For the past week, I've been haphazardly wondering about Bridal Pink, because it had a cluster of buds with some that looked normal and some that looked like they belonged on a miniature rather than a floribunda. The small buds also had tints of deep bright red peeking through the sepals. I was thinking maybe the weather that abruptly went from very hot to chilly last month had caused Bridal Pink to do something strange.

Then I remembered to look at Bridal Pink again yesterday, and I suddenly felt pretty foolish. I realized that an ivy geranium ('Carlos Uhden') had snuck up behind it and inserted a cluster of flowers through of the center of the rose:

(Please ignore the aphids on the actual Bridal Pink buds.) Carlos Uhden is a pelargonium bred by the great California rose breeder Fred Howard, so I like to think it's his prank on Gene Boerner from beyond the grave.