“Of all the flowers, methinks rose is best.” -Shakespeare
Historical Glimpse
The embodiment of “forevermore” embraced for centuries by the elegant rose, has to this day captured our hearts.
According to archeological findings, the rose dates back 35 million years and grows abundantly throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The cultivation of the rose can be traced back 5,000 years to China, then brought to fruition by the Roman Empire to showcase in grand public gardens, at weddings, in exotic perfumes, and even medicine throughout the Middle East. (1)
Aphrodite the Greek Goddess of beauty, is said to have given the rose its name in honor of her son Eros. By changing one letter in his name the “rose” was born.
The color of a rose was used to identify fractious fighting for control of England in the mid-to-late 15th century. The virtuous white rose represented York and the blood-red rose represented Lancaster. The battle was aptly named “Wars of the Roses“.
In the 17th century, the rose was in such demand, that it was used as money for payments and bartering. Napoleon’s Josephine loved roses so much, that they dominated her home and breathtaking gardens at Chateau Malmaison in France. (2) This large and variant rose garden became the basis for the watercolor botanical illustrations of Pierre Joseph Redoute and was made famous in his book, “Les Roses“, to this day one of the world’s finest records of botanical illustrations. (3)
Today, the rose is one of the most popular grown flowers in the world. It is estimated that over 250 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day alone (4) and approximately one billion stems per year are produced in more than 30,000 acres of greenhouses across the globe. (4) A robust rose breeder named David Austin from England cultivated the rarest rose in the world, The Juliet which took more than 15 years to cultivate with a staggering cost of $4.3 million dollars. (5) Bouquets of the Juliet Rose can cost up to $250.00 for 3 dozen. (6)
3 Types of Roses
The Old Garden Rose
The Old Garden Rose ( Ancient Rose or Historic Rose), before 1867 is known for its double flower blooms, heavenly strong fragrance, and disease resistance. However, the downside of The Old Garden Rose is that it blooms only once a season
The Wild Rose
The Wild Rose before 1867, is not a cross-bred or hybrid rose like the modern rose. It dons a single bloom of 5 petals and comes in only one dominant color, pink.
The Modern Rose after 1867, is the most popular rose today. It resembles the Old Garden Rose but differs in the number of bloomings per year. While the Old Garden blooms prolifically once, the Modern Rose is able to bloom continuously. Their flowers are often fragrant but some are not. Be cautious about what type of rose you buy and where, if fragrance is your motivation.
Poetic Musings
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose.
By any other name would smell as sweet.” –Romeo and Juliet, Sonnet 18
Shakespeare‘s timeless play, Romeo and Juliet, made the romantic “sense of forever” synonymous with the rose and love.
“My heart is telling me,
That I can easily find roses,
Where my critics find only thorns
-Sri Chinmay
Love binds us together like no other, the rose helps pave the way. -p.o.martig
Editor’s Note: I have always adored the rose and have dozens of plants blooming as I write. I love its smell, the delicate nature of its petals, its vibrant array of colors and repeated blooming, the gorgeous floral arrangements I have been able to create, and the utter joy they bring to me and others with whom I lovingly share. I wish I could replicate the contentment roses give me, but nothing comes to mind.
References
*There are volumes of particulars surrounding the elegant rose online. I prefer the compilation from the American Rose Society and Jenkins & Perkins, or The Grace Rose Farm to pique your continued interest including the references listed below.
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose
(3) https://travelcuriousoften.com/tco-guide/josephines-gardens-at-chateau-de-malmaison/
(4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Joseph_Redout%C3%A9
(5) http://afnow.org/aboutflowers/holidays-occasions/valentines-day/valentines-day-floral-statistics/
(7) https://www.gracerosefarm.com/products/juliet
(8) Google Images of all roses
Be First to Comment