History of the rose and the rosebush. Part One
In the Northern Hemisphere the story of the rose goes back to the beginning of time. Queen of the garden and rightly so, the rose is a jewel which gardeners have patiently shaped from generation to generation.
According to scientists, the first rose appeared almost 35 million years ago. Although not much is known of these first specimens, ancient texts show that already the queen of flowers was highly appreciated by the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. At the time, only one white variety was cultivated, mainly for medicinal purposes. According to historic witnesses, roses were also cultivated in China around 5,000 years ago. These flowers, which come from Central Asia, spread throughout the northern hemisphere without ever crossing the equator.
In the 12th and 13th Centuries, when the Crusades were setting hearts and passions alight, armed voyagers brought back from the Near East, new varieties like the mythical Damas rose, which enriched Provins in the Paris region, from the 12th Century on. This rose was originally planted on the island of Samos in honour of the godesse Aphrodite. It was later honoured in Rome by Venus, the godesse of love. It was at this time that rose-growing began in France with gallica officinalis (the Apothecary Rose). This variety brought back from the Holy Land was first grown for medicinal purposes before being appreciated for its beauty in the garden. Rose perfume was made from this variety in the Middle Ages.
In France, the most cultivated rosebushes were the Gallics, also called French Roses (Provins Rose, Charles de Mills, Tuscany) but white roses called Alba (Celeste, Jeanne d'Arc, Cuisse de Nymphe), Damas rosebushes (Felicité Hardy, Four Seasons, King's Rose), Centfeuilles rosebushes ( Rosa Centifolia, Rose des Peintres, Petite de Hollande) and finally Moussus rosebushes (Common Moussu, Salet) were also grown. They all had common features: developed in big bushes, they often had a single and abundant flowering. Every heavily perfumed flower was composed of many petals varying from pure white to deep purple. Only the Damas rose reflowered. It is the origin of the first European reflowering roses.
>> History of the rose and the rosebush. Part Two