What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  William Shakespeare

For centuries, roses inspired love and brought beauty to those who received them. The rose’s rich heritage dates back thousands of years. We have over fifty bushes in our garden.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was fond of red rose that he wore a red rose on his jacket until his last breath.

It is said that the floors of Cleopatra’s palace were carpeted with delicate rose petals.  Shakespeare refers to roses more than 50 times throughout his writings. It is also New York’s state flower.

Age the world’s oldest living rose is believed to be 1,000 years old. Today it continues to flourish on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral of Germany. Roses are truly ageless. Recently, archaeologists discovered the fossilised remains of wild roses over 40 million years old.

Black and blue Roses don’t exist. Black Roses are very dark red, and blue pigments don’t occur naturally – the blue colour can only be achieved through genetic modification in a lab.

The largest rose bloom ever bred was a pink rose measuring approximately 33 inches in diameter, bred by Nikita K. Rulhoksoffski from San Onofre, California.

A red rose is an expression of love. Red roses can also be used to show respect, admiration, or devotion. A deep red rose can be used to show regret and sorrow. The number of red roses given has a special meaning as well. 12 red roses are the most popular number to give; it means Be mine and I love you.

There are a lot of variations of the pink rose. Usually, pink roses are used to express gentle emotions such as admiration, joy, gratitude and deep or endless love.

Dark pink rose blooms may mean deep gratitude and appreciation. They also express elegance and grace.

Light pink rose blooms are symbols of pleasantness and innocence.

White is the color of purity, innocence and sacred love. It represents love that is eternal and endures beyond death. White roses usually may symbolise a new start, and it is a custom for brides to hold them when she walks down the aisle at her wedding. In certain faiths, the white rose can represent the sanctity of a marriage. White roses can be used to show sympathy or humility. They also may be about spiritual things.

Yellow roses are usually used as an expression of exuberance. Yellow roses show feelings of joy, warmth, and sometimes welcome. They are symbols of friendship and caring. The yellow rose, unlike some of the other roses, does not mean or express any romance.

Orange roses remind most people of a fiery blaze. These fiery blooms are symbols of passion and energy. Orange roses can be used to show desire and pride.

The color of burgundy is a symbol of beauty.

Green roses (these are sometimes white roses with shades of green) can symbolise best wishes, luck, and blessings for a good life or recovery of good health.

A violet or purple rose may show protection, and also a sense of majesty, royalty, and splendor. These roses are used to show adoration.

A lavender rose, like its color, shows enchantment. It also expresses love at first sight.

Peach-colored rose is gifted when you are grateful for someone or just want to show your appreciation.  It shows appreciation and gratitude or a different way to say, Thank You!   They symbolise innocence and purity.

Cream roses are indicative of charm and thoughtfulness.  Gifting a bunch of cream roses is an ideal way to show someone that you care – but without any romantic intentions.

The rose is one among the only three flowers mentioned in the Bible. The others are lilies and camphire – akin to henna.

The rose also grows into some fruit. The fruit is called a Rose Hip. It is shaped like a berry, and most are red in colour, but you can find black and dark purple versions.

In 2002 a miniature rose, named Overnight Scentsation, was taken to space to assist in studies that aimed to show effects of low gravity on the smell of roses. The study also aimed at learning how to improve the fragrances of several consumer products.

Due to the heavy blooms, staking the stem is essential, as the flower is top heavy and will bend, break or fall over

After a heavy downpour, the petals of old flowers carpets the ground beneath.

How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said.  Victor Hugo