New Year New Beginnings

Last summer I bought the most beautiful rose bush I'd ever seen. It had at least 100 multi-colored blooms and great foliage, and I pictured it gracing my garden as a focal point in spite of its small size.

However.

One week after I brought it home, black spot set in. I sprayed it and pruned it and sadly watched as day after day the little leaves turned spotty and black. I never even planted it, because I didn't want the disease to spread to my other flowers.
So as fall approached, I brought it inside, only to find aphids. After spraying for them, and pruning again, I was almost ready to give up.

Taking drastic measures, I cut every bit of green away, sprayed the soil in the planter just in case there were aphid eggs, gave the brown spikes lots of water, and put it in the autumn sunshine with little hope.

Every day I'd check, and I was amazed to see the little rose bush fighting to grow again! Day after day, more leaves, more tiny branches, and finally.............a New Year's rose.

Never give up. You never know how much fight you still have in you. And somewhere in there is a rose waiting to bloom.