Mere mention of the rose conjures in the mind the queen of garden flowers.
No other flower has been so admired.
No other flower has been nurtured so passionately.
No other flower has so often inspired the line of a poem, the lyric of a song, or the
brush of an artist.
Throughout history, no other flower has captivated gardeners more than the glorious rose.
one
with expansive formal gardens that surround public parks
or on the grounds of historic houses and stately homes.
But the rose is at home in any garden.
No other flower has such a large and diverse variety of colour,
form and foliage.
Amongst the profusion of flowers in a cottage garden,
the rose is a welcome addition,
whether as a bush cheekily popping up to overshadow its rivals...
..or as a climber forming decorative arches over paths and driveways.
Unlike the homes of yesteryear,
today's suburban dwellings are smaller and more compact.
This does not, however, restrict the avid gardener.
Small formal rose gardens are just as stunning
as their larger counterparts.
The yellows of a gold bunny,
mingling with the whites of an iceberg,
are a special welcoming touch.
While the weeping blossoms of a bloomfield courage standing
majestically amid a manicured lawn is a superb sight.
So strong has their allure been on garden lovers,
they seem to have invaded their homes,
festooning buildings with sheltered carpets of colour.
Here, the pinks of a Madame Gregoire Stushelin
sit comfortably alongside the yellows of a climbing piece.
The
leafy canopy creating a relaxing, shady retreat.
Because of its versatility and hardiness,
a rose garden can become anything the heart desires,
inhibited only by the imagination of the gardener.
Indeed, a beautiful cluster of rambling roses
can introduce a touch of elegance to an otherwise drab building.
Gardens may vary in grandeur,
but the gardener's passion for the rose remains the same.
Freed from the constraints of suburban boundaries,
country gardens can spread their parasol of colour
over a much larger area.
The crimson hues of Fadalio spread luxuriously beneath
the pastel yellows of a climbing golden shower
and the delicate pinks of a dainty Bess.
While a cocktail has space to trail a profusion of blooms
and trailing over a building,
a glorious climbing gold bunny rambles unrestricted.
The gardener's passion for the rose
is the same as the gardener's passion for the rose.
With a little knowledge of soil and weather conditions
and a modicum of tender loving care,
any patch of dirt can be transformed into a beautiful garden
with a few beautiful scents and perfumes.
As beautiful as formal gardens are,
informality is also within their nature.
Many of today's modern roses are vigorous growers.
Left untended, they enjoy the freedom to roam,
forming hedges and arches over anything that stands still long enough.
The natural splendour of an unrestrained pinky entwined around an old post,
or a cordez black boy left at liberty to wander across a balcony
is captivating.
No other flower in the plant kingdom does this as well as the rose.
Regardless of shape and size,
to many a rose garden is one of life's little luxuries.
35 million years, long before man trod the earth.
That's how long scholars believe the rose has been in existence.
Fossilized leaves found in Europe, India and America
bear testament to the widespread growth of the rose in prehistoric times.
Throughout the eons, the rose has reigned supreme over all other garden plants.
Indeed, the Western world's love of flowers and trees
was derived from the ancient Persians' well-documented passion for gardens.
The rose has been a symbol of the
The rose's infectious blooms soon spread throughout Asia.
In China, as early as 500 BC, growing roses had become a popular pastime.
The rose gardens of Peking even rated a mention in the writings of the great Chinese philosopher, Confucius,
who collected more than 600 volumes on the cultivation of roses.
Nor did ancient Greece and Italy escape the rose's captivating powers.
In Rome, wreaths were formed of roses, and military valor was acknowledged by roses.
For the Roman 8th legion, it was a great honor when permission was granted for a rose to be emblazoned on its shield.
About 600 BC, the Greek lyrical poet Sappho crowned the rose the Queen of Flowers,
a title which still holds true today.
In classic Greek mythology, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, had her priestesses clothed in reeds of white roses,
and their paths scattered with fragrant rose petals.
Much later, in Christian mythology, this much admired flower became the symbol of pure love.
In ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, had her priestesses clothed in reeds of white roses,
and their paths scattered with fragrant rose petals.
Thus, by the Middle Ages, the rose was abundant throughout the known world,
firmly establishing itself as garden's most keenly sought after plant.
The rose was a symbol of pure love, and the rose was a symbol of pure love.
