ROSE after the rain - a photo on Flickriver

________________________________________________
thank you for your visit and comments ...
dziekuje za wizyte i komentarze... (Polish)
gracias por su visita y comentarios ... (Spanish)
obrigado por sua visita e comentários... (Portugese)
la ringrazio per la vostra visita e commenti ... (Italian)
je vous remercie de votre visite et commentaires ...(French)
ich danke Ihnen für Ihren Besuch und Kommentare ...(German)
поблагодарить Вас за Ваш визит и комментарии ... (Russian)
訪問とコメントをお寄せいただきありがとうございます... (Japanese)
여러분의 방문이나 의견 주셔서 감사합니다 ... (Korean)
谢谢您的访问和评论... (Chinese)
شكرا لك على الزيارة والتعليقات... (Arabic)
________________________________________________

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / FLICKR / TWITTER
photo by: Roman Kajzer @FotoManiacNYC

Roses are red, violets are blue
I don't sleep at night 'cause I'm thinking of you
Alone with my thoughts, trapped in this bed
Know I'd give the world just to see you again
I'll believe it when I see it
'Cause you said you're moving on
Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it
'Cause we both know you're not that strong
'Cause slamming doors and crying out
I thought it'd get you back 'til now
Roses are red, violets are blue
I don't sleep at night 'cause I'm thinking of you
Alone with my thoughts, trapped in this bed
Know I'd give the world just to see you again
And your imperfections perfectly drawn up
But I was a fool to think you were in love
So roses are red, violets are blue
It's all in my head, no matter what I do
It seems you've lost your love for me
Even though just two weeks ago you were happy
It seems you've lost your sympathy
But I guess it's my fault 'cause I let you slip from me
I didn't believe you'd ever leave me
So please, just listen to me now
Roses are red, violets are blue
I don't sleep at night 'cause I'm thinking of you
Alone with my thoughts, trapped in this bed
Know I'd give the world just to see you again
And your imperfections perfectly drawn up
But I was a fool to think you were in love
So roses are red, violets are blue
It's all in my head, no matter what I do
So roses are red, violets are blue
It's all in my head, no matter what I do

HISTORY OF ROSES

From the earliest times, indeed throughout the history of civilization, people from around the world have held the rose close to their hearts. The earliest known gardening was planting roses along the most traveled routes of early nomadic humans. The earliest roses are known to have flourished 35 million years ago, hips have been found in Europe, and petrified rose wreaths have been unearthed from ancient Egyptian tombs.

ROSES IN THE ANCIENT HISTORIC PERIOD

1. The Romans outdid the Greeks when Nero, the hedonistic emperor, in the 1st century AD, dumped tons of rose petals on his dinner guests.
2. Cleopatra had her living quarters filled with the petals of roses so that when Marc Antony met her, he would long remember her for such opulence and be reminded of her every time he smelt a rose. Her scheme worked for him. Such is the power of roses.
3. Not only in Christian literature but also in ancient Confucian and Buddhist religious documents we find references to the rose.
3. The Romans cultivated this great beauty and named it Rosa Gallica. Newly married couples were often crowned with roses.
4. Roman high society women used petals much like currency believing that they could banish wrinkles if used in poultices. Rose petals were often dropped in wine because it was thought that the essence of rose would stave off drunkenness and victorious armies would return to be showered with rose petals from the civilians that crowded the balconies above the streets.

ROSES IN THE MEDIVAL PERIOD

The first known paintings of a rose are actually frescoes. The earliest example was discovered in Crete around 1600 B.C.
The apothecary rose, R. Gallica Officinalis, first recorded in the 13th century, was the foundation of a large industry near the city of Provins, France. Turned into jellies, powders, and oils, this rose was believed to cure a multitude of illnesses.
In ancient Mesopotamia, Sargon I, King of the Akkadians (2684-2630 B.C.) brought "vines, figs and rose trees" from a military expedition beyond the River Tigris.

WAR OF ROSES

The war started when the nobles of York rose against Henry VI of Lancaster who was a feeble ruler. Edward IV, of York, replaced Henry as king. Later, Henry again became king but lost his crown once more to Edward after the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. The Yorkists held power until Richard III lost his throne to the Lancastrian Henry Tudor. Henry Tudor married into the House of York. This personal union ended the conflict, and a new famous dynasty, the Tudors, emerged.

The War of the Roses was a civil war in England that lasted from 1455-1487. The House of York adopted a white rose (R. alba), and the House of Lancaster decided to take a red rose (R. Gallica). The winner of this war, Tudor Henry VII, merged his Lancastrian rose with the red rose of his York bride and thus created the Tudor Rose, the Rose of England.

