Message about the rose. Harm to rose flowers and contraindications
By selecting varieties and varieties accordingly, you can literally “drown” your garden in the beauty and aromas of these plants, blooming from early summer until late autumn.
These varieties include the polyanthus rose; if you choose the right species, flowering begins already in May, repeats twice and ends its color before the onset of frost.
That's why roses and is the "queen" of flowers ruling over all other flowers and eclipsing them with their beauty.
History of rose culture
A little about the history of culture, which goes back centuries. Some sources claim that roses appeared on earth even before the appearance of man, i.e. about 6 million years ago.Other data (this is evidenced by excavations carried out in Europe, Asia and North America) claim that roses existed on earth 30 million years ago. Jewelry images of roses were found on the island of Crete in 2800-2100 BC.
Later, about ten centuries, images of roses appeared in painting, architecture and weaving. People tried to convey their admiration for the beauty and grace of a flower through sculptures made of clay, marble, metal, precious stones and even... movements own body: remember how many magnificent dances were dedicated to the rose. Where did the rose come from? The ancestral home of this miracle flower is not yet known for sure. Here the opinions of many scientists differ.
Some believe that the rose first appeared in China, from there the Chinese rose was later brought to Europe. Others claim that most European roses come from the Middle East of Persia and Mesopotamia.
It is known that the rose is the favorite flower of the Persians- It is no coincidence that Persia was called Gulistan, the land of rose gardens.
The epithet “queen of flowers” was first awarded to the rose during the period when plants began to be cultivated. This honorary title was awarded to her by the Greek poetess Sappho from the island of Lesbos.
This happened around 600 BC, although the rose looked very modest at that time. At the turn of the Middle Ages, the rose already had the names Rosa gallica (Gallic or French rose), Rosa damascena (Damascena rose), Rosa centifolia (centifolia or Provencal rose), etc. The named varieties of roses can still be found today in their original form in old gardens. Rose gardens and rose gardens initially existed only in princely parks.
In France, Empress Josephine planted her rose garden in the park near the Melmaison Palace, given to her in 1798 by her husband Napoleon the First. In 1814, 250 different varieties of roses grew in the Malmaison rose garden. By order of the Empress, they were collected not only from all over the country, but were also imported from other countries, for example from Holland, which began to engage in targeted breeding of certain varieties of roses relatively early.
A decisive role in the breeding of numerous garden roses played participation in crossing wild species and their natural hybrids, different varieties of old forms of roses.
Since the end of the 18th century, a new stage in the cultivation of roses began. Enormous work was carried out on their hybridization, selection, and introduction; more than 20 thousand varieties were bred.
In 1867, the French breeder F. Guillot, after crossing a tea rose brought from China with a remontant rose, received the first hybrid tea rose, which he called "La France". Since then, hybrid teas (also called noble teas) whose pedigree includes a large number of famous ancestors, have become the most popular group. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the number of varieties of this group alone reached more than 10 thousand.
How many varieties of roses are there, including mutations?(i.e. random changes) there are in the world today we can only say approximately. We are probably talking about a figure close to 30,000. Every year new varieties are added to this number, while the old ones are forgotten and go out of use.
Rose breeding, classical methods
Despite the fact that in modern selection Radiation and chemical mutagenesis have been used for decades, the bulk of varieties are still obtained using classical methods.These methods have always required exceptional precision, care in selecting parental pairs, crossing, growing seedlings and a lot of time for selecting them.
Breeders have calculated that to develop one single new variety, up to 2000 seedlings are required. It takes years to develop one such variety. Besides breeders claim that there will never be a perfect, perfect rose.
This is because what breeders strive for is not limited to outside, including color, size of flowers or their aroma, and also affects such qualities as flowering duration, resistance to adverse weather conditions and disease resistance. Through continuous breeding work roses are being selected that are close to such almost ideal samples.
Rose scent, chemistry of rose scent
In the rose garden you will, first of all, be amazed by the richness and variety of colors and shapes of flowers, and upon careful examination you will see that the varieties various shapes petals, leaves, color of stems, shape of thorns and difference in aroma. Just like some large fragrant flowers (for example, peonies), roses have a wide range of scents.In addition to their inherent, as we have already said, “habitual aroma” - roses can smell like irises, violets, apples, citron, clover, hyacinth, moss, orange, laurel, anise, lily of the valley, honey, wine, quince, geranium, pepper, parsley, raspberries. The chemistry of aroma, like color, is very complex, but it has been well studied in roses.
