Rose (Rosa canina, Rosa gallica, Rosa rugosa, Rosa Rubiginosa)
Other Names - Dog Rose, French Rose, Japanese Rose, Tomato Rose, Sweet Briar Rose.
Origins - Southern, and Central Europe, Middle East, Iran, Caucasus, Asia, North Africa.
Type
Perennial (deciduous).
Hardiness (see References, below) - Zones 2-8.
Bloom - Late Spring, Summer.
Height
Approx. up to 10 ft (3 m).
Cultivation
Roses love lots of Sun! Plantthem in well drained neutral to mildly acidic soils. Roses have average water needs. After planting new Roses, leave them to settle and build good root system, in the first year, and do not fertilize.
Other
Rose, Queen of Flowers, as described by Greek poet Sappho, had been cultivated for thousands of years, - not
just for its undeniable beauty, but also for practical reasons.
Its legendary fragrance, though costly to make (it takes nearly 100 tonnes of petals to extract about 10 ounces of Attar, Rose's essential oil), had long been used in perfumery, and medicine.
Rose's fragrance, just like that of Lavender, and Basil has great ability to make one calm, and feel good. Rose (petals, and hips) have also got an established reputation in nutrition, and culinary arts. They are both used to make jams. In Poland it is popular to use rose petal jam as a doughnut filling. Rose Water's long been popular in food preparation, in the Orient. It is also considered a good medicinal remedy for
depression, and lowering cholesterol levels. Nostradamus, in his earlier (as a doctor) times, used to prescribe Rose (petals) as a treatment for plague, bad breath, and tooth decay. Rose hips are especially rich in vitamin C (0.5 oz. (14 grams)delivers 100% of daily requirement for Vitamin C), and have long been used as a supplement, and also treatment for scurvy. Rose hips are also a good source of fiber, an Vitamin A. See more Rose Hips Nutritional Data, here.. These days gardeners can benefit from hundreds of different cultivars, and probably thousands of new hybrids, to suit different needs. Please note: not all varieties are zones 2-8 tolerant! Rosa rugosa is very hardy (zones 2-8), but Rosa gallica's less so (zones 5-8). Always check if your preferred variety is suitable for your particular location. For best fragrance try some of the Roses recommended by American Rose Society, for old fashioned charm, try Heirloom Varieties. Roses are susceptible to diseases, Bulgarians (major producer of Attar) like to grow them with garlic, which is supposed to keep trouble away. See more on Rose Diseases, Their Symptoms, and Treatments
See more interesting Rose Facts, here.
INTERESTING COMMENTS from antoinette_qtks
-Did you know that pouring beer on a rose bush will kill aphids, and that black mold that they get and it will also cause them to bloom overnight? It is an excellent plant food for them. Btw, setting a jar of beer beneath the plant will attract those beetles into the jar so they don't eat up all of your plant.
...........................................................
Back to JULY - FLORA, NOW page
Feedback
contact.tcg.now@gmail.com
References - Find more about Hardiness Zones
Special Thanks
Special Thanks to Town & Country Gardens Contributors: American Rose Society, beeldmark, blogger, bulabean, Sam Foster, dive-angel (Karin), ehowgarden, érik, flickr, InternetFlorist, Jasmine&Roses, NutritionData, Rita Crane Photography. Rita Crane, daughter of LIFE magazine photographer Ralph Crane. Her work can be seen on Flickr at Rita Crane Photography or on her website., University of Minnesota Extension, TMR Davies, Wikipedia, W.D. Williams