The Rose

Full of fragrance and flourish

“When the rose opens its heart, you will smell the fragrance of its soul” Jit Sharma.

Photo by Shannon Baldwin on Unsplash

My heart skips a beat when I notice the first tight bud on one of the many roses in my garden, and I do have many. They are just beginning to show their glory, now the spring days have warmed the ground and the rains have come.

“Birthday Rose”, always out for my mid June birthday

There is something very traditional about a rose. It is one for both a comfort and familiarity, as well as the anticipatory nature of seeing them reveal their blooms, once again, to the world.

However, they are not to everyone’s liking. With a reputation to being prone to diseases such as black spot and mildew, a need for careful pruning to stop wayward shoots sprouting wherever they choose, their bare stem bases appearing rather leggy and a feast for tiny aphids, roses can be tricky to live with. But for all their faults, they have many wonderful qualities which makes them a firm favourite of mine. Here is why they capture my heart and have me paying them abundant attention throughout the summer and autumn months.

My “go to” guide

The first rose book I bought was one that, I’m sure, is owned by most gardeners. This “Rose Expert” book made life so much easier when I was choosing which roses I wanted to grow. It told me all the roses that were available at the time, what their attributes and failings were and what I needed to do to care for them, so an informed choice could be gained. The author died earlier this year, at nearly 97 years old, having sold millions of books about a range of gardening and plant topics. I am sure he must have known the impact of his contribution to gardening in his lifetime. Thank you David Gerald for all your invaluable help.

Scent

There is nothing better than the varied scent of roses in summer. The scents differ greatly from one type to another, from the smell of honey to a rich, spicy, musky smell, from a berry fragrance to a citrus aroma. Scientists have identified the enzyme that is activated to make a rose fragrant. It is also known that roses smell strongest in early summer, in a morning as temperatures are rising and when it is semi-open and ready for pollination.

For me, when I go past a rose, I get a strong urge to smell it. I make a quick judgement as to the level of pleasure it brings my olfactory senses. If it is something that is so beautiful it takes my breath away, it gets put on my “to buy” list… I worry about where it is going to go at a later stage.

Habit of growth

The great thing with roses is that they come in all manner of growth habits. From the tiny patio rose so small it can sit on an outdoor coffee table to the rambling type that easily fills a sheltered wall with a mass of vibrant colour.

It is their habit of growth that gives the rose its classification: hybrid tea, floribunda, miniature, climbing and rambling and shrub, so it is easy to get confused especially around pruning time. It does take a little bit of research to find out how much it will grow and the space you can provide for it. But one thing is certain, you will always be able to find a rose that will be just right for you.

Thorns

Thorns are designed to protect the bush and as you can see, on some varieties, can be very vicious. If a thorn is caught on the skin it can be very painful as I have found out on numerous occasions. Sturdy long gardening gloves are needed, especially when pruning, tying back or digging out a rose. As with any injury occurred from a plant such as bramble or rose, it has the potential to become infected so always wash the scratch thoroughly or seek medical attention. In other words, handle with extreme care.

Pests

Greenfly love a rose bush and if you are not prepared to spray insecticides on them to eradicate the little dears then its a case of put up and shut up. I have only one rose that is plagued with them each year, so I am lucky. Interestingly, the roses still come out in clusters of buttery yellow and are picked for tiny posy vases that look beautiful. So, for me, when I see a greenfly sitting there I know that all is not lost.

Colour

I think the array of colours provided by the rose is their specialty. When I am looking for a new rose, the colour is my first consideration, (closely followed by its fragrance).

My collection consists of roses in all different colours

• Numerous shades of pink ones

• A deep, lovers red one

• Two yellow ones which lightens with each day

• A peach one with an ice cream middle

• A purple one rivalling any violet

• A miniature crimson one, with tiny blooms

• A silky white one tinged with delicate pink

• An orangey, chocolate one, whose fragrance is cocoa

• And a wild one, in the woodland opposite my writing window reminding me to find my freedom

My favourite is a climbing white one tinged with pink called Iceberg. It is by my front door, smells of sweet, musky perfume and has a long flowering period (once I saw a bloom on it on Christmas day).

Symbolic meaning

Roses have many symbolic references too. You really can say it with roses.

• The birth flower of June is a rose, which fills me with happiness

• The county flower of Yorkshire, Lancashire and the flower of England

• The flower of love

• The flower of peace

• The flower of apology

According to Bloom and Wild (a flower delivery service here in the UK) in their blog post, send pink roses for joy and appreciation, peach roses for gratitude and loyalty, white for a fresh start, yellow for friendship and orange for enthusiasm. …a rose for every occasion.

Benefits and legacy

Any type of gardening is good for you but roses do take that bit of extra mindful nurturing. The rewards are truly multisensory. I am busy nurturing my latest rose which, at the moment, has the tiniest of buds. It was bred by Harkness Roses and named after Dame Deborah James, a remarkable lady who raised so much awareness about bowel cancer and set up a fundraising legacy which is still running today. She sadly died in June 2022 but did get to meet her rose at Chelsea Flower Show shortly before. She said that she hoped one day it would be a flower that featured in her daughters wedding bouquet - so sad.

I’m not done yet!

I still have a long list of roses that I would like to acquire. I fancy growing some over an arch so I can walk underneath them, look and smell them from all angles. I would like to reintroduce a climbing variety called “Handel” which I lost a number of years ago and miss its spectacle of raspberry pink edged, creamy yellow blooms that are in full flow by mid June. I would also like one that came out this year from David Austin Roses called “The King’s Rose”, a pink and white striped one that is good in more shaded areas and great for the bees.

Image taken from David Austin Roses website

I am curious:

What is your favourite coloured rose? If you have a picture of it, please feel free to share it with us.

What does a rose symbolise for you?

In memory of Dame Deborah James DBE

1st October 1981-28th June 2022

References

RHS.org.uk

Hessayon, D.G. , (1981) The Rose Expert. PBI Publications, England

davidaustinroses.co.uk

harknessroses1879.com

bloomandwild.com

www.bowelbabe.org