ACCIDENTAL ROSE GARDEN

I visited my daughter for Family Weekend at St. Joe’s in Philly on a perfectly late summer type of Saturday. She wanted to go in to the city to shop I wanted to go to the Barnes Foundation Arboretum on the campus…we compromised and did both but I got to go first, cue annoyed 18 year old eye roll. I’m all about exploring a garden or park even if it doesn’t have roses and I wasn’t expecting them here. We were greeted by an enthusiastic student after we passed through the wraught iron gates who handed us a map and pointed at the best way to start to explore…she uttered the words “first you’ll pass through the rose garden,” and I have no idea what she said after that. I was so excited. From where I stood I could see a white trellis with little dots of color blowing in the breeze on the other side (should have been wearing my glasses)

And off we went. At some point in the small garden I realized I was alone…my companions were gone sitting on a bench somewhere and I got busy photographing everything with my phone and checking out all the roses and their names. I can’t wait to go back in June next year and see the garden then…mid September still had roses to look at but I want to see this place at the peak of the season.