Thanksgiving week 2024: a fun, memorable family gathering that lasted for days in my niece’s new home in Atlanta. Still, I took the opportunity to hide in the guest bedroom for a moment because I had promised myself I would unapologetically find a treasure among the many Black Friday sales. And what to my wondering eyes should appear? Roses! The treasure I found was four own-root roses from Heirloom Roses . Not electronics. Not fashion. Roses. Yeah, surprised me too. I recently wrote about the New Dawn rose that has now reached the top of my backyard arbor. The other three were planted closely together until I could build and fill more raised beds. Then numerous peonies came into my life, a few refugees from other beds had to be moved and, well, these three roses are still in the same spot and way too close together. That won’t change anytime soon.  What also doesn’t seem likely to change is this insufferable heat and drought. Ten inches of rain in June, none since. Temperatures linger in the 90s and triple digits, and the forecast stays hot and dry through August 23

There is something slightly thrilling about standing in a world-famous garden and realizing that, for the moment, nobody else seems to be there. Public gardens are meant to be public. I love seeing people enjoying them, especially children encountering a garden for the first time. The more people who experience gardens and nature, the better. But every once in a while, through luck, timing or a little audacity, I have found myself practically alone in one.  Those quiet hours remain among my most magical travel memories