The volatile substances of essential oils are secreted by microscopic small glands on the upper side of the petals and create various aromas. People with a keen sense of smell perceive odors differently and especially when we're talking about about weak-smelling varieties.
There are varieties of roses, which spread such a strong aroma that even people with ordinary charm can easily identify it.
It was found that there is a relationship between aroma, flower color, temperature and weather conditions. Dark roses smell stronger. Roses with thick petals smell more strongly than those with thinner petals.
In cool weather, the aroma of roses is weaker than in warm weather. Roses growing in heavy soils rich in nutrients smell stronger than those growing in light soils. However, the excess nutrients reduces aroma.
N. Ya. Ippolitova, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences
Indian legend of the rose
The rose has been held in high esteem in India since ancient times. A law was even created that said that whoever brought a rose to the king could ask him for anything.
Goddess Lakshmi is the queen of beauty and the most charming woman in the world who emerged from a rosebud.
Muslim legend of the rose
God created the rose. All the plants of the Earth turned to Allah to create a new ruler for them instead of Lotus, who behaves very importantly and arrogantly. Allah granted their request by giving the world extraordinary flower- rose.
Persian legend of the rose
The rose is a very revered flower in Persia. Even the country itself was named in her honor - the Land of Roses (Gulistan).
Fragrant water from roses was used as a cleansing water. According to one legend, when the nightingale saw the magnificent Queen Rose, he was in great delight and, captivated, pressed himself to her chest. But sharp thorns pierced the bird's loving heart, and blood splashed onto the delicate rose petals. This is why the outer petals of roses have a pink tint.
Rose in Christianity
An ordinary bush became a rose. after the Virgin Mary hung Christ's swaddling clothes on him. A piece of bread that Saint Nicholas wanted to take to the poor became a rose, as a sign for a good deed.
rose flower- a symbol of beauty, since the sophistication of its delicate petals is harmoniously combined with sharp thorns. The rose is a member of the Varicolor family, the Rosehip genus. The plant in most cases is a branched shrub, the stems of which are covered with thorns; the rose has green leaves and large fragrant flowers of a wide variety of colors (see photo).
There are many legends about the appearance of this flower, but all of them are somehow connected with love. According to one legend, the rose appeared thanks to the efforts of the goddess Flora, who was unrequitedly in love with Cupid. The goddess in love decided to create a flower that would represent both sadness and joy. This is how the rose appeared. Seeing the flower, the goddess wanted to say the name of her lover, but instead of “Eros” she only managed to say “ros”. Since then, the rose, which Flora created as a symbol of unrequited feelings, has become an iconic flower for all lovers. Another legend says that the flower was born from the foam that covered the body of the ancient Greek goddess of beauty after bathing. The gods sprinkled the rose with nectar to give it a charming aroma and make it even more beautiful. Initially, the rose was snow-white, but when Aphrodite became aware of Adonis’ injury, she ran into the thicket where her lover was dying, the thorns wounded the goddess’s feet, and drops of her blood painted the white petals scarlet.
For the first time this amazing flower began to be grown in Ancient Rome. Ancient Roman writers sang the beauty of the flower starting from the 5th century. The Romans grew roses in gardens where previously only beneficial plants (spices, medicinal herbs). During the reign of the Carolingians, roses began to be grown as medicinal flower, also noting the decorativeness and beauty of this plant.
Garden roses became known at the end of the 18th century; at that time, amazing flowers were brought from Asia. beautiful plants, whose flowers had a pleasant aroma reminiscent of tea. The first information about the rose is found in ancient Indian sources, although Persia is considered the birthplace of the flower. The Persians considered the white rose a gift to people from Allah himself. There is a version that the flower got its name in honor of the island where it first began to grow - Rhodes. This flower has been cultivated for more than 5 thousand years, as evidenced by archaeological data. The scarlet rose has always been a symbol of love; in the Middle Ages, the gentleman had to give red roses to his lady.