Thus, by the Middle Ages, the rose was abundant throughout the known world, firmly establishing itself as garden's most keenly sought after plant.
Although associated with beauty, love and life,
this fragrant bloom was to become the symbol of a violent conflict for possession of the English throne.
In 15th century Britain, the stronghold of the English throne was called the Royal Palace.
This fragrant bloom was to become the symbol of a violent conflict for possession of the English throne.
In 15th century Britain, the struggle between the noble houses of York and Lancaster became known as the Wars of the Roses.
Traditional emblem of the Yorkists was a white rose, a Rosa Alba Maxima.
The Lancastrian's insignia was a red rose, Rosa Gallica Officinalis.
After a long and bloody struggle lasting almost 30 years, Henry Tudor, distantly related to both factions, emerged as victor and ascended to the throne.
Later, a rose, a combination of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster, was adopted as the royal emblem by Henry's son,
a symbolic union of the two houses, thus bringing to conclusion a conflict that had claimed the lives of 12 princes and 100,000 commoners.
By the 19th century, roses were a prominent feature in the gardens of royalty and the upper classes.
One of royalty's most notable gardens was established at Malmaison by the Empress Josephine, the first wife of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
The glory of this spectacular garden, the most famous of its day, is remembered in the delicately scented Souvenir de la Malmaison.
But the most significant turning point in the history of the modern rose occurred in the 18th century, with the introduction to Europe of hybrid roses from China.
Horticulturalists were now able to cultivate native plants for hardiness and long flowering seasons.
Many of the early efforts of these breeders were to become the forerunners of the polyanthra and the floribundas of today.
Thus, the foundation was laid for the creation of the many varieties of roses we see in gardens today.
To date, there are no records of wild and native roses having been found in the southern hemisphere.
In Australia, roses were introduced with the arrival of the First Fleet from England in 1788.
The rose was the choice of many settlers, determined to bring with them reminders of the old country.
Australia, like the rest of the world, fell under the roses' captivating power, and soon this hardy flower was gracing many gardens.
Today, Adelaide, principal city of South Australia, has emerged as the rose centre of Australia.
Its balmy Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing these lovely blooms.
In October 2000, the much-admired National Rose Trial Garden in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens was complemented by the opening of the International Rose Garden.
Since then, this garden has become a magnet for rose enthusiasts.
Using a comprehensive series of garden spaces, different types of roses are displayed in various garden styles,
allowing potential rose gardeners a glimpse of what their gardens could become.
South Australia boasts some of the country's most noted rosarians.
South of Adelaide, on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Wulunga, fragrant fields of flowers cover the acreage of Ross roses.
The Ross family began growing roses for Australian gardens in 1902, and today, four generations later,
Ross roses has become one of the country's premium rose breeders.
Renowned rosarian, the late Dean Ross, was an enthusiast of old world roses.
In the early 1960s, he imported hundreds of new specimens from Europe, thus making these delightful blooms readily available to an eager market.
Today, his wife Maureen and their son Andrew still continue the meticulous work, cultivating more than 100,000 plants a year.
To maintain the highest international standards, they have engaged the services of noted breeder George Thompson.
With a diploma in horticulture and chemistry from Dundee, George gained a wealth of experience in both growing and breeding of roses
when working at Sissinghurst to establish the famed White Garden, and later with great rose breeder Alexander Cocker at Aberdeen.
His stunning results in Australia bear testament to his belief that Adelaide has one of the best climates in the world for the propagation of roses.
To a family devoted to the rose, the alluring blend of colour, shape and scent of these superb creations is a constant inspiration.
250 kilometres east of Adelaide is the site of another spectacular floral farm.
Set alongside the banks of the Murray River, David Ruston's Rose Garden at Wrenmark contains more than 50,000 bushes, featuring over 4,000 varieties, making it one of the largest collections in the world.
On a visit to the garden, English Rosarian Peter Beals referred to it as,
Not because of the sheer volume of roses, but because of David Ruston.
In 1982, he was honoured by the National Rose Society of Australia with the Australian Rose Award, as well as receiving the Order of Australia for services to horticulture.
In 1991, he became the President of the World Federation of Rose Societies. And in 1994, was presented with the Dean Hall Medal, the most prestigious award a Rosarian can receive.