ROSES IN THE MODERN PERIOD

The renewed interest in the garden rose came with the 19th-century empress - Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. This ambitious woman's dream was to establish a rose garden in Malmaison containing a collection of all the roses of the world.

The era of modern roses was established with the introduction of the first hybrid tea rose, "La France" by the French breeder, Guillot in 1867. This variety was considered unique for several important horticultural reasons-
1) Hybrid tea rose possessed the general habit of a hybrid perpetual rose.
2) The elegantly shaped buds of hybrid tea rose.
3) Free flowering character of a tea rose.

By the late 20th century, more than 10,000 hybrid tea roses were bred with great success. The introduction of 'La France' heralded the era of modern roses.

SOME LEGENDS ON ROSES

1. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, is said to have created the rose which arose from her tears and the blood of her lover Adonis.
2. The Romans, turning Aphrodite into their goddess Venus, also adopted the rose: it became the symbol of love and beauty. Cupid, offering a rose when trying to bribe the God of Silence to hush Venus's amorous escapades, made the flower into a symbol of secrecy: Roman dining room ceilings were decorated with roses, reminding guests to keep secret what had been said during dinner. Sub Rosa, under the rose, up to this day means "confidentially".
3. The world's oldest living rose bush is thought to be 1000 years old. Today, it continues to bloom on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
4. In Ancient Greek mythology, when Venus´ son Cupid was stung by a bee he accidentally shot arrows into a rose garden. It was believed to be the sting of the arrows that caused the roses to grow thorns. When Venus walked through the garden and pricked her foot on a thorn, it was the droplets of her blood which turned the roses red.
5. Legend has it that during the Roman Empire there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe. Her beauty drew many suitors who pursued her relentlessly. Exhausted by their pursuit, Rhodanthe was forced to take refuge in the temple of her friend Diana. Unfortunately, Diana was of a jealous nature and when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near the beloved Rhodanthe, she became furious. Enraged, Diana turned Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns.
6. In an Arabic legend, all roses were originally white until one night when the nightingale met a beautiful white rose and fell in love. At this stage, nightingales were not known for their melodious song they merely croaked and chirped like any other bird. But now the nightingale's love was so intense that he was inspired to sing for the first time. Eventually, his love was such that he pressed himself to the flower and the thorns pierced his heart, coloring the rose red forever.

ROSE: A BRIEF HISTORY
Shakespeare once wrote: “Of all flowers, methinks rose is best”. Such sentiment is quite common and throughout history this elegant, symbolic flower has occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Americans show their reverence for rose by purchasing 1.2 billion cut roses annually. Additionally, it is estimated that 150 million rose plants will be purchased by gardeners worldwide during the coming growing season. Perhaps there is no better time to explore rose history than February and Valentine’s Day, the season of the year when, in the United States alone, an estimated 214 million roses will find their way into the lives of “significant others” everywhere.

Rose belongs to the family Rosaceae and genus Rosa; the latter contains about 150 species. According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, gave the rose its name in honor of her son Eros by rearranging just one letter in his name. In time Eros gave the rose to Harpocrates, god of silence, as a bribe to conceal the weakness of the gods. From there, rose became symbolic of secrecy, silence and love.

Fossil records show rose to be one of the most ancient of flowers. It probably originated in Central Asia but spread and grew wild over nearly the entire northern hemisphere. Two historical geographical groupings of roses can be made: 1) European/Mediteranean roses, which includes the Gallicas, Albas, Damasks, Damask Perpetuals, Centifolias and Mosses, and 2) Oriental roses, which are represented by the China and Tea roses.

The cultivation of roses likely began in Asia about 5000 years ago and they have been an intimate part of human civilization ever since. Confucius wrote of growing roses in the Imperial Gardens about 500 B.C. and mentioned that the emperor’s library contained hundreds of books on the subject of roses. Later, members of the Han dynasty were so obsessed with roses that their parks devoted to this flower took up so much land as to threaten the food supply, so the emperor ordered some to be plowed under.

Paintings on walls and other artifacts depicting roses were found in 5th century Egyptian tombs. It is said that Cleopatra was a fancier of roses and used them to try and seduce Mark Anthony. Reportedly she had her fountain filled with rose water and her chamber filled with two feet of rose petals in an attempt to win his affection. Additionally, the Persian King Nebuchadnezzar is said to have slept on a mattress filled with rose petals.

Centuries later, rose became synonymous with the lavish excesses often characteristic of the Romans, who associated rose with love, beauty, purity and passion. Roman emperors filled their baths with rose water and sat on carpets of rose petals for their feasts. Rose petals were used as confetti and Nero was said to be especially fond of having them fall from the ceiling at banquets (to the point dinner guest sometimes suffocated in their excess). So insatiable was the demand for roses that peasants often were forced to grow them instead of food just to satisfy the Roman aristocracy.