Planting and growing
You can plant and grow a rose on summer cottage, if you create everything for her necessary conditions. Roses are generally heat-loving flowers, so they should be planted in a sunny place. Very often roses are grown from cuttings, that is vegetative way. This way roses can be grown even in a city apartment.
For this you will need a cut rose and a potato. Potatoes contain many nutrients that will help the rose take root faster. You should make a hole in the potato where you will need to stick the cut rose. The flower in the potato will take root very quickly; as soon as this happens, the rose along with the potato should be transplanted into the ground.
Useful properties
The beneficial properties of this flower are due to the presence large quantity essential oil. Rose oil is one of the most valuable in cosmetology and perfumery. The aroma of roses is included in many perfume compositions. Essential oil has a positive effect on nervous system, has a slight sedative effect. The aroma of rose stimulates brain function. In order to obtain just 1 gram of essential oil, you need to process about 30 kilograms of petals. There is even a whole valley of roses in Bulgaria, where a very valuable oilseed variety is grown. pink color. Bulgarian rose oil is considered the best in the world. Products containing rose essential oil are also world famous and are used for facial skin care.
Rose petals contain fatty acids that restore protective properties skin, relieve inflammation and irritation. A paste of rose petals is applied to various skin problems for 5-10 minutes. Rose petals kill painful microorganisms and promote healing. The gruel from the petals is effective for eczema, acne, and is also used to relieve inflammatory processes in psoriasis.
Regular baths with rose petals or rose oil can also help solve skin problems. To prepare a medicinal infusion, you should brew a glass of petals with a glass of boiling water and leave in a sealed container to preserve the essential oils. The infusion should be added to the bath. There is no need to strain it.
Use in cooking
In cooking, rose flowers are used to prepare the famous rose jam. The recipe for this healthy sweet is also known under the romantic name “woman’s revenge.” To make jam, 200 grams of rose petals, a kilogram of sugar and a glass of water will be enough. The petals are covered with sugar and left to sugar for two days. After two days, prepare a syrup from sugar and water with the addition of lemon juice, then add petals in sugar to the syrup and cook until tender.
Wild rose, or rose hip, can also be used to brew an aromatic drink, which is also called “Chinese tea.” To prepare this drink, you will have to prepare the leaves in a special way. The leaves should be dried in the shade for one day, after which they are rubbed in the palms until the leaves release juice. The prepared leaves are poured onto a baking sheet in a small layer and covered with a wet cloth. The baking sheet is kept at a temperature of 26 degrees for 6-10 hours. Then the fermented leaves are dried for 40 minutes at a temperature of 100 degrees. Tea is brewed as usual, at the rate of 1 teaspoon per glass of boiling water. The drink turns out to be very tasty and healthy.
Rose flower benefits and treatment
The benefits of roses are enormous. So, on its basis you can prepare various wound healing agents. For example, for getting rid of boils, treating burns and skin diseases prepare an ointment from butter and rose petals. For the ointment, a few grams of petals ground into powder and 100 grams of butter will be enough. The ointment turns out to be very tender and fragrant, in addition, it is quite effective due to the bactericidal properties of roses.
IN folk medicine There are many recipes for using rose oil. This kind of oil is an excellent antiseptic, which significantly expands the range of its use. It is best to prepare rose oil based on olive oil. To do this, pour 2 cups of petals with a glass of olive oil and leave for three weeks in a dark place. During this time, the bottle of oil must be shaken from time to time. Afterwards, the mixture is filtered, and the oil is poured into another bottle. Rose oil is used externally for skin diseases or simply to care for delicate skin; the oil is used internally for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Drinking medicinal oil 1 teaspoon twice a day an hour after meals.
For sore throat and tonsillitis sore throat Treated with rose vinegar. To prepare vinegar, pour rose petals (about 100 grams) with 9% vinegar and leave for one week. For throat diseases, vinegar is diluted with water at the rate of 1 teaspoon of vinegar per glass of water; gargle with this solution several times a day until complete recovery.
Harm to rose flowers and contraindications
Rose can cause harm to the body due to individual intolerance. It is not recommended to use rose essential oil during pregnancy. Before using an essential oil, be sure to do a tolerance test of this product. To do this, apply a few drops of diluted oil to the bend of the elbow. If allergic reactions occur, use of the oil should be discontinued.
