In early summer my two favorite blooms are the Cherokee rose and the Grancy Graybeard. The Cherokee rose is not a sophisticated rose.
Like the dogwood it has simple bright white petals. It has vicious thorns, dark green leaves and thrives in the humidity of Georgia. It is tough, independent, requires no nurturing and is our state flower. It is an ambitious climber. I nailed several cable hoops around a tall pine and after pointing it in the right direction it took off and now has a great 20+ ft view of its surroundings.
My other favorite is the Grancy Graybeard or Old Man’s Beard (I won’t bother with the Latin names). It shows its beard for only a few days before it leaves become dominant – perhaps the reversion from old to young is what appeals to me. You can see I am already a couple days too late.