Early Christians considered rose to be symbolic of paganism and their oppressors, the Romans, and were warned by church leaders not to plant it. This warning (evidently) was ignored and it slowly gained popularity and was used in religious ceremonies. In time, rose became a Christian symbol and has become a rich part of its culture and literature.

Alexander the Great is credited by some with having introduced rose into Europe while others attribute the latter to knights returning from the Crusades of 12th and 13th century. During the dark ages European monasteries preserved the tradition of rose and required that at least one monk be skilled in botany and knowledgeable about the virtues of rose. Later, in 17th century Europe, rose became so prized that roses and rose water were considered a source of legal tender and could be used for paying the debts commoners owed to royalty. It also was during this era that Napoleon’s wife Josephine, a lover of roses, established one of the first extensive collections of roses at Chateau de Malmaison where her garden contained more than 250 rose varieties.

Presumably most of the roses in Josephine’s garden were of the European/Mediterranean type for it was not until the late 18th century that the China group was introduced into Europe. Shortly thereafter the China rose (Rosa chinensis) was crossed by hybridizers with Rosa gigantea (a European/ Mediterranean type) to form a new rose. Since some thought the newly-opened flowers of the resultant cross had the fragrance of an exquisite cup of tea, it was given the name tea rose. Decades later another type of rose was developed by crossing Damask rose (a hybrid formed in the Middle East by crossing Rosa gallica with Rosa moschata) with various species roses. Since the offspring of these crosses rebloomed freely they were given the name hybrid perpetuals and were quite popular through most of the nineteenth century.

A landmark achievement in rose breeding occurred in the mid-19th century when tea roses were crossed with hybrid perpetuals to give us the modern hybrid tea rose. Replete with their large flowers available in a palette of colors and their vigorous plants with glossy, green foliage, they are the most popular type of rose in the world today. Most consider them to be the standard of excellence by which all other types of roses are judged.

Several species of rose are indigenous to North America and rose was a favorite of many of those credited with shaping American history. William Penn imported 18 rose bushes from England in 1699. George Washington planted roses at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello. John Adams is credited with planting the first rose at the White House and the formal rose garden that still exits today was established during the presidential term of Woodrow Wilson.

The American Rose Society lists over 40 different type of roses in its classification system. Generally, they are grouped into Old World Roses (introduced before 1867) and Modern Roses (developed after 1867). Additional to the hybrid tea, other important modern rose groups include polyantha, floribunda and grandiflora. Polyantha roses are shrubby, low-growing roses with clusters of small flowers. They usually are quite hardy and bloom freely throughout the growing season. Floribundas were derived from crosses between hybrid tea and polyanthus roses. They produce large, hardy, shrubby bushes that bloom profusely and produce clusters of flowers. Grandiflora roses are the result of crossing floribundas with hybrid tea roses. Like their floribunda parent, they produce flowers in clusters. However, as their name implies, individual flowers are much larger and favor their hybrid tea parent in size.

It can be seen from the previous that rose lineage is quite complex. Over the centuries breeding efforts have attempted to produce the “ideal” rose, whatever the latter might imply to the developer. In spite of all the progress made in their improvement, rose still represent a formidable challenge to the gardener because of its susceptibility to diseases and cold temperatures. We tend to hold most dearly those things in life that are difficult to obtain. One can’t help but wonder if at least a small part of the fascination people have for roses lies in their fragile nature and the skill it takes to grow them. The next time you admire a rose consider the number of people throughout the course of civilization who also have paid homage to this exquisite flower.

Introduction

The Hybrid Tea Roses, accompanied at length by the Floribunda and Grandiflora Roses so influenced by them, have been at the fore of rose progress for about a century now--so long that its forebears and predecessors have become, to many rosarians, mere footnotes rather than what they should be, valid candidates for equal interest.

The modern "English Roses" by David Austin (modeled on the past; covered in another FAQ) and the ever-increasing groundswell of interest in old roses proper perhaps make it desirable for all rosarian netlings to gain some quick familiarity with the heritage of the rose. We therefore present the following thumbnail notes as something of a starting point, hoping that wiser heads will supply the necessary corrections or variant information, and hoping as well that those interested in more detail will check out the many fine books which deal with this at greater length.

General History

Various wild roses grow throughout the Northern Hemisphere in sites ranging from riparian and swampy all the way to those of the desert. Two geographical groupings which, at first, developed separately, have had--both in their separation and in their ultimate combination--the greatest importance in rose history: The European/Mediterranean group of species and their hybrids, and the Oriental group of species and their hybrids.

