Vinnie sez: “Your mudder wants roses”

I got a frantic message from my friend Vinnie. “Hey Victor, I really need your help! Come over as soon as you can!”

Vinnie is a very good customer of mine and I didn’t want to make him mad (besides, I think he’s in the witness protection program). I figured there was something wrong with the new landscaping we had put in. I met Vinnie at his house. The new Xeriscape that we had put in his front yard was doing very well, the plants were starting to bloom and the deep purple-blue catmint was astoundingly beautiful. The new vegetable garden was doing quite nicely; the tomato plants were thriving! Nothing wrong with the landscaping, something else is must be wrong, I thought.

“So what’s up, Vinnie!” I asked concerned.

“Mudder’s day is coming up and I just don’t know what to do! My Mamma is gonna come stay wit’ me for a while and I wanna do sumting special.” Vinnie said with a wild expression on his face.

“I always read your blog and I think you write pretty good so I wanted to see what you thought of dis poem I wrote for her.”

Vinnie is a big burly guy and he can seem a little menacing if you don’t know him. But suddenly his expression changed into one of angelic tenderness as he launched into his poem. And that was scarier than the tough guido I know. I was very uncomfortable.

“Mamma I love thee with all my heart
I cannot bear to be apart
Yer face—“

“Vinnie stop! Stop!” I yelled breaking his reverie. “Sorry, but a poet you’re not.”

“So whatta am I gonna do for my mamma!” cried a desperate Vinnie, looking a little hurt.

“Why don’t we put in a rose garden for her?” I said.

“Oh shua! Now why din’t I think if that? Mamma loves roses and besides she won’t be able to get out much. She can tend to the rose bushes and putz around in the vegetable garden while she’s here.”

“Using roses is a great way to add color and beauty to any yard. Roses that are available today have longer lasting blooms and they are easier to maintain. Small, compact rose bushes make beautiful container plants and brighten up a walkway. A good ground cover is a low spreading rose. The tall variety of roses can be planted three to four feet apart to form a border hedge and climbing roses are good on fences or trellises.

Dramatic effects can be accomplished by using combinations of different colored roses together in mass plantings. Your choices are endless; it all depends on what mood you want to create. Miniature roses can be planted in containers as accents for your patio. Tea roses are great for cutting and putting in vases. Roses not only attract wildlife, but will also liven up the patio with added color and fragrance.”

“Victor, you’re a genius!” said Vinnie excitedly. “Let’s get started on a rose garden right away! So, you wanna heah the rest of my poem? I’m gonna put it in a Mudder’s day card for her.”

“Sure Vinnie let’s hear it.” I said reluctantly. Vinnie again assumed a theatric pose and clasped his hands near his heart.

Mamma I love ya with all my heart
I cannot bear to be apart
Yer face is a work of art
And you been wit’ me from the start

You’ve been gone for no good reason
And your smile I have been missin’
Soon yer face I will be kissin’
Welcome home from Federal Prison.

“It’s beautiful Vinnie” I said wiping a tear. “Just beautiful.”

Happy Mother’s Day from the Hilltop.