You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts before I think them. -- Psalm 139:2
I can think of no better flower to represent love than the rose. All the images in this book come from the 201 roses that are found in my own garden. No plant seems to be as reliant upon human time, effort, and attention. As with the love in any relationship, good gardeners don't just have a few roses growing in a plot of ground, they have a working relationship with the roses. They study and learn what each rose requires and come to realize the roses are dependent on the gardener to give and then selflessly give more as if caring for a child. Every gardener has enjoyed the time spent with a rose when the rose is magnificently beautiful, but every gardener also knows that the other side of a beautiful rose is one that fails to flourish and requires much attention with little reward. Overall, however, the benefits outweigh the disappointments, and a gardener's whole life is affected by the fruits of his labor and the joy found in seeing a new blossom burst into existence.
