Congrats Ann! Your beautiful pic deserves recognition.

Gorgeous bloom and picture, congratulations!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations , Ann, well deserved!

Beautiful shot and rose! How wonderful that it showed up in the magazine.

Wow Ann how awesome is that ?!! You are a published photographer now ! Beautiful photo of a lovely rose . How do you like it tree form ?

What an amazing picture. It's obvious why they chose it!

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support!

I've really enjoyed this year both for the lovely roses and the photos I've enjoyed taking and sharing. I wasn't sure how enjoyable this year would be because I had to have hip replacement surgery which took place on July 30. I'm recovering very well and I'm glad I had this surgery. Tomorrow I'll be taking a digital photography class which is something I couldn't have done a few months ago because I couldn't sit for two hours. Over the last few weeks I've been gradually able to deadhead the second flush which hasn't been easy to do for the last couple of years. I'll also be able to travel shortly to Hawaii for my mom's 92nd birthday. I haven't able to travel for the last 18 months or even drive a car much so I'm quite grateful and thank you all once again!

Jen - From this photo you can see that VP is still a baby standard so the canes are still quite close together. As it matures it will spread outward and upward more. With a standard, I think it's best to get a rose that's rounded and bushy like a floribunda so VP fills that requirement well. I just got Sugar Moon as a standard and I think I regret getting an HT because the growth habit doesn't match the bushy shape of a tree and there aren't as many blooms as a floribunda would have. The other important characteristic is bloom frequency since we don't want to just look at green leaves on a major focal point. Here's where I'm not completely sure about VP since it blooms really well when it blooms but I think I had only two flushes so far. Since this is the very first year I can't judge bloom frequency fairly but I'm guessing I'll get at least three flushes next year.

FYI - Since I'm only 5' tall, to take the photo in the magazine I had stand on a kitchen stool to get the camera more at bloom level. That's why you can see part of my yard in the background. Without the stool, it would have been a strictly upward shot where you just see the flower and the sky. I took the photo a couple of months before the surgery so I was in a lot of pain but I guess it was worth it. LOL!

Best wishes,

Ann

Thank you Kim! I appreciate your kind words!

Ann

Congratulations, Ann!!! What a beautiful rose!!!

That's thrilling, Ann. A celebrity among us!

Thank you maslovesroses!

Flowers - you’re so funny! A very warm thanks!

Ann

Ann, congratulations !!!

when i first open the magazine and link the pic to this thread i was soooooo happy. You have no idea . Flowers is right, you are a celebrity and i been saying.....'Yup, i know her' . it is a great feeling that we all know you.

Well, congrats again. i knew you will get selected from the last thread about photo contest.

Sorry, i never commented earlier since i am having issues with Houzz and could not posted anything.

jin.

Congrts! Its a beautiful photo! I hope purple/lavender roses become more popular.

How wonderful, Ann! I just now saw this post and thought I’d check it out. I’m so very glad I did. Congratulations to you. You must have been so thrilled and surprised when you saw your own photo in the ARS magazine. It’s quite an honor and accomplishment. It is a beautifully taken photo of a wonderful rose. I’m not sure how different our climates are, but having grown Violet’s Pride myself for several years, I wouldn’t be surprised if you get more than three flushes per season. She’s had so many flushes this year, that I’ve lost count. She’s an enthusiastic bloomer, for sure.

I’m encouraged to hear that your hip operation brought you such relief. Enjoy that special time in Hawaii with your mom. I hope you sent/gave her a copy of the magazine. I imagine she’s even prouder of you than we are:)

Again, congratulations! I’m so happy for you! Lisa

Ann, the photos are beautiful. Best wishes on your hip surgery recovery. Three of my relatives had hip replacement surgery, all are doing well. (Two of them were due to falling/broken bones.)

Have fun in Hawaii!

Violet's Pride is one of my favorite new roses, a fine rose here, I love the color and bloom form.

Ann,

About 20 years ago the American Rose Center in Shreveport had a photo contest of pictures taken on their grounds. I submitted several different pics, including one of Angel Face. A few months later, I saw my Angel Face pic on the cover of the American Rose Magazine. I didn’t even recognize it as my own at first, all I could think was that I’d seen that pic many times before, and it looked really familiar :-)

Oh, and the winning prize was an extra copy of the magazine, lol.

Plumeria Girl - many thanks for your kind words! I hope Houzz is working for you now.

sultry - Thank you! Weeks did a great job with the color of VP and the fragrance as well. I too hope that more lavenders are produced.

Krista - Thanks much and glad to hear VP is doing well for you. I think it fits the soft color palette that I think we both love!

