Fading beauty

‘O Rose thou art sick…’ William Blake, The Sick Rose

This summer, the westerland rose is not as it was. Huge multiple blooms are this year a third the size. Only one or two pale flowers on each stem will bloom while the others wither away. Small stems sprouting from the branches blacken and die. This is despite my efforts to prune well in winter and to remove any dieback. I have fed it and watered it – perhaps too little too late.

In contrast, the iceberg has formed an arch across the drive. I can walk under it and smell the roses at nose level.