The Selmonsky Rose Bush

Mary Selmonsky Wildman and Philip Selmonsky

 

A story from Peter Stern and PJ Lehrer:

 

Peter: When I was young my grandparents, Philip and Pauline Selmonsky, had a favorite red rose bush in their backyard in Brooklyn. 

 

When the house was sold, the rose bush was moved to my parents, Luke and Doris' backyard, also in Brooklyn.

 

PJ: When Luke moved to California, my mother, Susan Stern Lehrer, moved the rose bush to her home in the Poconos.

 

When Sue sold her home in the Poconos, she moved the bush to her son Ken's home in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where it currently resides.

 

For most of its life it lived in partial shade and was a normal size rose bush.  But when Sue planted it at Ken's she put it in a full sun location and it has grown into a giant. 

 

Here's a recent photo...

 

Not bad for a plant that's over 100 years old!