Being an avid collector, David's garden is a kaleidoscope of shapes and colour seldom witnessed elsewhere.
While each plant is a span of some 30,000 reacted species with a single berry tree trying to tell a different shift.
Perhaps the garden's most spectacular displays are the ramblers.
Left to themselves, they created some of the largest rose trees ever seen.
This garden, however, is not just solely for display.
David Ruston roses are keenly sought by florists throughout Australia.
Harvest of the blooms commences in October and continues through to June.
Established by his father in 1924 with a few plants around the family home, David has turned
his passion for roses into a thriving industry.
A one and a half hour road trip north of Adelaide, another palette of colour dwarfs the landscape
of the Clare Valley.
Walter Duncan has been growing roses for more than 40 years.
His lifetime love of the rose evident in a plethora of beautiful roses.
Together with Tom Williams, Walter has created a large collection of Old World and French
roses.
Walter's passion for French roses was realised with the introduction to the garden of the
Guillaume range of roses from Rosary Guillaume in Lyon, France.
The Guillaume family has been growing roses in France since 1829.
Jean-Pierre Guillaume, on visiting the gardens, commented, I'm amazed at the intensity of
colour, frequency of flowering and the larger blooms that have been achieved here.
It truly is a combination of both art and talent.
Here, amongst the gentle rolling hills of the Clare Valley, the rose takes advantage
of rich soils and sunny days to spread their carpet of colour.
With its seemingly endless array of shape, colour and style, the rose has always been
a fashionable garden plant.
But over time, its influence has spread well beyond the décor of the garden.
For countless generations, artisans have attempted to capture the elusive beauty of the rose
in works of exquisite charm and fine craftsmanship.
Whether embossed in tapestries or preserved in porcelain, the rose's delicate form adds
a special touch of elegance even to the finest of homes.
Colourful decorations have become family heirlooms, linking forever the
beauty of the rose with cherished moments from the past.
Throughout the ages, the rose has been a constant source of inspiration for those with a fondness
for the pen.
Anachrion, the Greek poet, famous for his love of food and wine, penned an ode to the
origin of the rose.
Then, then in strange, eventful hour, the earth produced an infant flower, which sprung
with blushing tintues dressed and wantoned o' its parents' breast.
The gods beheld this brilliant birth and hailed the rose, the boon of earth.
The late Scottish poet, Robert Burns' rich love of lyrics and a passion for literature
was also influenced by the rose.
Oh, my love's like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June.
Oh, my love's like the melody that's sweetly played in tune.
But the rose's finest moment in literature was captured in the immortal lines of the
great bard, William Shakespeare, whose famous love is lament.
What's in a name?
That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.
Throughout time, no other flower has inspired such devotion from an artist's brush.
To this day, swirls of colour transform bare canvas into a masterpiece of form, colour
and beauty that is the rose.
The rose's finest moment in literature was captured in the immortal lines of the great
bard, William Shakespeare, whose famous love is lament.
For centuries, the wild roses cultivated from the gardens of Europe and China have been
cross-bred to create the countless varieties we see today.
One of the most important developments occurred in France in 1867 when breeder Jean-Baptiste
Lyot crossed a hybrid China rose with the Boubons, thus creating the first hybrid tea
rose, La France.
The birth of La France signalled a new era, that of the modern classic rose.
Through hybridisation, colourful blooms were created which flowered longer through the
These hybrids in the main still retain the classic leaf structure, glorious colours and
heady perfumes of their ancestry.
new era.
Another development in the history of the modern rose occurred in the early 1920s when
Danish breeder Sven Poulsen produced the first of what was to become known as Floribundes.
Today an ever-increasing intermingling of species has led to a bewildering variety of
roses grown more for the plant's appearance rather than parentage.
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Nurseries throughout the world introduce hundreds of new and exciting varieties each year.
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Creamy whites, luscious reds, bright yellows
and startling blends of scarlet and gold create the irresistible lure of the rose.
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One of the more recent hybrid teas has been created in memory of Princess Diana.
Many of today's garden favourites come from North America.
Mr Lincoln and Oklahoma are two of the most popular, introduced in the early 1960s by prominent rose breeders Swim and Weeks.
They won the prestigious All American Rose Selection Award in 1964.
Weeks roses are among the best hybrid tea grandiflora breeders in the world.
Jackson Perkins is another of America's leading breeders.
