Plantaholism has a positive side effect. When it leads to a superfluity of plants (as we know it does), it can make one seem very generous.

Take the wonderful ‘William Baffin’ Explorer rose seen here. Please.

No, actually, you’re too late.

After languishing for years with sporadic blooms (mostly on my neighbour’s side of the fence) in my half-day-of-shade back garden, it was bequeathed to a new neighbour, G. and her husband W. It is now thriving, and I can enjoy it much more seeing it truly happy.

G & W had previously had a huge Norway maple in their front yard – which was host to a queen colony of carpenter ants, and completely chewed inside. The tree had to go. In its place is a serviceberry, secured through Toronto’s admirable street-tree program. (If you need a tree – free! – for your front yard, you should really look into this.)

Anyway, from densely shady (no relation to Slim), their whole corner lot is now in sun. Sun! And ‘William Baffin’ is beginning to clamber, as he was always meant to.

[Update: Here is ‘William Baffin’ in G & W’s garden, five years later. I smile at it every time I walk past.]