Perhaps there are not so many myths and legends about any plant as about the rose - this flower appeared on earth many millions of years ago and is still very popular among gardeners all over the world. Roses were revered in Ancient Persia, Greece, and France, but in Russia this flower for a long time considered a pagan symbol. The high decorative qualities of this plant are glorified in songs, odes and treatises are dedicated to it, and many ancient families place it on their coats of arms.
Legends about the rose flower: where and how these plants appeared
According to archaeologists, roses have existed for approximately 35 million years - this is how the finds of fossilized plants are dated.
The history of the rose flower began in Ancient India: It was from there that the first mention of this plant has reached our days.
One of the treatises says that if a person brought a rose to the king, then according to the law he can ask the king for anything.
This manuscript does not say how the rose flower appeared, but there is a beautiful legend associated with it:
One day, in an open rose bud, consisting of 108 large and 1008 small petals, the most beautiful woman in the world appeared - Lakshmi. The guardian of the Universe Vishnu, seeing her, kissed her and made her his wife.
According to this legend about the rose, Lakshmi became the goddess of beauty, and the plant itself became a symbol of divine mystery and a divine flower.
The first material evidence of where roses appeared was found in the Altai mounds (5th-4th millennium BC) - silver coins with roses carved on them were found in them.
The rose was especially revered in Ancient Iran (Persia), and by the name of the rose - “gul” - this country was often called Gulistan.
There is a myth about rose flowers and the history of their origin:
The Persian legend about the rose plant says: one day the children of Flora came to Allah, complained about the eternally sleepy lotus and asked to appoint a new ruler for them instead; Allah appointed a white rose with sharp thorns as ruler; Seeing the new queen of flowers, the nightingale in delight pressed her chest so hard that he injured himself, and the petals turned pinkish.
The descendants of the ancient Persians came up with new myth about the rose, according to which white flower grew from drops of sweat of the prophet Mohammed:
When he ascended to heaven at night, from the drops of sweat of the Archangel Gabriel who accompanied his ascent, a red rose appeared, and from the drops of sweat of the donkey who was with Mohammed, a yellow rose appeared.
This is where Muslims respect the rose and their belief in the cleansing power of rose water.
Where did the rose come from: myths about the flower
The earliest depictions of roses in Europe are the frescoes of the Knossos Palace in Crete, which date back to the 16th century. BC e. Around the same time, the rose was widespread in Egypt. During excavations of Egyptian tombs from 170 BC. e. wreaths of roses were discovered that were so well preserved that their botanical species was even established.
The ancient Greeks considered the rose a gift from the gods and believed that it emerged from the white foam that covered the body of Aphrodite, emerging from the sea at birth. Having assessed the new beautiful flower, the gods immediately sprinkled it with nectar, thanks to which the rose acquired the finest divine aroma. But the nectar did not make the flower immortal, because evil forces were jealous of its beauty.
The rose remained white until the misfortune happened. Aphrodite received news that her lover Adonis had been mortally wounded by a boar. Without discerning the path, the goddess of beauty ran to the scene of the tragedy. A few drops of her blood fell on the rose, and its petals turned from white to bright red.
Another myth about how red roses appeared says that Cupid gave this flower to the world. Once, during a feast of the gods, Cupid, fluttering, knocked over a vessel with nectar, and this magical liquid gave the flowers a wonderful smell and turned them red.
As you can see, every nation has its own legends about where the rose came from, and this adds to the attractiveness of the magnificent flower.
The legend where the name “rose” came from
If we talk about where the name “rose” came from, the ancient Greeks are sure that it appeared thanks to the goddess Flora:
According to this myth about the rose, Flora managed to avoid meeting Cupid for quite a long time, but he still overtook her and struck her with his arrow. Flora was inflamed with love, but now Cupid began to avoid her. In response, the goddess created a flower that would laugh and cry, combining sadness and joy. Seeing the flower, she wanted to dedicate it to her beloved and call it “Eros,” but she faltered and said only “grew,” and since then everyone calls this flower a rose.
