Winter is over and Spring is in the air. The sights, scents and sounds are all around with the garden coming back to life. Trees are coming into leaf, the blossoms are out and the roses are budding up ready to commence their 9-month flowering spree.
The rose is one of the most widely grown of all plants and dates back to ancient times, there are even fossil evidence discovered in Colorado dating back 35 million years.
The domestic rose most likely originated in Asia around 5 thousand years ago and has made its mark throughout history as symbols of love, beauty, war and politics. In ancient Egypt the rose was considered the most sacred of all flowers and was used as offerings to Gods as well as being used as wreaths in tombs. In 1492 a crew member on Columbuss ship picked a rose branch out of the ocean which was a sign of the presence of land and the next day Columbus discovered America, while in England in during the 15th century the rose was used as a symbol for factional fighting. Known as the War of the Roses- the white rose symbolised York and the red rose symbolised Lancaster. In the 17th century roses were in such demand that royalty considered roses and rose water as legal tender and Shakespeare refers to roses over 50 times in his works.
In modern times the rose continues to make its mark with the Netherlands being the world leader in the export of roses with over 19,000 acres under rose cultivation while Zambia being a small nation has 80 per cent of its cultivated land dedicated to the production of roses. The rose is also the national floral emblem of the US and was signed in by law in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.
So what does all this mean? Not much really except that the rose has stood the test of time, not only due to its beauty and elegance but also because it is one of the toughest plants around. Full sun, a little fertiliser and some water and the modern rose will reward the even the most novice of gardeners. The biggest problem people face these days is which rose to grow. Roses come in all shapes, sizes and colours (except blue!) and the range can be a bit confusing – Bush, Climbers, Standards, Ramblers, Pillars, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas and landscape are few types but all will do well in our climate.
If you have never tried to grow roses before and not sure what to grow, here is a list of the top 10 we grow at Hunter Valley Gardens. All these varieties are tough, disease resistant and very free flowering and will reward with months of colour.
Apricot Nectar – A floribunda rose with large, very fragrant apricot blooms with pink tints. A compact bush with strong stems. An excellent cut flower.