The European roses are primarily the following: Gallicas, Albas, Damasks, Damask Perpetuals, Centifolias, and Mosses. The mainstream Oriental groups are Chinas and Teas. The European sorts--with one important exception--have only one season of bloom per year, while the Orientals repeat bloom more or less continuously.

The European/Mediterranean roses or their forebears have been grown and loved since the earliest days of history (and no doubt before). Wreaths of Damask-like roses have been found in Egyptian tombs; seemingly the same rose--called at one time "Rosa sancta" (the Holy Rose)--has been grown down to our own days in holy places in eastern Africa. Frescoes painted during the heyday of the Minoan culture on Crete show roses. The festivals both sacred and profane of the classical Greeks included roses, and did those of the Romans. During the Roman era, a repeat-blooming variant of the Damask rose evidently appeared, the first member of a group which came to be called "Damask Perpetuals." The Romans were so sophisticated that they developed a hot-house technology which allowed them to "force" roses into more bloom; they also imported roses from Egypt. The roses of these most ancient times in Europe and the Mediterranean were seemingly the Damasks, the Albas, and the Gallicas.

During the Middle Ages, these roses retained a certain religious use, not only as decorations and adjuncts to (now Christian) holy festivals, but also as denizens of the medicinal gardens. Their medicinal associations as well as the simple human delight in their fragrance brought about the distillation-of-rose-essence industry, which still has local importance in a few areas of Europe (formerly France, now primarily Bulgaria).

With the end of the Middle Ages and the rise of the merchant class, commerce in horticultural material began to flourish. Due to their fleet of trading ships and the peculiarities of their geography, the Netherlands became (and continue) a great center of horticultural business. Alongside their trade in Tulips, Hyacinths, Carnations, and the like, came something new in Occidental rose progress: systematic growing of roses from seed (previously, roses had primarily been propagated from cuttings, suckers, runners, and possibly to a small degree by grafts). This opened up the possibility inherent in sexual reproduction: Variation. One of the great holes in knowledge of rose history concerns what roses they used in this, and how they went about it--but, at any rate, whereas previously only some tens of rose cultivars existed, now, in the period up to about 1810, one or two hundred became available, indeed a whole new group, the Centifolias, arising from the complex and possibly arbitrary breeding of the Dutch.

Around 1800, the French became interested in roses and the rose industry. This interest was fueled by the French Empress Josephine, who surrounded herself with adepts in all fields of interest to her--one was Botany--while she consoled herself at the palace of Malmaison over her divorce from her beloved Napoleon. At this palace, she collected all the available sorts of roses, and encouraged the breeding and hybridizing of new ones. Spurred by this imperial patronage, several French breeders--notably Dupont and Descemet--went to work with a vengeance, developing several hundred new cultivars in the European groups (Gallicas, Damasks, Albas, Centifolias . . . ). Descemet indeed very carefully kept notes of the results of particular crosses, and may be said to have been the first in the West to have practiced controlled cross-breeding. We must turn, however, to the Orient for a moment, leaving Europe in the throes of Napoleonic war and rose-breeding. There is alas little information on Oriental--or, more specifically, Chinese--rose breeding. One finds indications that roses were favored, though perhaps not to the extent that the Peony, the Chrysanthemum, or the Camellia were. What is important to note, however, is that by the period 1750-1824, four cultivars in particular--often called today (rather rustically) "The Four Stud Chinas"--had been developed. Two were true China roses, one pink, one red. Two were Tea roses, one blush, one yellowish. These were continuous-blooming, as the Oriental roses were, but not hardy, and their introduction into the Occident at length completely revolutionized rose progress.

The French, though their Emperor had fallen and Josephine was dead, continued their efforts with both the old material and now with the new. Due to political problems, Descemet had to flee France, but an ex-soldier of Napoleon's army, wounded in Italy, now prosperous as a hardware-shop owner, indulged his interest in roses and bought what remained of Descemet's nursery and breeding notes after the site of the nursery was sacked by invading English troops. This was Jean-Pierre Vibert, whose intelligence and industriousness working from 1816-1850 had a lasting influence on the French rose industry.

The crosses with the new material were made as work continued in all groups of roses. Never before the 1820's had such a diversity of disparate roses been available--and never since. Almost every available species, no matter how obscure, had varieties and subvarieties of varying color or form due to breeding or sports. A sport of the Centifolia, the Moss Rose, had appeared a few decades before, and now began to spread its unique array of cultivars over the rose scene as the breeders worked with it.

