A rose by any other name...

I grew gladiolas when I lived in Illinois.  I always had a vegetable/herb garden whenever I had a patch of dirt or pot to grow something in.  Tomatoes, peppers, basil, and mint have always been a staple and always my first choice when I do get a chance to garden.

But there has always been one plant that I have loved more than any other.  The one whose fragrance can entice me to stop what I am doing at almost any time and lean into for a full nose full of splendid aroma (Okay... that may have been a bit much...).  I am speaking of the magnificent rose.

This is (once again) a wonderful thing about where I have landed here in the bay area.  There are roses EVERYWHERE!  It is evidently the home of the rose.  My place of employment (Santa Clara University) must have the best grounds crew because I have honestly never seen so many different types and colors of roses in my life.  I actually saw a pale purple rose and when the wind blows just right, the entire area has that wonderful scent in the air.

Now, dear reader, you may be rolling your eyes (as my dear one does) and thinking "Hyberbole does not become you, Web Guy", but I can assure you that what I convey here is true.  There is even an active "rose society" just for the Santa Clara area and the city of San Jose Municipal Rose Garden.  The best part is that the rose dominance is not limited just to the campus of Santa Clara University.  It is all over the city of Santa Clara and large parts of nearby San Jose.

So as we tally the list of "why I love it here" items, we can add the beauty and wonderful aroma of the local flora to it.  It is no wonder that I keep my windows open in my apartment.

Now, I just need to start my own little contribution...