Killona woman considers flowers her way of bringing beauty in the world

Although Karen Perry is reorganizing her rose garden, it will never lose its bloom if she has her way.Perry’s rose bushes peaked at 96 at one time, but her eye stays fixed on possible new additions and she will not single one out as her favorite because she considers them all beautiful in Killona.

“I have one rose rush that has 20-inch stems and when that is in bloom that is really awesome,” Perry said of a rose garden that gets attention. “The seven sisters is like a bouquet with seven single roses on one stem. I have a rose bush on a trellis called Joseph’s Coat, like in the Bible, and that is still in bloom with orange, yellow and green hues.”

Her extensive collection began with seven rose bushes and then came the “perfume collection,” which her husband, Stanley, gave her on Valentine’s Day. Yes, he gave her a dozen bushes because Perry considered cut roses wasteful – they die. And, she’d also announced, “I love rose bushes.”

This began when her son was 10 years old. He’s 26 now.

“I always did love roses,” she said. “And I always wanted rose bushes … and I got them.”

And, from there, Perry said the garden took off.

“The bushes started coming into the yard,” she said. “Everywhere you could put a rose bush, we have one.”

Stanley maintained the yard, but recent medical issues have slowed him a bit so her most recent additions are the knockout roses, which are easier to grow and maintain. They’re also raising the rose beds for easier maintenance.

“I purchase the rose bushes, but I don’t dig,” she mused.

Even though Stanley maintains the yard, Perry said he came around to loving the roses, too.

And they can be uniquely beautiful.

While the average rose has 25 to 30 petals, her grandifloras can have up to 55 petals, making it quite an event to see them bloom. She’s got roses that are nearly thornless with few of them.

“When I’m in my yard, people say they blew their horn and I didn’t hear them,” Perry said. “I’m in my own zone. All I see is the circumference of my yard.”

Cultivating her rose garden is relaxing to her.

“People will say it’s hard work, but it’s not if you like it,” Perry said. “Yea, you’re going to bleed, but after it’s done it’s an ‘ahhhh’ moment. You appreciate and realize God made roses because no man could make that – they are too beautiful and perfect.”

These flowers also have spiritual meaning to her.

“I consider my roses as being my world,” Perry said. “I bring my own beauty.”

Thorns don’t bother this rose gardener.

“You see, you buy these expensive gloves and don’t leave them on the garbage can. That’s how you handle that.”

 

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