As the 1820's became the 1830's, however, interest was concentrated on the breeding between the Oriental roses and the Europeans. Due to the laws of genetics, the first progeny of crosses between once-bloomers and repeat-bloomers were once-blooming. As they were crossed with each other, however, and then back to the Chinas and Teas, repeat-blooming hybrids began to appear. These were crossed with Damask Perpetuals. The 1830's were a time of ferment and experimentation with these.

Meantime, on an island in the Indian Ocean (though there is some debate about this), a new cross between a China and a Damask Perpetual appeared. This was the Bourbon Rose. Its appearance at this time made it a part of the breeding going on primarily in France (though efforts were also underway in England).

The outcome of all these crosses jelled in the 1840's into the group called "Hybrid Perpetuals"--a name which implied to the people of the time "Damask Perpetuals which have been hybridized with Other Sorts." This group, taking in cultivars of all colors and forms, and (best of all to the people of the era) at least somewhat re-blooming and hardy, overwhelmed almost all the other groups. Interest in the old European sorts waned; they were gradually set aside, kept mainly as sentimental remembrances of the past by a few devotees.

The idea of rose shows and competitions was on the rise at this time. These events began for better or worse to standardize the concept of what a rose blossom should look like, and made many concentrate on the rose as a producer of exhibition items rather than a decorative plant for the garden.

Breeding experimentation continued. The original, rather weakly-growing, Teas were crossed with Bourbons to make a new, robust sort of Tea. As the search to widen the range of Hybrid Perpetuals continued, they were crossed with the Teas producing a group which came to be known as Hybrid Teas. Efforts along these lines really got underway seriously in the 1870's, though there had been a few earlier such crosses as well.

But, still experimentation continued. A strong yellow rose was wanted. The Teas had light yellows among their number, but these had a tendency to fade, and the plants were not as robust as people had become accustomed to from the Hybrid Perpetuals. A deep yellow species, R. foetida, had been used to produce a Tea 'Ma Capucine' by the breeder Levet in 1871, but the plant was weak-growing, discouraging further work. In the 1890's, Pernet-Ducher turned to the problem, and, after a long series of experiments with Teas, Hybrid Teas, Hybrid Perpetuals, and (finally) R. foetida, produced offspring around 1900 from a cross of the HP 'Antoine Ducher' and R. foetida which had a yellow/gold/coral tone that seemed to promise much. Further developments from this cross were called "Pernetianas," and at length they were combined with the original Hybrid Teas to produce what might be called "Hybrid Hybrid Teas"--the Hybrid Teas of today.

SPECIES OF ROSES

There are so many types of roses that the choice can often be bewildering. In the UK the most commonly grown are the Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Miniatures, and Dwarfs. (The smaller roses are now often all commonly known as Patio Roses.) There are Climbers, Ramblers, Patio Climbers, Shrub Roses, Modern Shrub Roses, Old Fashioned Shrub Roses, English Roses etc. The choice is huge and the novice rose enthusiast can find it all most confusing. By understanding a little of the history of the rose it should help you choose the most suitable rose for you. Most roses today derive from about 100 species of rose, few of which are grown today. Most of our modern garden roses are hybrids but there are still a few species roses in cultivation.

The banksia rose (R.banksiae) is probably the best known, this Chinese native has a brief spring flowering season but is quite spectacular in full bloom. It is a near thornless climber that can grow up to 10mx10m and the most common being, var. lutea (yellow) and var. Banksiae (white). Others widely grown are Rosa Rugosa and Rosa Chinensis Mutablis which is an attractive two tone pink and yellow variety. Also still quite popular is Rosa Multiflora Platyphylia which is probably an old Chinese variety introduced in 1816 and also known as the 'Seven Sisters Rose' Many of the old species roses are still grown for their red or orange hips which are used for medicinal purposes even today.

EARLY HYBRIDS

Wild roses were used in the production of rosewater, scented oils and other fragrances long before they were cultivated. Many uses can be traced back to Iraq in 2000 BC. Deliberate cultivation of roses was well under way in China by 500 BC and undoubtedly the Romans and other early European civilisations also grew large quantities for commercial use. Some Roman emperors filled their swimming baths and fountains with rosewater, and sat on carpets of rose petals for their feasts and orgies. Roses were used as confetti for celebrations, for medical purposes, and as a source of perfume. One Roman emperor used to enjoy showering his guests with rose petals which tumbled down from the ceiling during festivities.

Roses became synonymous with the worst excesses of the Roman Empire when the peasants were reduced to growing roses instead of food in order to satisfy the demands of their rulers. Early European roses were probably forms of R.gallica, a native of Europe found from France to the Caucasus. Gallicas are compact roses with fragrant flowers that occur in a variety of shades from white to pink to red and in single and double flowered forms. The exact geographical origin of R.gallica is unknown, but there are references to it by the Persians in the 12th century BC where they regarded it as a symbol of love and commitment.

