As you can see by my awesome rose bushes, I'm quite familiar with this plant. (Thank you again, Judy, for helping me with my landscaping/gardens. All the plants/trees you sent me are blooming just fine and I'm working on building my own arboretum.)
According to fossil evidence, the rose is 35 million years old! My goodness, how well they've endured. My roses don't even have a wrinkle!
Garden cultivation of roses is thought to have begun in China some 5,000 years ago.
When the Romans got hold of roses, they used them for confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes (Rose oil helps heal dry skin) and also for perfume.
Those Greeks, as usual, came up with a weird idea for using the rose. They decorated the ceiling of their meeting rooms with roses whenever they had a conference they wanted to keep secret. That's where we get the term "sub rosa."(I'm thinking tulips would have been a better choice--as in "keep your tu-lips shut" if they wanted secrecy. Oh well.)
During the 15th century, the rose was the symbol for the warring factions in England. The white rose symbolized York; the red rose symbolized Lancaster. Hence the term "War of the Roses."
Roses were in such high demand during the 17th century, that royalty considered roses or rose water as legal tender. (Wow! Imagine how much e-Bay shopping I could have done with my prolific rose bushes!)
Most modern-day roses can be traced back to roses introduced into Europe in the 18th century from China. Hybridizers (interesting word, have to make a note of that in case it ever appears on Jeopardy!) worked with native roses to make them hardier, longer blooming and create a variety of colors.
So that's the quick lowdown on the rose plant.
However, I have a question for my Assistant. As readers of our blogs have seen, she is a history buff, with a special interest in the 1939 World's Fair. I got hold of this interesting postcard for her showing the "Rose Court" at that Fair. So what I want to know is, how come the Rose Court is planted with Tulips???
Cousin Yadja has a possible answer to your question about the Rose Court at the fair Stretch. She says maybe it's planted with tulips because the Fair opened in late April and it might have been too early for roses. Sounds reasonable to me!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking along the same lines as your cousin Yadja. But to add a couple things, in the manner of how my brain works (or doesn't).
ReplyDeletePerhaps someone look down from on high and commented on how all the tulips "rose" from the earth in the "court."
I may have been a reflection of how the cost of everything that was sold in the court "rose."
Ok, so my thoughts make no sense, their not logical ... but hey, they were the only thoughts that "rose" in my head. LOL
Paul, after reading your comments I think you may have "rose" fever--or maybe Punitis! But seriously, we got a good chuckle out of your comments as always, you have some very original ideas for the rose court. If you were around in 1939 we would wonder if you didn't have a part in planting these tulips in the rose court! Stretch
ReplyDelete