Autumn Roses

The last of the Autumn roses are still in bloom. They are especially savored now that the light of the day is changing and the cooler air is here. Collecting and photographing these roses has felt like a treasure hunt. This yellow rose is from a bush outside my home. The red and pink roses below were both gifts.

I can never write or speak enough about roses. They are so complex and mysterious to me. I just made a new solid perfume that focused on the combination of roses and patchouli. I have observed that when I put it on I feel like I am being caressed by thousands of rose petals. Since it takes approximately 2,000 rose petals to make one drop of rose oil, this perfume does indeed carry the energy of thousands of rose petals because I placed numerous drops of rose absolute in the blend. 

The Greek poet Sappho described roses as the "queen of flowers".
At the moment I am reading a really sweet book by Vanessa Diffenbaugh that was gifted to me by a friend, the title of the book is The Language of Flowers. It is a sweet story about the Victorian language of flowers, one woman's relationship to the plant world, and her personal journey of the heart. The cover of the book has a beautiful picture of a pink rose which is a symbol of refinement, the feminine, and joy.

The last roses of the season, the last passion flower from the vines,  and the last calendula flowers are photographed here in the palms of my hands by Christopher Camastro.