When I studied in the US for my master degree. Let me tell you about my neighbors, Virgil Amick and his wife, Gerri. Virgil, now seventy-seven, had been growing roses for 30 years when he planted his first bush in some sandy soil near South Carolina 's Lake Murray.

Today, more than 250 varieties clamber across the property, in shades from glorious white, yellow, and orange, to baby pink to brilliant red. Climbing roses cover the fences; hybrid teas, miniature roses, and old roses stretch away in every direction.

Virgil and Gerri, who is seventy, tend to their garden, called Rose Haven, themselves, watering, pruning, and spraying each plant to coax forth perfect blossoms.

Gerri Amick, who has loved roses since she was very young, has been entering her beauties in rose competitions for twenty years. And it was their devotion to roses that brought them together.