ROSES, What do you think?
ROSES, Can we do without them?
This month I am showing you photos of the roses that are giving so much pleasure in our gardens. As I was sorting through the photos, I began to ponder on the magic roses cast on people all over the World. I have met earthlings who do not grow roses in their gardens but not many. When you think about it, the genus Rosa causes more trouble and work than any other plant in our gardens. Even if the conditions are perfect for their health with plenty of birds to take care of the thrip, the atmosphere may be so pure, our rose leaves will be covered in black spot. There is no way we can escape thorns in our skin and tears in our clothes when we are attending to the annual chore of pruning the bushes. At least now we are told that all that hunting for an outside bud is redundant, the latest advice is to just slash them down!
Before you all start writing in and telling me that your garden is not sullied by one rose bush or climber, let me ask you a question. If you are of the female sex and you are given a bunch of roses, would you politely hand them back and say "I can't stand the things"? If you are a man and are over fifty years old and have given flowers when seriously courting, were there any roses in the bunch? What flower did you wear in your lapel on your wedding day? And what did your bride carry on the long trip up the aisle. Mind you, I know this is changing and folk are not always tripping the light fantastic up the aisles and may carry the daisies of the field into the fields to take their wedding vows, but I maintain that very few people turn away from the delight of the rose flower, be it the simple briar rose or the rather stiff hybrid T.
The Romans had the rose on their coin and named an island "Rose" - the island of Rhodes. Shakespeare mentions the rose at least sixty times, but, strangely, it is only spoken of twice in the Bible. Maybe that was because the gladiators and the lions were garlanded with ropes of roses when they were triumphant in ridding the world of a few more Christians and also, the rose was associated with pagan festivals. However, even the Church gave in to the seduction of the rose and it was reinstated. The petals were held to represent the five wounds of Christ and the red rose was held to be the symbol of the blood of the Martyrs
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