Among the first and still widely grown is 'Oficinalis' a pink semi-double introduced into France from the Middle East by 13th century crusaders. Also known as 'The Apothecary's Rose and 'The Red Rose Of Lancaster' 'Versicolor' or Rosa Mundi is a pink and white flowered sport of 'Officinalis' that dates from around 1580. 'Charles de Mills', a deep red double with distinctive flat. Circular flowers is typical of the gallica style and among the most popular. The damask roses (R.gallica x R, moschata and R.gallica x R. Phoenicea) and the bicolour form of R, kokanica known as the yellow rose of Asia are generally regarded as the ancestors of most of the European hybrids. The significance of the yellow rose of Asia lies in its colour there are no deep yellow roses native to Europe and the fact that it readily produces bicolour yellow and red forms.

There are two basic forms of damask rose: the summer damask (R.gallica x R. Phoenicea) which has a well defined spring and early summer flowering season, and the autumn damask (R.gallica x R.moschata), which continues blooming sporadically into the autumn. This recurring flowering habit was a feature lacking in many early roses.

The damask roses were extremely important because of their fragrance, a tendency to produce double flowers and because their flowering season extended into autumn. All are now the features we have come to expect in a garden rose but which were largely lacking in many early roses.

Kazanlik (aka Trigintipetala) was among the very first damasks (the name means thirty petalled). This large 2m rose has a superb perfume with loose mid pink double blooms, has long been grown for the production of attar of roses. Other damasks grown today include 'Ispahan', a fragrant, soft mid pink double raised before 1832 and 'Quatre Saisons' which is also pink and highly scented. Also 'Versicolour' or 'York and Lancaster has been in cultivation since around 1550 and is still popular today among serious rose collectors but needs plenty of TLC.

Rosa Alba a rose of uncertain origin that may have been introduced to Britain by the Romans. The rose is thought to be the White Rose of York of Wars of the Roses fame and was crossed with existing gallicas and damasks to produce hybrids with very scented flowers-the alba roses.

The Centifolia (one hundred petalled) or cabbage roses date from around 1550. Although once regarded as forms of a species, they are now thought most likely to be hybrids between the autumn damask and an alba. Centifolias are usually compact bushes with heavy double flowers which often droop under there own weight. The colours varied from white to deep rose red plus striped and spotted varieties. They were much featured in the paintings of the Dutch masters and came to be known as "The rose of the painters" 'Cristata' ('Chapeau de Napoleon' or 'Crested Moss') is one of the most popular centifolias.

It has fragrant, mid pink, double flowers, the buds of which are covered in fine tubercles or filaments known as moss. Mosses are natural mutations which first occurred on Damask and Centifolia roses. They were very fashionable in the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when several hundred forms were raised. Many are still grown today such as the deep red flowered 'Nuits de Young' and the beautiful creamy white flushed pink 'Alfred de Dalmas' both available from specialist rose nurseries.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE CHINA ROSE

Development of the damask roses and their close relatives continued slowly. Unfortunately the roses such as the Portland roses, were destined to be overshadowed by major developments in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that resulted from new material obtained from China.

Perpetual flowering semi-dwarf bushes were cultivated in China well before that start of European rose breeding. The parent of many of these , R.chinenis, was introduced around 1752, followed by some hybrids in 1792. According to Graham Stuart Thomas' China roses are the class upon which modern roses are built. Tradition holds that four or five 'stud China' roses were brought to Europe in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, and this brought about the creation of the first classes of repeat flowering Old Garden Roses and later the Modern Garden Roses. China roses as these early hybrids are known, are still available.

Among the most popular are 'Old Blush' a fragrant rose with silvery pink blooms was among the first introductions and is also available as a climber. The most widely grown China rose is probably 'Mutablis' an interesting rose as the flowers change from yellow to red as the season progresses. Another China rose that has stood the test of time is 'Cecile Brunner often known as 'The Sweetheart Rose' and 'The Maltese Rose'.

A very pretty free flowering rose with small delicate soft pink blooms which are ideal for button holes. This is also still available as a climber. Bourbon roses originated around 1817 from a chance natural hybridising between R.chinensis and an autumn damask on a French island now known as Reunion-an island between Madagascar and Mauritius. Seed of the original plant was sent to France and crossed with gallicas and damasks to produce the first bourbons. These roses, which are long blooming and strongly scented are still widely grown today. The most popular being, 'Mme Isaac Periere'.