BenT - your story is so funny! It sounds just like ARS to just go ahead and print a pic without notifying you. But 20 years ago? You were into roses that long ago? I bought my first roses from Regan eight years ago so I'm still novice. No wonder you're such an expert and you have that fantabulous garden! I'm in awe!

Lisa - thanks so much for your kindness! I really appreciate your input on VP's bloom frequency. My Mom is really declining mentally but she still remembers giving me my first SLR camera, a Nikon some 45 years ago. I will be sharing the issue with her.

Just wanted to add this Lisa because I think you said you might need a hip replacement. Prior to my hip replacement, I was unable to stand, walk, sit, or do much for almost a year. I was lying in bed a lot which actually prompted me to clean up my digital photo collection which consists mostly of rose photos. In the midst of my massive photo cleanup, I got an email from American Rose Society about the 2018 digital photo contest. Winning one of the categories was a nice bit of compensation for not being able to garden or do much of anything for a whole year.

I'm not sure if you had a hip replacement Lisa but this story may help you or someone so I want to share it. When it comes to health, I tend to be the odd duck where my problems, symptoms, and experiences don't typically fit the "norm", whatever that happens to be. This tendency continued with the hip problem. Although my hip problem started to completely impair me starting in June 2018, it wasn't until May 2019 that I got the hip replacement diagnosis. This was because I couldn't pass the diagnosis test which consists of injecting the hip joint with a short term pain killer. If the pain goes away, then the problem is the hip. I had this test done three times over a year - it was only the third time that the pain went away. The third test was done by a specific radiologist that my surgeon recommended. Since the injection is done with a high powered X-ray, one wouldn't think there'd be much variation among doctors but that wasn't my experience. A lot of time was wasted over a year and I had a lot of other tests on my back done before the third injection. When it comes to hip replacement, the injection test seems to be the only way to definitively diagnosis the problem and qualify for the surgery. So this is just to say that sometimes a straightforward diagnosis can be hard to come by but hopefully it eventually happens.

FYI - I had this surgery done through Medicare. I haven't paid anything so far and got excellent care from doctors, the hospital, home health, and PTs. I was formerly in charge of health insurance for many thousands of people covered under a myriad of insurance products and self-funded insurance by companies. Initially I thought Medicare might be a nightmare because of government bureaucracy, but over seven years, it's been the easiest most efficient insurer I've experienced thus far. I'm not a political person but I do care very much about access to health care and keeping costs down. I believe having Medicare as an option would be very beneficial for many people.

Again, thank you everyone for your good wishes!

Ann

You’re welcome, Ann. I really do believe Violet’s Pride will become a very frequent bloomer in year two, three at the most. I really have come to love her for her frequent blooms, great color, and easygoing character. She’s never bothered by bugs or disease. Mine blooms until pruning time in January.

Thank you for the extra information on your hip replacement. I have not had it done, and I’m no closer to having it done. The general consensus is that I’m awfully young to have hip replacement surgery. Apparently, they want to hold off as long as possible. I’ve had one hip injection, and I had pain relief for that afternoon only. I asked how this was possible, and was told the numbing medicine put in along with the other was what had given me such good, short term relief.

I also have Medicare, due to my disability status. I’m currently having an issue with my secondary insurance, and since June, nearly half of my disability checks have gone towards my Medicare premiums. I’m working on fixing that problem, and then I’ll see about moving forward with my hip issues. It’s truly been a nightmare for me, physically, emotionally, and financially. I’m just working on it one step at a time. I definitely need both my insurances ”back to normal”, before I can proceed at all.

All the symptoms you described before your surgery apply to me as well, to some degree or another. It’s nearly impossible to find a comfortable position. I have a stack of 3 cushions on my patio chair:) I’m getting pretty discouraged about the whole thing. I have MS that continues to weaken me. I’d rather have a pain free hip now, while I can still make some good use of it.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It does give me hope. Congratulations again on your phone being published. I really am happy for you! Lisa

Hi Lisa - I'm not sure how young you are but I agree that being pain free now will improve your quality of life! Hip replacements are typically done between the ages of 50 to 80 according to the Arthritis Foundation, with the average age being 68. I'm 65 and my surgeon said that having the replacement while you're younger and healthy is a good thing compared to having it in your 80s because people have less complications and recover more quickly.

I think there was a concern that the hip implant would need to be re-done because of uncertainty on how long the implant will last but the newer materials seem to last quite long. Even if it didn't last that long, I would rather have this surgery re-done and enjoy the time I have as a more able person.

Hip Implants Under 50 and Over 90 from the Arthritis Foundation

You're Never "Too Young" for Hip Replacement Surgery - Cleveland Clinic

You might consider getting a second opinion.

Best,

Ann