But this is not all versions!
Another legend about where the rose came from is also associated with Cupid:
Allegedly, the goddess of the hunt, Diana, who was in love with him, once, in a fit of jealousy towards the beautiful nymph Rosalia, killed her, wounding her with thorny thorn bushes. The distressed Cupid, having found the lifeless body of his beloved, began to cry, his tears fell on the thorn bushes and turned into amazingly beautiful flowers - roses.
The ancient Greeks loved roses; these flowers were used to decorate homes, temples of numerous gods (and first of all, of course, Aphrodite) and public buildings, chariots and streets. They were worn on the head in the form of wreaths as a sign of mourning; they were used to clean monuments and urns with ashes, as they believed that the smell of a rose would protect the remains from destruction and would be pleasant to the souls of the dead.
From Greece the rose came to Rome, where it also became a favorite flower. The Romans grew roses for their petals. The petals were filled with aromatic pillows, added to perfumes, food, cosmetics, and on holidays the floors were strewn with them. In ancient times, the technology for making aromatic oil from rose petals was already known.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the rose was forgotten for a while, because it was considered a pagan symbol by Christians. In the Middle Ages, roses returned in popularity and, as paintings from that time show, they even became part of the cult of the Virgin Mary. During prayer, the monks fingered rosary beads made from dry rose hips.
How many varieties of roses are there?
Numerous varieties of roses appeared at the end of the 18th century.
Few people know another one interesting fact about roses: It turns out that even Napoleon was involved in rose growing. He invested huge amounts of money in growing roses. His wife at the Chateau de Malmaison collected the best collection of roses at that time.
It is known that cultivated roses originated from wild flowers. The most common of these is the rosehip, or "dog rose", native to Northern Europe. In the 14th century, the Crusaders brought Gallic and Damask roses to Europe from the Middle East. They became the progenitors of, as they now say, ancient varieties.
And only in the 18th century did Chinese roses come to France and then to England. They were distinguished by a longer flowering period.
The efforts of breeders at the end of the 18th - early XIX centuries were aimed at breeding varieties with repeated flowering, and these efforts were rewarded with the production of a group of new varieties of roses, the so-called remontant (repeating flowering).
And by crossing remontant roses with tea roses and varieties of tea roses with each other, roses were obtained.
This group of roses with abundant long flowering, elegant double fragrant flowers, distinguished by a rich variety of colors, became very widespread and now occupies a leading place in the assortment.
Polyantha roses with a lush inflorescence of small flowers were formed as a result of crossing with one of the low-growing Chinese roses. Polyantha and hybrid tea varieties produced roses with large flowers in inflorescences.
Varieties of modern roses appear constantly. Breeders have created a group of park (shrub) roses. Among them there are ground cover varieties, the care of which is minimal, and many of them are rooted.
How many varieties of roses are there in the world? Currently, the world assortment of roses includes about 25 thousand varieties and forms. And, despite how many varieties of roses are already cultivated, more and more new varieties are being added to this number.
Roses have been held in high esteem by all nations since ancient times. The Romans considered roses a symbol of morality, the Greeks planted rose gardens around the temple of Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty, pink petals strewn the path of the newlyweds. And rose water was one of the most common cosmetics.
Description of the rose plant and its photo
Here you can see a photo and description of a rose - one of the most beautiful flowers on Earth:
Roses are a separate genus of the Rosaceae family, which includes various types cultivated (roses) and wild (rose hips) species.
The description of a rose flower cannot be unambiguous, because these plants are very different in appearance: they are erect or creeping multi-stemmed shrubs, ranging from 0.3 to 2.5 m in height, and some evergreen climbing species reach 10 m. Woody stems and shoots are almost always covered with thorns of various sizes and shapes.
The only similarity in the description of the rose plant is the structure of their leaves: they are all complex, imparipinnate, in most species they consist of 5 - 7, sometimes 9-11 leaves.
Flowers of various colors, bisexual, solitary or collected in umbellate-paniculate inflorescences. For many garden species they form on one-year-old wood. They bloom several times during the summer.
The fruits are nut-shaped, with a dense woody shell, ripen in August-September. They contain from 3-5 to 100 or more seeds. Widely used in medicine.
