Roses
The most well-known flower is the rose. This is the flower of passion, the one flower that you give the person that you love in order to display those true feelings.
However, the rose is used for many more things than just as a show of love and passion.
Roses are used in the making of perfumes that are used in soaps, cologne and everything else that a person could dream of having. Of the all the flowers in the flower kingdom, the rose reigns supreme.
Scientific Name
The rose belongs to the Plantea kingdom, and belongs in the Rosacreae family. The name that defines the rose is the Rosa, however, with each different species of the rose there is another name added to Rosa in order to make the rose distinct. All in all, there are around 100 species that belongs into the Rosacreae family.
The name the 'rose' was given to it by the French and the Latin. However, both of these borrowed from the Old Persian word of wurdi which means 'flower'.
Description and Characteristics
The rose is something that is characterized by the intense beauty that the flower holds, as well as the symbolism behind giving the flower to a loved one. Some common characteristics that most people state about the flower is that it appears to look much like velvet and it also has thorns located on the stems.
However, when it comes down to it these thorns are not truly thorns, most of those in the scientific world classify these more like prickles. There is a reason for these prickles and that is to guarantee the survival of the rose in nature from being taken over by other vegetation, however, this only applies to a wild rose.
The black rose does not really exist in nature, if fact, those that are referred to as black roses are actually a deep blue and they are only found when genetically engineered in a laboratory.
Meaning
The meaning of a rose really depends on the rose colors. A common question that most people ask is what do rose colors mean? After all, no one wants to send a friend a rose that signifies a burning passion for that person. Every color of rose that is available has a different meaning. However, all roses are viewed as a thing of beauty and giving one to someone shows that you care. Other meanings, for example:
- Pink Rose: expression of admiration and often given to show appreciation
- Yellow Rose: These are often thought to symbolize friendship
- Purple Rose: Enchantment; throughout history this has often been given to people to show love at first sight
- Blue Rose: This signifies obtaining the impossible
Cultivation and Care
There are many steps that are needed in order to take good care of rose bushes:
- The rose must get adequate water and sunlight. On average a rose needs six hours of sun each day.
- The rose must be cut back at the end of the season in order for new growth to occur. This involves trimming away the dead parts of the rose, which you will notice because rose petals will fall from the dead stems.
- During the seasons you will also have to prevent pests from eating your roses away. This is discussed more thoroughly in the following section.
One of the most common types of rose plants to have in a rose garden is the Rose of Sharon, the reason is that it is much easier to care for. When pruning rose of Sharon you must remove the dead branches and shape within the first two years of planting the rose bush. And this care is actually true for all the rose types, as well as old English rose types.
Diseases and Pests
There are many pests that single out roses. As well as there being many rose diseases. Some of the most common types of pests are and how to get rid of them are:
- Spider Mites: During the dormant season you can apply lime sulfur; during the growing season an insecticidal soap can be used.
- Rose Bud Borers: Spray insecticidal soap mixed with pyrethrin.
- Rose Chafers: The best way is to pick these out by hand, however, you can use an organic insecticide.
- Leafcutter Bees: These pests will require that you cut away the parts that the bees have attacked before the damage can spread to the rest of the bush.
- Japanese Beetles: When these attack, you need to spray the bush with an organic insecticide, as well as apply milky spore to the area around the bush to kill the larvae.
Some of the most common diseases and how to treat them are:
- Botrytis: This is a fungal disease so the parts that are infected need to be removed immediately to make sure that fungus does not spread. You also need to make sure that the bush is kept clean and not allowed to spread again.
- Powerdery Mildew: This is once again, one of those fungal disease. In order to minimize the chance of rose bushes getting this only water in the morning, and make sure to allow for air circulation through the bush.
- Black Spot: This is a fungal infection that will cause black spots. To catch this disease and prevent it you need to keep the bottom of the bush as clean as possible, removing dead roses and branches. You can also spray with an organic fungicide that has sulfur in it once a week.
- Canker: This is spread through bad pruning or even dirty tools. If this is found, do not prune any more as this will spread the infection. The only way to treat this is to apply fungicides that are based in copper and make sure that the bush is kept clean.
Uses
There are many uses of the rose and its petals. A few examples:
- perfumes
- floral arrangements
- Natural supplements (rose hips)
- massage oils
- skin lotions
Throughout history the rose has been valued not only for its beauty, but for the many meanings behind the flowers, as well as the uses that the flower. It is no wonder why this is still one of the most popular flowers that people love today.
Pictures
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