A superb old rose with huge shaggy blooms of mauvy crimson and an intense perfume. 'Zephirine Drouhin' a climber with large cerise pink blooms . A very popular rose as it is one of the very few thornless roses. 'La Reine Victoria' A slender erect bush with beautiful lilac-pink blooms and a wonderful perfume.

Noisette roses were the first hybrid group to originate from the USA, Originating in the early 1800s from an 'Old Blush' x R. Moschata cross' they are strong growing bushes or climbers with clusters of small blooms in white or pastel shades of yellow or pink. Noisette climbers have recently become very popular again. Among the most popular are 'Mme Alfred Carriere' which has large white-blushed pink double flowers and a wonderful perfume. Grow this lovely old rose up your house wall and the perfume will penetrate into every room. A very useful rose as it will also grow on a North wall. 'Crepescule' A very attractive climber with superb double shapely blooms of a mixture of orange and apricot and a very pleasing fragrance.

Tea roses or tea-scented roses are another development of R.chinensis. These roses which flower in shades of white pink and yellow, are hybrids of R.gigantea x R.chinensis., a cross known as R.x odorata. They enjoyed a period of popularity around the 1830s, but the real significance of the tea rose to modern gardeners is that it was crossed with the other styles to produce the hybrid perpetual roses, which were the direct predecessors of the most popular modern roses the hybrid teas. Hybrid perpetuals were by far the most popular garden roses of the 19th century.

They were originally introduced in 1835 and were very popular for over 50 years. Quite a few are still grown but they are now something of a rarity. They often have very large, strongly scented flowers and variable sizes from compact plants to vigorous shrubs. A few that are still popular are. 'Baroness Rothschild' 'Ferdinand Pichard' 'Paul Neyron' and 'Reine des Violettes'. They have varying degrees of perfume and most will repeat flower.

MODERN ROSES

HYBRID TEAS
The hybrid perpetual roses were strong, healthy plants that made the tea roses appear rather week and spindly, but tea roses had beautifully shaped buds and flowers in shades of soft yellow that were not available in the hybrid perpetual. It was an obvious move to cross the two and in 1867 the first hybrid tea 'La France' appeared. A highly scented rose with soft pink blooms which took the rose world by storm and is still available today from specialist nurseries.

La France was followed by further pinks and some pale yellows, but a lack of bright colours meant that hybrid teas did not appear to offer any great improvements over existing forms so they did not initially cause any great excitement. It was not until the bright yellow, double flowered Rosa foetida var. Persiana was introduced into the breeding programme by the French breeder Pernet Ducher that hybrid teas started to become the dominant roses. His first bright yellow, 'Soleil d Or' was exhibited in 1898 and is still available today. Unfortunately the early hybrid teas were rather tender for European gardens. This was remedied by the introduction of R.wichuraiana into the mix in the mid 1940s and most of our modern hardy hybrid teas date from after this period.

There are now hundreds of hybrid teas to choose from and most of them are very heavy flowering and have large blooms on long stems that are ideal for cutting. New hybrid teas arrive every year and the choice is now amazing with a wide array of colours and perfumes. Many of the new hybrid teas now have multiple blooms on one stem instead of the single blooms of years gone by.

'Peace' is probably the most famous of all the hybrid teas. It was developed by French horticulturist Francis Meilland in the years 1935 to 1939. It was named 'Peace' in 1945 as the second world war came to an end. Later that year 'Peace' roses were given to each of the delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco each with a note which read "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men's thoughts for everlasting world peace"Peter Beales, rose grower and expert said in his book Roses.

'Peace', without a doubt is the finest Hybrid Tea ever raised and it will remain a standard variety forever" Awards. Golden Rose of the Hague 1965. World's Favourite Rose 1976.

FLORIBUNDAS
Around the same time as the first hybrid teas were appearing, the polyanthas were introduced. These compact roses bear their small flowers in large clusters and were produced by crossing dwarf forms of R.multiflora with either a dwarf China or a small hybrid tea. Polyanthas have continued to be grown and new introductions appear occasionally. They were very successful but their flowers tended to be small and poorly formed. The logical step was to cross polyanthas with hybrid teas.

The first to do so were the Danish Poulsen company and they were an instant success. Floribunda (Latin for many flowering) roses are compact and heavy flowering with several blooms per stem. As cut flowers they cannot compete with the hybrid teas, but for sheer colour they are hard to beat. Again there are hundreds of varieties to choose from with almost every colour imaginable. Both floribundas and hybrid teas are now budded onto upright single stem stocks to produce Standards in a wide range of colours and form.

