Red Rose

How a single flower taught me patience, pride, and the quiet magic of morning dew

Before We Begin: What You Will Discover in This Post

This post is a walk that you do with me through my rose garden in Soshanguve from the very first bud that greeted the world after I had been watching the bare stems for weeks, to the half open beauty that was covered in raindrops, and finally to the full red bloom that made me stop and stare. You will find out the difficulties that I led, the little triumphs that I brought home, and the lessons that these roses imparted to me silently which are care, time, and faith in the process.

A Journey That Begins With a Bud

The very morning that I took the first photo, I can still remember it little green rose buds that were covered with water droplets after the rain. I had been waiting for the buds to appear for such a long time that it was like I couldn't believe it. I went out to see if the stems were still as quiet but no, there they were… folds of petals, a little frightened, as if they were keeping their colour a secret.

As I moved my head closer, the red hue was quite visible through the sides. It was only a fleeting moment, but it felt like a vow. Sometimes in Soshanguve, the sun is so hot and sudden that the flowers do not grow properly, but the day was calm and the blossoms were strong.

Nevertheless, the leaves around them were telling me the truth small holes caused by pests, minor scars from the season. Nothing ever grows flawless here. And that is alright.

I grazed the branch with my hand, already visualizing the flower it would be.

The First Opening - A Red That Feels Alive

Just a few days later, the second phase was revealed. You know that half sleep kind of a flower look, as if it's stretching its petals after a long rest? That's exactly what I saw. The raindrops looked like they were holding onto the petals as if the flower didn't want to let the night go.

When I brought my face nearer, the smell was still light not strong, not overpowering just a faint little sweet whisper. I couldn't help but stay there longer, the petals turning inward as if they were guarding some little thing, really caught my eye.

It was there, the dried flower from the last cycle, that made me think of the fact that everything starts and ends. Roses convey that message to you very softly. It is impossible to get overly attached to one stage since there is always another one.

Still, the happiest moment of the day was only the understanding that I had done something correctly. The watering, the light, the soil, the pruning, all those little things finally coming together.

A rose blossomed fully like a burning flame in the backyard.

The last photo is of the rose that opened fully, the one I ended up with. I didn't intend to go and see the garden because another rain shower seemed imminent, but I just had to go out.

And it was waiting for me there.

Intense.

Vibrant.

Exuberant.

An absolutely perfect single red rose seemed to radiate from the gentle green background.

Honestly, it was only for a second and I think the whole garden felt that time had stopped. The flowers were so bright that they seemed to be a work of art. Each water drop was like a little gem that was attaching itself to the petals.

I tried one petal with my hand and it was like velvet that kind of softness which makes you slow down without realizing. There is something really comforting about a flower blooming after you have seen it from the very start. You feel like you have been a part of it, you are connected, and you even feel like being proud.

The leaves were still having some spots due to pests, but the flower didn't mind. It blossomed anyway.

Soshanguve Challenges: Heat, Pests, and Pure Determination

This isn't always a love story with rose growing. The sun gets extremely hot. The earth is drying very quickly. Beetles and caterpillars, that are eating my roses more than I do, are very happy. There have been instances when I have lost the flower buds in which the flowers haven't even come out, and there have been instances when the petals have scorched due to unexpected heat waves.

However, these roses have a strength in them a sort of resolve that is in harmony with our own, as gardeners. I figured out how to water the plants early in the morning, to prune softly, and to let the plant have its own space. I have also come to terms with the fact that a little tearing of the leaves does not equate to a downfall. It indicates life.

Actually, it is the first thing I have learned: the prettiest flowers most of the time follow the hardest weeks.

What This Red Rose Taught Me

Watching the last rose opening slowly into a brightly colored full blossom, I felt a silent lesson going deep inside me:

Growth is a very long time.

Patience is really necessary for beauty.

Also, every single stage of the way is important.

Now I don't simply see roses as pretty objects. I even consider them as a kind of teachers. They drag me out when my head is full with thoughts. They remind me that there is always something lovely in the making, even if it is still nestled inside a tight little green bud.

I am already so far from the next season that I will do it again just like this one, moment by moment.