Even with Hard Pruning

We came back from vacation just in time for the Paul’s Himalayan Musk bloom.  It would have been a tragedy to miss it since it blooms only once a year.  The garden is covered with a honey scent, especially when the temperature is a little on the cool side.  I did give it a hard pruning early in spring, before the leaves unfurled.  It still grew back to cover its trellis and part of the pool fence as well.  Once it blooms, all the pushing and shoving their way through the garden is forgiven.  My guilty conscience set in too, so I let it grow.  I will have to give it a crew cut again once the flowers fade.  But I’ll leave some to develop rose hips for the birds.

The cluster of little pink flowers in various shades; the early bloom is a deeper pink and then gets more pale as it gets older before fading.  The garden ground is carpeted with pale pink petals that fell and settled there.  I like to walk back and forth under the trellis when it blooms.  The satisfaction of walking under it and through the perfume from the roses is worth it, even though once a year.