The rose is the queen of all flowers. Be it a single, a bunch or a bouquet rose, it created a lovely sight due to its immense beauty. This majestic flower adds splendor and beauty to any room, garden, park or lawn. It belongs to the rose family of rose canina and the genus rosa. The botanists have divided roses in the following groups.
Hybrid roses: These are the most popular garden roses and are bred from two or more different varieties of roses.
Miniature roses: This small tree is an easy growing shrub with bright pink and crimson flowers that has become a favorite of every gardener. They range in height from 4-18 inches
Cabbage roses: This is a well-known group of roses whose flowers have petal s arranged by nature like the leaves of a cabbage.
Baby sun roses: This Perennial Herb, Apart From Spreading Over The Ground, IT Makes a great hanging – basket decoration. Its dark –green and heart-shaped succulent leaves inter-spared with small, axially bright pink to purple flowers, display many petal arrangements that open only in the sun. It needs good sunshine to grow and spreads about two feet in the growing season.
Wild roses: These are 5-6 feet tall with thorny stems and fragrant flowers. They may be erect, climbing or overhanging shrubs. They have flowers with a single layer of five petals and they bear thorns. Above all, these roses are very popular for their beauty in the wild. Through, there are different kinds of roses having their different blooming periods, each kind of rose has its own special beauty and charm and peculiar attraction.
Process of growing roses: For planting roses, a pit of 4×6 feet depth has to be dug. A few weeks before planting the roses, mix the soil with well-decayed manure. The proportion of manure should be about one-third of the bulk of the soil and see that the manure should not come into direct contact with the roots. As the roses do not grow well in wet ground, the soil must be well-drained.
When planting, the beds or rows it should be so arranged that they will be convenient to water and weed. Most of the roses are from slips that are from cuttings or grafting. While cuttings will strike better if grown in the sun than in the shade, landing grafts in wet soil is fatal.
Many people grow roses in pots due to lack of space and keep on window sills, verandas or balconies etc. For this, richer compost is necessary. To allow the plant to grow well, every two years or so the entire soil should be changed in the pots.
Further, the most important function of the rose grower is to protect the roses and the plants from pests like caterpillars and diseases like raised rust and mildew. Wood ash is good for providing potash and strengthening the rose against the mildew and fungal attack.
The best period to plant roses in the hilly area is from October to June while in the plains from September to February. However, it can be planted throughout the years as well. But, do not plant them too close together.
The rose is the universal symbol of fragrance and loveliness. There are various varieties of rose in the USA and Canada as their official flower.
This majestic flower-rose is the national flower of Iran as well as the emblem of England.
The rose is the only flower that has a place in popular literature. From medieval times, onwards the rose has been used as a motif and smile by many poets and authors in Britain and Europe.
Roses for moose
Shakespeare’s famous composition of a woman’s cheek pining for her lover to a worm eating away into the rosebud in twelfth night is well known by most readers of literature. There are moose of such famous literary allusions to the fleeting beauty of the rose, but to cut the matter short, I am quoting below some famous saying in praise of the
Roses, shining,
Balsam-scented:
Fluttering, floating,
Secret life giving,
On your winged branches,
Released from your buds,
Hasten to bloom
– (Johan Wolfgang)
It is the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone,
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone
No flower of her kindred
No rose-bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.
- Thomas Moore
The fairest things have fleetest end,
Their scent survives their close,
But the rose’s is
To him, that loved the rose.
– Francis Thompson
Familiar rose proverbs have also evolved from earlier times. For example “under the rose means secret, privately. “A bed of roses means a pleasant life. “Not all roses means not perfect.
Various types of roses have their own importance. The moss rose suggests voluptuous love, the yellow rose indicates infidelity, a white rosebud suggests “too young to love and then there is the most favorite flower, the red rose. It is a symbol of love for us which can be given to anyone at any time on special occasions or so.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India and GianiZail Singh, former president of India , always pinned a red rose on their suits / coats uses of rose
Rose are not just beautiful flowers, they can be used in many ways. The best-known product of rose is rose water.
Rosewater is produced mainly in Bulgaria, France, Turkey and India. It takes about 600-880 pounds (300-400kg) of rose petals to make 3-1/2 fluid ounces (100ml) of oil of roses or attar. The Egyptians were the first to discover the versatile uses of rose water. It is said to have aphrodisiac effects and it was used by the timeless beauty Cleopatra to seduce her lover antonym. She bathed in a tub brimming with ass’s milk and rose petals to lend that famous glow to her skin.
Rosewater or attar is clear, colorless and soothing aroma used on all auspicious occasions and on altars. It is widely used in Indian and Mediterranean cuisines especially in sweets and desserts due to its reputation as a digestive agent. Rosewater can also be a common flower consumable of daily use like milk, cereals and fruit juices etc.
Preserved rose petals are widely used in the Indian paan – a betel leaf stuffed with natural month fresheners and flavoring to be served after meals to aid digestion. A dash of rosewater lemonade can work well for a disturbed gastric system ad and can also be used as a refreshing summer drink.
Rosewater is also used in the treatment of colds, scurvy, seasonal tiredness and a tendency to bleed. Being rich in vitamin C, it is highly recommended to use in tea, fruit puree jelly and liqueur.
Apart from the major use in the production of attar, the rose occupies a huge market in the floral industry. It is used in making floral weather and garlands. To cater to the perfume and attar industries, roses are cultivated on a large scale developing various varieties in India.
According to a report, a programmed has begun in Afghanistan to try and persuade poppy growers to change to rose cultivation.
The rose is really a symbol of the multi-faced nature of love and life. Its beauty lends itself to every occasion, charming every mind and heart at its sight.
By Jaidev Sharma