CLIMBERS AND RAMBLERS
Both climbers and ramblers are not true vines such as ivy or clematis, as they lack the ability to cling to supports on their own and need to be tied or trained to to cover walls or structures such as arches etc. Many old shrub roses and modern bush roses have climbing forms, whereby the canes of the plant grow much longer and more flexible than the normal bush forms. Most modern climbing roses will grow anywhere from 3m to 6m and most are repeat flowering. Rambling roses are distinguished from climbers in two ways. They have longer and more flexible canes and can reach up 10m or more.

The majority of ramblers are a once blooming habit in spring or early summer. They produce a wonderful show in early summer but the show is usually over in about a month. Over the last few years growers have introduced ramblers that repeat flower all summer and always seem to be in bloom. The flowers on ramblers are usually smaller than most climbing roses, and the repeat flowering varieties do not seem to reach the great heights of Kiftsgate or Paul's Himalayan Musk etc. However the new rose breeding programmes are now moving on at such a rate, it will not be many years before there will be repeat flowering ramblers with larger flowers that reach new heights.

OTHER TYPES OF ROSES
Miniature roses can be traced back to the small China rose, R. Chinensis 'Minima', particularly the form 'Rouletti'. It is only recently that miniatures have become very popular as new colours and styles have been produced by crossing the old forms with some of the smaller floribundas.
Not all the miniatures are small bushes. They may have small flowers but many of them can now reach 60cm or more. Some forms are budded into vigorous rootstock to produce "patio roses". Others are budded onto tall stems to produce miniature standards and weeping standards.

GROUND COVER ROSES
Ground Cover roses are becoming increasing popular and were produced from a wide range of breeding stock. They are great value roses in the garden as they are capable of covering a wide area and many have similar flowers and foliage to the miniature roses. The recent 'Flower Carpet' range are particularly useful with a wide spectrum of colours and reported to be completely disease resistant.

MIXING THE OLD ROSES WITH THE NEW
For many years hybrid teas and floribundas were the most popular types of roses, but in recent years old roses are making a revival. What constitutes an 'Old Rose'? Strictly speaking old roses are those which were in cultivation before 1867 when La France (the first hybrid tea) was produced. No doubt the charm of old roses will always be there, and the nostalgia factor always plays a big part, but a new group of roses that look like old roses have undoubtedly re-kindled the interest in the old rose. The new group raised by David Austin in Shropshire and first introduced in 1961, are the result of crossing gallicas, damasks and centifolias among themselves, and with hybrid teas and floribundas.

The crosses have produced roses with the flower form and perfume of the old roses, with the added bonus of a repeat flowering habit throughout the season. David Austin has called his new group 'English Roses' and what a success they have been. They are now grown and sold around the world and have become an established and firm favourite with many rose enthusiasts. The group now contain over 100 varieties with a wide range of colours and perfumes. Every year he introduces a few more new varieties onto the market which are eagerly awaited by English Rose fans. Our own favourites are 'Graham Thomas' the best known of the group, and named after the late Mr Graham Thomas who was one of the most influential rosarians of our time. A big strong vigorous bush with masses of cupped shaped blooms of rich yellow which flower almost continually throughout the summer months and well into the autumn, and as with most of the group the perfume is delightful. 'Gertrude Jekyll' is another we have fallen in love with.

A tall upright bush with an abundance of rich pink blooms plus a lovely Old Rose fragrance. This lovely rose was named after Gertrude Jekyll the famous writer and garden designer and was voted the nation's favourite rose by BBC viewers in 2006. Although both roses are regarded as shrubs they can be also grown successfully as short climbers.

THE FUTURE OF ROSES
The popularity of roses dipped markedly in the 1950s and 60s and very few new roses were bred. The interest was rekindled in the 1980s and there has been a steady rise in the new roses launched each year. The popularity of the rose has reached an all time high in the last few years with dozens of new roses being bred. Breeders around the world have put all their efforts into improving the health of roses in recent years and seem to be winning the battle. Many of the new introductions are now stronger and healthier than ever before, and who knows, we may just see the end of the black spot problem in the next few years, plus the introduction of a 'Royal Blue Rose'.

The future is definitely looking rosy.

LINKS:
ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2008/2/Rose-A-Brief-History/
web.extension.illinois.edu/roses/history.cfm
www.rkdn.org/roses/history.asp
www.pickupflowers.com/flower-guide/history-of-roses
www.countrygardenroses.co.uk/about-us/history-of-the-rose/
www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/roses_brief_history

Taken on: September 10, 2007

Tags:

Rose

Flower

nature

Macro-Life

plant

petal

organic pattern

pattern

bright

texture

serene

macro

droplets

outdoor

rain drops

sharp

depth of field

bokeh

nature watcher « less

Groups appears in: • ! Coco Chane!®

Stats: 91,259 views / 267 comments