Finally, this year rain has shown some kindness towards California. That has immensely helped the plants in the backyard. Like so many others, I had also reduced the sprinkler duration to conserve water. Even if I hadn't, the sprinklers can never substitute the natural benefit rain water has for soil and consequently for the plants.
These photos are from the current spring season. This is a rose plant that I can literally spend hours marveling at. The photos barely do a justice to the incredible color transformation process each rose goes through, but hopefully they give some idea.
Note : You can click on any photo to start a slideshow.
The buds start with a deep pink color, with yellow at the bottom.
As the bud opens up, it gives some hint of the what's inside.
The inside petals are bright yellow, and the outside still keeps some pink.
As it opens more, it gives the impression that it is going to settle on the same yellow color.
When it opens up completely, the yellow starts to fade away, as if the flower is losing the color.
Then the flower changes its mind, and decides to slowly become pink again.
Even in the last stage, it still keep some yellow at the bottom of the petals.
Other flowers on the same plant, and even on the same branch, do not follow the same trajectory of color change, and end up in different states. Here are last 2 stages of another flower.
And much different stages for a third one.
The flowers on the same branch follow different timelines, so they have different colors at any given time.
And while this is happening, the entire plant has flowers that are at the various different stages of the blossom, resulting in a complete riot of colors.
I have no idea what's the name (scientific or otherwise) of this rose plant. Most likely this is a result of some hybrid experiment, and not because of some natural mutation. Whatever the cause, it's a delight, and the whole transformation is captivating.
