Alabama Jubilee'.  Are these colors clashing?  Inquiring minds want to know. I think they invigorate each other! 

Oriental Lily 'Casablanca'

I'll show you more of the individual plants and the overall in "Lily Extravaganza 2" coming next week!  In the meantime, take another look here at these photos and click on them to see the full photos; drooling is permitted. 

The Actual 2026 Garden Tour

 I'll continue with pictures from the actual 2026 Garden Tour, which was yesterday.  The forecast rain held off, the sun came out, and the temperatures were in the mid-70's, making it the best weather for the tour in my 19 years of witness.  And them last night the sky opened up and 3 inches of rain fell!  Again, I will let these pictures (all unedited, save one) speak (mostly) for themselves:  

If you're going to grow scarlet Bee Balm, there is much to be said for a mass planting!  Go big or go home!

This house had a nice porch wrapping around 3 sides of it; I'll show you one side, for envy's sake.  Want!

Sometimes it's just about the flowers.

This birdhouse is at the home of a native Austrian and models, in miniature, the mountain homes of that area.

 

In this shade garden, with the white Loosestrife backdrop, this bench is calling.

And to finish, this piece taught me that I need to use more reds and scarlets in my own garden;  see it pop!

Garden Envy activated: I wish these were all part of my garden!

37th Annual Manhattan Area Garden PreTour

 The 2026 Extension Master Gardener's Manhattan Area Garden Tour is tomorrow, June 20, from 8:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.  I am not going to bore you with a bunch of text here, but will let the pictures speak for themselves.  I am not even going to tell you which gardens these are from as I prefer that you attend the show and find them for yourselves!  As the unofficial photographer, I took these photos (selected from a total of 456 photos) Thursday evening at the Pre-Tour when EMG's get to see the 5 featured private gardens (The K-State Gardens make a sixth site annually).  Of the 456 photos taken last night, 388 made my cut or were worth saving and I think these nine shown below are the best, for both garden interests and art.  

(Okay, I will disclose that the last three photos are at the K-State Gardens, and represent a fabulous variegated Hibiscus, a new statue I hadn't previously seen, and the Garden's latest major project, the newly completed reflecting pool.)

Helpful Anonymouses

Aesculus x carnea 'Fort McNair'

ProfessorRoush began this entry desiring merely to thank an anonymous reader, or readers, for their comments to help me identify my mislabeled "Ain't Red Horsechestnut", which I purchased as the cultivar 'Briotti', but which is obviously not deep-red-toned enough to be that variety.  A helpful reader (or readers) has suggested its identity to be the more common and more pale 'Fort McNair' cultivar, (Aesculus x carnea 'Fort McNair') and, looking at pictures everywhere, I agree with, and greatly appreciate, that input.

Along the writing path, however, I deviated a number of times, diving into bottomless canyons and meandering off onto fruitless detours.  Most pertinently, I wondered whether to refer to my anonymous benefactor(s) as a singular entity or plural, so I tried to determine the correct verbiage for multiple anonymous individuals through an internet search.  Take my advice, my Gardening Friends, and never, ever, choose to walk down that wayward path.  

Aesculus x carnea 'Fort McNair'

As gardeners, we may disagree over the correct pronunciation of Kniphofia (is it nip-HOE-fee-uh or ny-FOE-fee-ah?), and I myself cannot switch the internal voice in my head from "Herb" to "erb", but we are nowhere near the incompatibility of the run-of-the-mill at-large grammar nazis.  A regrettable Internet excursion took me onto the website of Pain in the English, where I learned that most commenters agree "anonymous" is an adjective and has therefore no plural form, but some speak of it having a possible use as a noun and then the consensus is that the plural would be "anonymouses".   There were, however, multiple advocates arguing for "anonymi", "anonymities" and "anonymice" (the latter, I believe, tongue-in-cheek).  It is no wonder that the world can't agree on important issues like "world peace" (an oblique reference to and plug for the Sandra Bullock film "Miss Congeniality", for those that missed it).

Aesculus x carnea 'Fort McNair'

Regardless of whether I should thank the anonymous, anonymouses, or anonyminati (think Illuminati), I appreciate the correct identification of my Horse Chestnut and I will learn to appreciate my 'Fort McNair' more for its dependable and brief-lived flowers and its resistance to leaf blight, and I will bury my disappointment that I was duped into buying a "not Briotti".

Regarding the other question, I, myself, would advocate for "anonymi".  Anyone else care or dare to weigh in?

Miscellanies

 In his latest attack...er...foray into his second favorite world, the literary dimension of Half-Price Books,  ProfessorRoush came away with an embarrassing number of additions to his "collections."   Of the coveted group, however, I've been most pleased, surprised in fact, by the easy readability of a 2003 text, The Secrets of Wildflowers, by Jack Sanders.  Addressing approximately 74 different wildflowers, one might think initially that this would be a dry field guide, but it instead is composed of 2-3 pages about each species, all common to North America but not necessarily native here, written in what turns out to be entirely conversational style.  It is as if Mr. Sanders was sitting here in the room with me, telling me the most interesting facts about each.

I give you, for example, the first page of the entry about Rudbeckia hirta, the Black-Eyed Susan, as an example.  A little history, a little botany, a little information regarding propagation, and several pages later, one looks up and then is drawn to the next wildflower, Bindweed in this case, in sequence.  I was enticed to purchase the bargain hardback, by the way, by its description of Goatsbeard, page 113, noted for "two kinds of clocks."

Otherwise, it is just a typical lazy Sunday in Kansas.   We had an 80% chance of rain today and didn't get any (thankfully, for once, we don't need any), but I did venture out to snap this picture, taken from my front steps looking northwest, which perfectly illustrates the capricious nature of rain in the Flint Hills.  Somebody on my horizon WAS getting rain, although likely it was only a single property, or group of solo properties in a Northwest to Southeast line.   The small downpour illustrated here missed us, anyway.  Click on the picture to see and magnify the area of rain in the center.

We've had enough recent rain that my yard is sprouting these mushroom caps everywhere.  I'm inclined to leave this group alone, hoping that it is the beginning of a new "fairy ring" that will spread in this lawn long after I'm gone.  Of course, I'd like to know the proper scientific name of this fungus, but I'm afraid that my identification of the above-ground appearances of mycelial colonies is inadequate for the dozens or hundreds of possible fungi that manifest in lawns as "fairy rings."  I'm content to observe it, leave it alone, and certainly promise to not consume any of it.  Additionally, I was horrified enough by finding this pamphlet listing fungicides approved for fairy ring elimination from lawns, that I'm considering starting a National "Save the Fairy Ring" Foundation.  What nature-hating, environmentally-unconscious kinds of people write these things?  Fungi are people too.