I can never remember whether York is Red or Lancaster is white. Nevertheless, they are battling it out for space this year. (I didn’t get a good shot of the white ones here.) It is a good year for the roses. (Cue George Jones.) Our let’s –pretend-we-live-in-Zone 6 winter gave our roses an unexpected boost. Most of them are Canadian Explorer roses. Bred for hardiness up in Manitoba, they survive our Zone 4 Minnesota winters and need little or no attention. This winter Messrs Kelsey, Frobisher, Cabot and company must have given up searching for the Northwest Passage and figured they were living on easy street, getting out the flip flops and shorts. We have never seen them this lush and large. The scents of all these roses when I weed (not that frequently, as you can tell) are heavenly.
I love the foxglove, too. It just wanders around the garden, popping up in a different place each year.
I only have this one phone photo of the back 40 where the vegetables are. We are still eating asparagus and the strawberries are going wild. Let’s hope it continues that way the rest of the year.
On the knitting front, Shelly over at the Yarnery asked me for a couple of quick summer scarf patterns. I found this on my desk last week and didn’t know whether I should share it, or hide it.
Here is the result of my day dreaming. I think it would work in almost any yarn, not just this Revive, a silk and cotton blend of recycled fibers.
I’m working on another one for my friends at Frogtree in Picoboo, a soft, drapey cotton/bamboo blend. I made the scarf about 5 feet long. Do you think that’s about right for a summer scarf? I assume they are more to use for an accessory, or perhaps to keep the chill of the AC off your neck.
Yarnerinas 
You’ll wake up one morning and the roses will have moved into the house. 🙂
Oh, the scent of real roses is wonderful! Why they ever bred that out — or, more accurately, didn’t mind losing it when breeding hybrid tea roses — I will never know. Your garden is lovely, a tribute to zone 4 creativity 🙂
Love your mind mapping! (I went to a seminar and learned that’s what it is called, and it is a certifably GOOD way to think) Also, I personally might want a little longer than 5 feet–but it probably stretches.
Love the mind map! The scarf is lovely as well.
Pretty foxgloves! I have a thing for bell shaped flowers. And…..despite just reading a number of War of the Roses books myself, I can’t remember which is red or white either. (Google says: Lancaster Red, White, York.)
Another mind mapper here!
The garden’s looking gorgeous and the scarf looks fascinating. Can’t wait to hear more about it!
Look at all those lovely flowers! (And I can imagine the scent filling the air…) The scarf is beautiful, too, and looks just perfect for keeping either those chilly ocean breezes, or cold AC drafts, off the back of the neck.
Ah, June! Here, the Magnolias are doing unusually well this year. You must really be enjoying those roses. Can you sit out by them with your knitting?
Ha! I read your comment over at Knitsofacto’s about your shaggy garden and I came racing over to take a look. Actually I think it looks rather lovely and yes I too am fond of foxgloves. I blame it on reading Alison Uttley’s ‘Little Grey Rabbit And The Weasels’ as the foxgloves tinkle like bells in that story warning of approaching intruders.
York is definitely white – lots of white roses here in Yorkshire! e.g. Yorkshire County Cricket Club logo.
The only way I can remember which is which is that *York* Peppermint Patties are white on the inside. Please don’t tell me if you notice a flaw anywhere in this mnemonic.
And scent in roses wins hands-down with me. Yours are beautiful —