January 2009 My roses are mostly in a lull right now, but every now and then one throws out a bloom or two. Mardi Gras has these two flowers out right now. I think Pristine will be next. I saw a couple of buds on it.
	March 2009 Mardi Gras is getting ready to burst with blooms. The buds are splitting and I think I'll have open flowers in a week.
	April 2009 Mardi Gras has 9 buds currently opening up, but this one's the furthest along. I think it'll be my first fully open rose of the 2009 season. :-) Mardi Gras technically had a couple of blooms in January before I did the hard prune, but...
	April 2009 I'm calling this the first open rose of the season. :-) It's open enough to really get your nose in for smelling, and it smells wonderful. Looks wonderful, too. Mardi Gras is such a bright cheerful fun rose. That's why she's planted at the corner of the flower bed, to be the first rose seen when coming up the walk.
	April 2009 The day after releasing ladybugs on the roses. Mardi Gras has had some trouble with aphids, so I was pleased to see the ladybugs still on that bush in particular.
	April 2009 A pulled back look at today's show of Mardi Gras.
	April 2009 Mardi Gras is still going crazy with the flowers. I'm just hoping she'll slow down enough to still have flowers when Julie gets here!
	May 2009 I love the way the sun will dapple Mardi Gras. With its multi-colored scheme, it always seems that much lovelier.
	May 2009 The light was hitting this kind of unusual-shaped Mardi Gras bloom in a way I couldn't resist.
	May 2009 Mardi Gras always looks like a celebration. :-) There are flowers all over the bush right now.
	June 2009 Mardi Gras has just started what looks to be another flourishing round of flowers. I swear, that bush never stops. As soon as one round is over, the next is already filling out and forming buds.
	July 2009 Afternoon light on Mardi Gras... a new orange bloom and an older pink bloom.
	September 2009 This bloom is softer in color than what I typically see on Mardi Gras. It was lovely (before the heat burned it to a crisp--it's been ridiculously hot this week).
	October 2009 It's funny. This flush of flowers on Mardi Gras... they're so tiny! I think it's because the extreme heat we had going for a while... it rushed the flowers and now they're opening while still small. They're cute, though. They're almost like mini-roses.
	October 2009 This is the perspective of Mardi Gras looking out from the house... or front walk, actually, but the only difference is distance. I love the pop of orange and pink that greets people who approach my house. Doesn't my fake lawn look great? :D I'm still so happy with that change.
	December 2009 Mardi Gras bud after one of the rounds of rain.