With all due respect to Robert Burns, a "red, red rose" has always seemed, well, ordinary, to me in comparison with some of the other options that are out there. And while a single, long-stemmed rose, or even a fragrant bouquet is all well and good, there's a limit to their staying power.

Who was it that pointed out the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him to fish? Well, there's a similar difference between giving a rose (a red, red rose or any other kind) and giving ongoing roses...

My love, (Brian, my husband of 27 years) hit the jackpot with me for my birthday last month by gifting me with not one, not a dozen, but a whole rose bush that I planted in my backyard rose garden here in Bosque Farms, NM.

And I was ecstatic when that bush started blooming this past week-- it's got the most gorgeous, multi-colored roses I've ever seen! The flowers are mainly pale yellow, but with reddish-pink tips. Take a look and see if these don't put those poetic "red, red roses" to shame!