Pink is also a flavor

Roses should be a basic element in every southern garden.  I wish I could say that I have really tried to grow them but the truth is I am a careless gardener.  My roses get mulched and pruned once a year and then they are on their own.  My rosarian friends will tell you that my roses look exactly like I should expect from this consistent neglect. 

This time of year, though, my roses look very pretty with their fresh new green leaves and the first flush of blooms.  I'm particularly proud of this pretty posy that I picked this afternoon.

Roses blossoms are also considered a food source for my sulcata tortoise.  I often present him with spent blooms for "dessert" after a hearty meal of weeds and grass.  I noticed that he seemed to like the flavor of some roses better than others so I decided to conduct an experiment to see if I was right about his preferences.

I lined up perfect blooms from all four of my rose bushes: white Sir Thomas Lipton, deep red Don Juan, pastel pink Mutabulis, and my nameless red heritage rose.  Without a moments hesitation, Mordecai hastened to the Mutabulis and chomped all the petals in short order.  He only checked out the Don Juan petals after he had cruised the entire kitchen floor for food scraps.

According to Mordecai, pink is also a fabulous flavor.