Roses are distinguished by the shape of the bush, the aroma and color of the flowers. That is why they are used in a wide variety of plantings, combined with other plants, or gardens are created only from roses ().
Rose is a member of the Rosaceae family. Today, this genus includes about 400 species of wild roses, about 1000 subspecies and more than 30 thousand varieties. And every year there are more and more varieties and hybrids, and it becomes more and more difficult to classify them. This huge economy requires systematization, and this process is ongoing.
For many years there was confusion in the international rose growing community, as the standards adopted in each country differed significantly. For decades, work has been going on to compile a unified classification of roses, and in 1976 the World Federation of Rose Societies approved unified classification roses, which was based on their decorative and biological characteristics, not origin.
Since then, of course, changes have occurred, new varieties are added to the list, new groups are included.
This systematization has practical significance not only for science, but also for every gardener: knowing which group this or that variety belongs to, the gardener can figure out what conditions the plant needs, where it is best to plant it and how to care for it.
Roses are certainly very beautiful flowers. Where did roses come from? Roses have a very interesting story and legends of their origin.
In many cultures, the rose is considered the queen of flowers and is an object of admiration and worship, a symbol of passionate love.
The first information about this flower is found in ancient Hindu legends. In India, the rose was so revered that kings bestowed great wealth on those who brought them this flower.
No fewer legends about the rose appeared in Ancient Iran. According to one of them, all the flowers came to Allah and asked that instead of the royal but lazy Lotus, a new ruler be appointed to them. And then Allah created a magnificent white rose with sharp thorns.
According to another legend, the rose appeared from drops of Mohammed’s sweat when he ascended to heaven at night. Mohammedans believe in the cleansing power of this flower, and if they see a rose lying on the ground, they will never step on it, but will move it to a clean place. They also attribute cleansing powers to rose water. According to legend, after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, Sultan Mohammed II ordered the Hagia Sophia Church to be washed from the dome to the base with rose water, and then made a mosque out of it.
Even the great philosopher Confucius sang the rose and worshiped it as a divine flower. In the i Peratorian gardens of China, a huge amount of rose bushes, and the imperial library contains 500 volumes entirely dedicated to the rose.
❧ In the garden of the Iranian Negaristan Palace, a unique Eglantheria rose grows, the height of which reaches 6 m, and the girth of the trunk is 70 cm.
Scientists are still arguing whether the rose was known to the ancient Jews. Nevertheless, the Talmud says that a red rose grew from the blood of the innocently murdered Abel. Besides, important element The outfit of any Jewish bride is a red rose. In the 7th century BC e. During the reign of King Ptolemy in Egypt, a lot of roses grew in the town of Arsinoe, from which precious rose water was prepared. When Queen Cleopatra hosted the Roman commander Mark Antony, the floor of the palace hall was covered with a layer of rose petals, the thickness of which was several tens of centimeters.
Ancient Greece was the center of intellectual life of the ancient world, and the rose was also revered there, considering it a gift from the gods. The ancient Greek poet Anacreon tells of the birth of a rose from snow-white foam that enveloped the beautiful body of Aphrodite when she emerged from deep sea. The gods were so amazed by the beauty of the flower that they sprinkled it with nectar, from which the rose acquired its magnificent aroma.
Many legends tell how white rose turned red. One of them is the Persian legend of the nightingale and the rose. The nightingale fell in love with the rose and, captivated by its perfect beauty, pressed it to his chest. However, the thorns, sharp as blades, pierced the heart of the unfortunate lover, and the petals of the flower absorbed his blood.
An ancient Greek legend tells that the goddess of love Aphrodite ran to her seriously wounded lover Dionysus through the rose bushes. Sharp thorns dug into her body until she bled, which turned the rose petals red.
The rose occupied a special place in the life of many peoples. The Greeks strewn the path of the winners with these flowers, lovers gave them to each other, brides decorated their outfits with individual roses and entire wreaths of them. In addition, the ancient Greeks considered the rose to be a symbol of infinity, so they had a custom of decorating urns containing the ashes of the dead with flowers. In their opinion, miraculous properties roses helped restore beauty, delay old age and protect remains from decomposition. Knitters of rose wreaths used Ancient Greece great respect.
