In general, the leaves are a
symbol of hope.
Regardless of color or stage of development, roses sent every month
convey the message: "beauty ever new."
A full blown rose placed over two buds forms a combination that signifies
secrecy.
Rosebuds symbolize beauty, youth and a heart innocent of love or: "You
are young and beautiful."
Roses and Royalty
The rose is called the "Queen of Flowers." While
roses are readily available to all of us, they also have been known
to "hob bob" with royalty. The King of Sweden, for example,
sent Silvia Sommerlath, now his wife and Sweden's Queen, one dozen yellow
roses every day during a four-year romance. That adds up to 1,461 dozen....
or 17,532 individual flowers.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Grace of Monaco are among those who have
had red roses named after them.
The Quest for the Perfect Rose
Today's roses are the result of centuries of genetic reshuffling,
the work of both nature and man. Rose hybridizers have been able to
combine and recombine genes for constant improvement. The results have
been new colors, forms, textures, habits and fragrances, more vigor
and disease resistance.
Most of the roses currently on market primarily have been produced
by the work of about 50 professional hybridizers. Each one cross-pollinates
thousands of roses every year in hopes of finding that "perfect"
one. The number of possible genetic combinations for new roses is mind
boggling, but the odds have been placed at about 100,000 to 1 against
any specific cross-fertilization producing an outstanding new rose.
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America's Favorite Flower
Universally accepted as living symbols of love, friendship,
success and peace, roses are becoming more and more popular as gifts
for all occasions and, as well, for spur-of-the-moment, everyday expressions
of good feelings. They are being used as birthday and anniversary gifts,
to decorate a hostess table, to say "thank you" for a job
well done, or to say, "I love you" at a most unexpected time.
The classic lines and beauty of the rose appeal to just about everyone,
whether man or woman, modern or traditional, young or old. A rose gift
is to perfect answer for the person who "has everything."
It's always the right size, shape and color, and it's never too fattening.
What's more, the size of the rose bouquet can be adjusted to fit any
pocketbook.
History
"The rose is one of the oldest flowers known to man,
and still one of the most popular. Nebuchadnezzar used them to adorn
his palace and in Persia, where they were grown for their perfume oil,
the petals were used to fill the Sultan's mattress. In Kashmir the Moghul
emperors cultivated beautiful rose gardens and roses were strewn in
the river to welcome them on their return home. Roses later became synonymous
with the worst excesses of the Roman Empire - the peasants were reduced
to growing roses instead of food crops in order to satisfy the demands
of their rulers. The emperors filled their swimming baths and fountains
with rose water and sat on carpets of of rose petals for their feasts
and orgies. Heliogabalus used to enjoy showering his guests with rose
petals, which tumbled down from the ceiling during the festivities.
The Rose is the flower of love. It was created by Chloris, the Greek
goddess of flowers, but of a lifeless body of a nymph, which she found
one day in a clearing in the woods. She asked the help of Aphrodite,
the goddess of love, who gave her beauty; Dionysus, the god of wine,
added nectar to give her a sweet scent, and the three Graces gave her
charm, brightness and joy. Then Zephyr, the West Wind, blew away the
clouds so that Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower
bloom. And so the Rose was." |
About the Rose