Rose Secrets

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Rose Secrets

We need to go back thousands of years into the history of cultivated roses. According to fossil evidence, rose plants have existed for approximately 35 million years. Wild roses are known to be hardy and adaptable plants which grow in conditions ranging from swampy to arid and can therefore tolerate the extreme climates of the northern hemisphere.

It is said that domestic cultivation of roses began more than 5,000 years ago in China. . Many of the Rose Secrets also include that they were cultivated extensively in the Middle East during Roman times, their petals used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes and perfume. Roman nobles kept large public rose gardens in the south of Rome, where they used hot-houses to "force" roses into bloom at desired times, and they also imported roses from Egypt.

European roses are mainly classified as Albas, Centifolias, Damasks, Damask Perpetuals, Gallicas, and Mosses. The European varieties, with the exception of the Damask Perpetuals, have only one season of bloom per year, while the Orientals bloom more or less continuously. As most of us know, England is the country most associated with rose cultivation. The damp, mild climate combined with the continually cloudy weather produces the best color in roses, which tend to have "bleached" colors in bright sunlight.

Roses feature extensively in British historical symbolism, and many family coats of arms feature roses. In heraldry, the rose is the symbol of the seventh son, hope and joy. A red rose symbolizes grace and beauty while a white rose symbolizes hope and faith. During the Middle Ages, roses were used in both public and religious festivals, and were also kept in medicinal gardens.

The fifteenth century "War of the Roses" was so named because the York and Lancaster factions were symbolized by white and red roses respectively. During the sixteenth century, roses and rose water were valued so highly that they were used as barter for goods. With the rise of mercantilism during the Renaissance, horticultural commerce flourished. Due to their fleet of trading ships, the Dutch were leaders in the trade of tulips, hyacinths, carnations and of course roses.

The eighteenth century also saw a great advance in rose cultivation, the widespread growing of roses from seed rather than just the propagation of cuttings. The varieties of roses available quickly expanded from just a few dozen to one or two hundred. Also, a whole new group, the Centifolias, was created by Dutch plant breeders. In the 1800's, Napoleon's wife Josephine kept a large rose garden at Chateau de Malmaison, an estate seven miles west of Paris.

Wherever you see a large, spectacular flower show today, know that they are derived from cultivars introduced from China to Europe in the eighteenth century. These plants were continuous bloomers, making them unusual and of great value to plant hybridizers. These roses were interbred with existing European roses to produce plants with both hardiness and long flowering season.

During the 1830's, horticulturists experimented intensely with interbreeding both Oriental and European roses. Due to the fact that the trait of repeat-blooming is recessive, the first generation of progeny between single-bloom and repeat-bloom roses are all single-blooming.

By the 1840's numerous new varieties had been created, called "Hybrid Perpetuals" for their perpetual blooming. These cultivars came in all colors and forms, were all at least somewhat re-blooming and hardy enough to withstand the northern European climate.

Interest in the original varieties of roses waned, except as a sentimental interest to heirloom rose fanciers. The gaudy new artificial hybrids are now held up as the flower-show standard of what a rose should look like.

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