The ancient Romans adopted the worship of this plant from the Greeks. In the Roman Republic, the rose was revered as a symbol of morality. She was also considered the personification of courage, so warriors put wreaths of roses on their heads to get rid of fear before battle; were awarded wreaths of roses and prominent figures. A rose branch was often hung above the table, as it was considered a symbol of the god of silence, Harpocrates. There is a popular expression: Sub rosa dictum - “I said under the rose”, meaning that what was said is a big secret.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the rose acquired a completely different meaning and became a symbol of fun and drunken orgies, the personification of base feelings. Roman aristocrats stuffed pillows and mattresses with rose petals and covered the floors of their houses with them. The Roman Emperor Nero ordered the walls and ceiling in the dining room to be made rotating and to depict the change of seasons. Millions of pink petals showered the guests, symbolizing rain or snow. Roman emperors admired the scent of roses so much that even during boat trips they strewn the surface of the sea with petals for them.
On the outskirts of Rome, rose plantations grew in place of grain crops, and on its streets there were so many of these flowers that their aroma made unaccustomed people faint.
Due to the fact that in Rome the rose became a symbol of depravity, the first Christians were disgusted by this flower. However, its amazing beauty and delicate aroma eventually regained their favor. White roses became a symbol of St. Mary Magdalene, and the red rose lost its color when Mary shed tears of repentance. In Catholicism, the white rose is considered the heavenly protector of good people.
In medieval France, the rose was held in high esteem and love, so much so that not everyone was allowed to grow this flower. There was a custom according to which every parent, even the poorest, was obliged to give his daughter a wreath of roses. In those days, during baptism, even pink water was added to holy water.
In England in the 15th century. The fratricidal war lasted 30 years, called the War of the Red and White Roses, because these flowers were the symbols of the 2 royal dynasties. Recently, English gardeners developed a special variety of rose, named “Lancaster-York” in memory of the warring royal families. It is distinguished by the fact that white and red roses bloom on its bush at the same time.
In the old days, actors in England wore rosebuds on their shoes, which were attributes of their costumes. Later the rose became distinctive feature the appearance of English dandies - it was customary to wear it behind the ear. Moreover, preference was given to large buds - that’s when the outfit was considered chic. The rose was so popular among aristocrats that even Queen Elizabeth herself wore it behind her ear, and King Edward VII loved this flower so much that during the monarch’s funeral, his wife Alexandra placed a white rose on her husband’s body.
In Germany, the rose was known and revered back in pagan times. One of the legends says that with the arrival of spring, the god of fire Loki begins to laugh, and from this laughter the last frosts occur, the snow melts, and roses appear from under it. Moreover, among the Germanic tribes, the rose was considered the personification of the sword and the mortal wound, therefore, in poetic allegory, rose gardens became a symbol of the battlefield and cemetery.
After the arrival of Christianity in Germany, the pagan worship of this flower was transformed. Thus, one medieval legend tells that the Virgin Mary hung her Son’s diapers on a bush to dry and roses bloomed on it. People believed that by touching a rose, a werewolf could become human again, and a witch would expose herself to witchcraft.
❧ In the botanical garden of Cluj, Romania, a rose variety with emerald petals, reminiscent of the transparent wings of a dragonfly, was bred.
Freemasons wore a rose on Midsummer. The symbol of the Rosicrucian Order was the Alexander Cross within a wreath of thorned roses. The Brazilian Emperor Don Pedro founded the Order of the Roses, whose symbol was a pentagon of stars with a wreath of roses inside.
In Russia, they began to decorate gardens with rose bushes only under Peter I, and this innovation reached its greatest flourishing under Catherine II. A story has survived to this day about a family of serfs who knew how to care for roses so well that their owner, the count, gave them the free name of the Rozanovs. The head of this family grew roses much better than the Englishman invited specifically for this purpose.
Typically rose petals are colored red, white, pink and yellow colors, but there are varieties with rare and unusual colors: blue, black, etc. Thus, the black rose has become a symbol of sadness. And recently in Italy they developed a variety of roses called “Purezza”, which means “purity”. It is distinguished by the purest white color of its petals, and the stems of the bush are completely devoid of thorns.