A story of rose flowers !

I returned home yesterday, after having been away for three days. They were rainy days. I noticed before I left, several buds in our rose bushes, which  I knew would open while I was away. I came back to see some flowers with their petals damaged and some drooping, while others remained dull or looking well in the rain.  

 

I turned this observation into a study with frequency distribution of the types of damages caused to the rose flowers in the rain. There were two rose bushes which had the flowers damaged by predators. There were five rose bushes which had no flowers, but only buds.  

Excluding them there were twenty nine rose bushes with flowers. Eighteen (62.07%) of the bushes had normally looking flowers and 11(37.93%) had flowers in unhealthy conditions. 

Out of the 11 unhealthy looking flowers, two (18.18%) had damaged petals  (photos 1,2); three (27.27%) had drooping flowers (photos 3,4,5) and six (54.55%) were dull looking flowers (photos 6,7,8,9,10,11).  

The last flower above represented a normal looking rose flower. This flower was thought to be normal because the petals looked sharp, crisp, unfolded at the edges, with normal appearance of shape and firmly standing upright. 

The first two photographs are of those rose flowers looking soaked and damaged in the rain. The next three are of those who were drooping in rain. The last six photos are of flowers which looked dull. 

I did not want to go on to make it into a statical exercise to find the probability of rose flowers getting damaged in rain in three days, as there were many variables and confounders I cannot stratify. Also, I alone was involved in this observation study.  There would be bias in my definition and grading of the damage. 

I felt good that 62.07 % of rose flowers withstood the three days of rains, which according to Anna was about four hours each day. The  rose bushes varied in their species. May be a certain variety of rose bush would withstand rain better. Our collection is of three species. I am not sure if I found any difference between species in the outcome following rain. 

At the end of this exercise I find three indications for actions. Protect the rose bushes during rain by sheltering them;  move the rose bushes in pots to the green house during heavy rain; and displace the water from the petals  by an air dryer with cool air. Too much to do! It would be what commercial gardens would practice. 

What amazes me is that the garden looks colourful and hospitable whether rose flowers are water soaked or drooping or looking dull. The flowers bring cheer and colour to give us a romantic experience. If only I had a poetic sense to turn my feelings to poetry the thoughts that passed through my mind while watching the rose flowers dance in the wind and rain ! It had an enticing appeal on me to stay beholding life, living in adversity!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)