Autumn Rose

I think this rose is called 'Lucky Strike' , but my Apple flower identification would only go as far as calling it a 'rose', and when I went online to check I got everything from rose gold cigarette lighters, billiard parlors, lipstick reviews to fishing bait. A popular name for many things it would seem....

The afternoon light on this bud was pretty and the fact that there are still a lot of flowers on the bush this late in the year makes it resilient as well as lovely.

We went to my favorite Cottage Garden Nursery in Petaluma this morning to buy some large succulents for our rock garden. I had thought it might be a nice Zen garden, but decided it is neither spatially or culturally appropriate for the spot. We're trying to put a sort of California spin on it while keeping it fire resistant since it is right next to the house.

Large succulent plants are expensive, but that is probably because they grow slowly so we decided to spring for a couple of fairly large ones. I have also realized that one of my favorites in a pot in the fire garden has multiplied and we might be able to use one of them...

Spike was wonderfully well behaved and patiently sat down to wait for us as we stood around contemplating a lot of spikey plants...not at all like Spike who is really not spikey at all. We have lost his favorite Kong. I think if it was anywhere around here, he would have found it so he must have dropped it somewhere on a walk although we usually try to leave it behind then....

Unbearable excitement around here...