My first dog was a black & tan wiener dog named Ophelia. She lived to be 17 years before finally passing. When she died, I planned to pick up a vintage rose variety named 'Ophelia' & plant it w/some of her ashes.

This isn't the David Austin climber; I'm in the US, & those are only available in the UK - I can't import. So the vintage variety was the only option.

After Ophelia died I emailed a couple of specialty nurseries to find it. Seems there are a few nurseries around the country that have cuttings & rootstock available from old 19th-century gardens, & they'll propagate vintage plants every year depending on demand.

I managed to find an Ophelia rose. Planted it in my parents' rose bed, as I wasn't living with a garden at the time. My parents took care of all their roses & ignored mine. It put out a single bloom, then died.

(I don't exactly have the best relationship with my folks, fwiw...)

I now own a house & plan to plant a cottage garden in the front. Yesterday I emailed one of the nurseries I'd contacted back in the day. They don't have Ophelia available this season, but can grow me a plant in 2024.

So I'll get to plant Ophelia in my very own yard after all. <3

Now I just have to find either a peanut plant or some plant named 'Peanut", for my 2nd dog (the one who died in January).

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