With 5,000 acres of rose fields, they bud, grow and harvest more than 10 million plants annually during the rose growing season.
American breeders throughout the 1990s have emerged as some of the finest in the world.
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When people think of the modern rose, they think of David Austin's English roses.
Since first appearing in the early 1970s, David Austin roses have captured the eye as well as the heart of rose lovers around the world.
Their extraordinary popularity has led to the creation of over 1,000 new varieties.
Reminiscent of roses from yesteryear, David Austin's have a beauty and character very much their own.
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David began his working life as a farmer in Shropshire but was soon captivated by the rose.
His beautiful English roses meld the repeat flowering characteristics of modern hybrid teas and floribundas with the charm and fragrance of the old,
creating a range of blooms noted for their beautiful scents and individual flowers.
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With their old fashioned appearance, delicate old world fragrances and ready availability, David Austin's have emerged as contemporary classics of the modern era.
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From time to time, the World Federation of Rose Societies, representing more than 100,000 rose lovers from 37 countries around the world, gathers to honour the world's most loved rose.
Those selected by popular vote are elevated to the prestigious Hall of Fame alongside previous favourites of historical and genealogical importance.
Distinguished roses honoured thus far include, old blush introduced from China is still one of the gardener's favourites.
Indeed, all the repeat flowering modern roses of today descended from old blush.
A fitting tribute to the Empress Josephine, the Souvenir de la Malmaison, also known as the Queen of Beauty and Fragrance.
Created by Jean Ballou in Lyon in 1843, this was one of the first roses to flower in warmer climates.
Bred by Jacques Tau of Dijon, Loire de Dijon was introduced to the world in 1853. In its heyday, this beautiful rambling rose was regarded as the elite of all climbing roses.
One of the most loved of all rose blooms, Cécile Brunner, the sweetheart rose, introduced in 1881 by Joseph Pernet.
Of mixed ancestry, Grosse Saint-Templit came from Hungarian breeder Gersvint in 1897.
Of all modern roses in the Hall of Fame, the world's favourite is undoubtedly Peace. Nurtured in 1939 from a single seed by French breeder, Francie Mayonne, this precious seedling was presumed lost during the Nazi occupation of France.
It was not until the end of the war that Mayonne learned the fate of his stunning creation in a letter from Pennsylvania grower Robert Pyle who told him,
He was convinced it will be the greatest rose of the century. Since then, Peace has been honoured with every major award there is to be won.
Queen Elizabeth, a hardy bush which seems to flourish anywhere, raised in California by Walter Lametz in 1954.
For many years, Fragrant Cloud, introduced by German Matthias Tantall in 1963, was the world's best-selling rose. Its name aptly describes its outstanding fragrance.
In 1958, Rymar Cordes had no idea how popular iceberg was to become when he introduced it to the world. Today, most gardens boast an iceberg amongst their collection.
In the years of the World Rose Convention in 1966, the world's best-selling rose was voted Best in the World by the World Rose Convention.
The promise of the finest red rose ever was boasted at the launch of Papa Mayonne in 1963. At its best, it is indeed glorious, its dark blooms exuding a wonderful fragrance.
The name Pascali created a mild sensation when introduced in 1963, a stunning triumph for Belgian breeder Louis L'Ensdru.
A long succession of roses from the old firm of Benjamin Canton Sons in Colchester, England culminated with the nomination to the Hall of Fame of Just Joey.
Introduced in 1930, New Dawn holds the distinction of being the first plant to be issued a patent in the United States.
Ingrid Bergman, a rose as beautiful as its namesake, another great award winner introduced in 1983.
The Hall of Fame, celebrating the world's finest roses.
Gardeners eagerly await the arrival of the thousands of new rose varieties that are introduced each year.
Around the world, nurseries like those of Cordes in Germany, Mayonne in France, Harkness in England, along with many others, continue the amazing development of the modern rose.
For centuries, the rose has delighted countless generations, as it will for generations to come.
Year 2002 was designated as the Year of the Rose, a worldwide event celebrating the rose as a universal symbol of love, friendship, beauty and peace.
A blossom of unsurpassed importance in art, history, literature and music, the rose is the world's favourite flower, one which has provided inspiration to mankind since the beginning of time.
Gardeners eagerly await the arrival of the thousands of rose varieties that are introduced each year.
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