Rose Gardens
For centuries, people have considered roses to be one of the most beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers. They are often used as a symbol of love. In Medieval times, nobles and royalty would use rose petals in their bathwater, perfumes, ointments, and even in food! Even today roses are beloved for their fragrance and wonderful colors. Some people love roses so much that they create entire gardens of only roses. Quite often, these rose gardens are also public parks where visitors can walk through to relax and appreciate the roses. Rose gardeners are very knowledgeable about different species of roses and how to grow them. The very first rose garden was actually developed in France by Napoleon?s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais. She was so fascinated by roses that she set out on a quest to collect every type of rose that existed! By the time she died, her rose garden consisted of over 250 different kinds of roses.
Make Your Own Rose Garden
Creating a large public rose garden takes a tremendous amount of planning. However, if you love roses, you can create a smaller version in your backyard. The first step is to find an ideal location for the roses. Roses love plenty of sunlight, fresh air, and soil that is well drained. Try to find a spot where there is lots of morning sunlight. You can either buy roses from a garden store, or use cuttings from someone else who has roses. Look for shrub roses since they are quite easy to take care of. Besides water and fertilizer, roses also need to be pruned regularly. Pruning means cutting diseased or dead flowers, leaves, and branches so that the rest of the plant can remain healthy.
How to Grow Roses From a Cutting
Choosing a Location for the Garden
A Presentation on Planting Roses
Public Rose Gardens Around the U.S.
There are many public rose gardens all across the U.S., but four are particularly note-worthy. The American Rose Society hosts the Gardens of the American Rose Center in Louisiana. As you can imagine, this group of experts and enthusiasts have collected an enormous number or rose species. More impressively, their gardens consist of over sixty-five smaller rose gardens. The Huntingdon Library based in California has a number of different gardens, one of which is a rose garden that was planted in 1908. Imagine a garden that old still surviving today! At the International Rose Test Garden in Oregon, the staff work on creating new rose varieties. Finally, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, based in New York, is another impressive showing with more than six hundred types of roses.
Public Rose Gardens Around the World
Although Empress Josephine?s magnificent rose gardens near Paris were destroyed many years ago, France continues to have several beautiful rose gardens around the country. For example, the rose garden at the Parc Floral in Orléans includes pathways, a pool, and several ancient and modern types of roses. In England, where intricate gardens became extremely popular first among medieval royalty and then commoners, there are numerous rose gardens. A truly notable one is the Rose Labyrinth in Warwickshire. It is situated at Coughton Court and is designed as a delightful winding maze of rose plants. Some of the best rose gardens in the world have won competitions and awards for their design and success in cultivating many different kinds of roses.
International World Peace Rose Gardens
Rose Garden at Montreal Botanical Garden
Roseraie du Parc Floral (Orleans, France)
Rose Organizations
World Federation of Rose Societies
National Rose Society of Australia
Author : Paul Mousseline