| "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."
~
Sheila Pickles: The Language of Flowers
(New York: Harmony Books, 1989)
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Other
Rose Links:
The History of
Rose: Univeristy of Illinois Extension
An excellent resource on the history of the rose, care, pruning,
diseases, societies, and more.
About.com:
Roses
A great resource for rose-related information.
The
American Rose Society
An educational, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the
cultivation and enjoyment of roses.
Timeless
Roses
A resource for avid rose gardeners.
EveryRose.com
Search for roses by name, color or just about any other
characteristic.The database includes over 7,000 roses and 2,100
photos.
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