When you send roses to someone for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a birthday or anniversary you often don’t think about anything except the condition of the roses on delivery and whether they were on time and did the roses look amazing.
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Indeed, most people know what roses look like and when they get roses delivered they don’t give a second thought to their history and meaning .
This article aims to set that straight and give you a bit of an insight into what certain roses mean and what their history is.
History of Roses- the origins
Firstly, roses have been around for an extremely long time. When you send roses you probably are not aware that the species has, according to evidence found in fossils, been around between 35 and 75 million years. The rose fall under the genus known as Rosa which contains in the region of 150 different species. They can be found spread across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. It is thought that the cultivation of Roses began over 5000 years ago in China.
Roses in Roman times
Roses were also extremely popular in Roman times and were grown in pretty big quantities by the Romans and other European civilisations of the time. People often associate roses with the excesses of the Roman Empire, and it is possible to find stories and paintings of Roman Emperors lounging at feasts or orgies with floors that were filled with rose petals. They were even said to have filled swimming baths with rose water.
Roses were also extensively used for creating scents and perfumes and could also be used for medicinal purposes some of which are described later in this article.
In the Roman times most, roses were cultivated in the Middle East but rose gardens were also established by the gentry to the South of Rome.
The War of the Roses
During the 15th Century there were a series of civil wars within England. These wars were between two rival noble houses, The House of Lancaster which was represented by the symbol of a red rose and the house of York represented by the symbol of a white rose. These wars became known later in history as the “War of the Roses”. In reality the white rose was used early on in the conflict by the Yorkists but the red rose was only introduced later by the Lancastrians after the battle of Bosworth in 1485 which Henry Tudor won. They then combined the white and red rose to form the Tudor rose symbolising a union between the two houses at the end of the war.
Roses in the 17th and 18th Century
In the 17th Century roses were especially important and in huge demand, indeed royalty often considered roses and rose water as legal tender for payments or the bartering of goods.
In the 1800’s close to Paris in France at Chateaux Malmaison the wife of Napoleon developed a huge collection of Roses in the gardens. Indeed, Pierre Joseph Redoutes used these rose gardens as inspiration for his watercolour collection known as “Les Roses” which is wildly accepted as one of the greatest records of botanical illustrations.
Rosa Damacena
One of the most famous varieties of rose is the Rosa Damascena, also known as the Damascus Rose. It is interesting to know when you get roses delivered that this variety of rose was very important in Iranian medicine and was used to treat a wide range of ailments including chest and abdominal pains, digestive issues, constipation, heart issues and menstrual bleeding.
Other uses for roses throughout history
Throughout history and even today people don’t just send roses they use them to create a number of different products including:
Rose Water.
As per the name this is a water-based liquid which is known to have calming and relaxing properties. It is used in religious ceremonies to this date like when they wash the "God House" in Mecca Saudi Arabia. Rose waters distinct flavour is found extensively in Persian (Iranian) cuisine to this date.
Rose essential oil.
This extract also known as liquid gold is used for a whole host of purposes. These include treatment of pain, reducing anxiety and stress, treating depression, reducing infections from bacteria and fungi. There has been many claims around the benefits and some research done but more needs to be done to prove this.
Rose Concrete.
This is a waxy substance that is orange and red in colour and has a strong rose fragrance to it. This substance is mainly used to obtain rose absolute.
Rose Absolute
This is the ethanol extract of Rose concrete. It is coveted for its strong floral sent.It is used for helping reduce the signs of ageing in the skin. It is also used to help calm the mind or help encourage sleep.
Rose Hips
These are the fruit like berries found underneath the petals of a rose. They have lots of vitamins and contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits. It actually used to treat osteoarthritis plus an number of other issues like stomach problems and even obesity. Other than osteoarthritis there is little evidence to prove that it can treat those other problems.
Get Roses delivered by Floraly right across Australia
So, if you are thinking of sending Roses to someone you are in great company as they have been around for millions of years and have been used by humans for many purposes for thousands of years. If you want to send roses to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and most regional areas look no further than Floraly. We will package up your selection in a bespoke box and deliver the roses right across Australia.
Before you get a beautiful arrangement of roses delivered to someone, you may wish to consider what each rose colour represents or means. Sending Roses at Valentine’s day are a tradition that many men and women stick to every year on the 14th of February. There are however many of other reasons to send a rose to someone and whilst it might be nice to get roses delivered on valentines there are many other times and reasons to send these beautiful sweet-smelling flowers. In case you are not sure we have provided a short guide for you to ensure you make the right choice for every occasion.
What it means to send Red Roses
The red rose is without doubt the most sent rose and most people have an idea that it stands for true, love passion and is the rose of romance. Therefore, sending red roses is most popular at valentines’ day. Indeed, if you are looking to let someone know that you love them send a dozen red roses and you will not go too far wrong. If you however want to go even further, you can send two dozen red roses to show that you think about them every single hour of the day and that you are completely devoted.
What it means to send White Roses
Sending white roses can symbolise the start of a romance and represent eternal love. The white rose also represents innocence and purity and are often the rose of choice for a bride. They are often given the name the bridal rose for this reason.
What it means to send yellow roses
Their bright colourful appearance of these roses means that many people send yellow roses as a sign of happiness, warmth and affection and friendship. However back during the 19th Century during Victorian times they were a symbol of jealousy and infidelity. This meaning actually originates from a legend about the prophet Mohammed and his wife Aisha. Whilst he was away fighting it is said that he was worried that his wife was being unfaithful to him whilst he was away. This prompted Mohammed to ask the angel Gabriel what he should do and the angel told him on his return he should ask his wife to immediately enter the river and if the water turned yellow he would know she had been cheating on him. So according to legend when he returned home he called upon his wife who arrived carrying a big bunch of red roses. Mohammed immediately asked that she entered the river, and although confused she entered the river carrying the bouquet of Roses. The Roses immediately turned yellow indicating to the Prophet his worst fears, that she had indeed been unfaithful to him and that is where the original meaning of the yellow rose is said to have come from.
What it means to send Pink Roses
It is said that the pink rose represents friendship and is a calmer more gentle rose to send to a friend you love or admire in a platonic way. Other meanings are elegance, refinement, and femininity. It is said that sending difference shades of pink roses has different meanings. For example a dark pink rose is better to send to say thank you nor show gratitude to someone, whereas a light pink rose is more representative of joy and happiness.
What it means to send Orange Roses
The orange rose is often seen as a sign of pride and are a good choice to send to someone who you are proud of achieving something. So if you want to send flowers for a graduation or for when someone has passed an exam these are a good choice at least symbolically. Other meanings can include excitement and energy and may be good to send to someone irresistible.
What it means to send Lavender roses
Many say that these roses represent mystery, particularly because they are the closest colour to blue you can get in a rose. These roses can be sent to a person that enchants you or that you are obsessed with. However, we do not recommend sending roses to anyone who doesn’t want to receive them :)
You can of course send mixed bunches of roses to convey whatever your heart desires. For example, a mix of red and white roses is said to mean unity and are popular choices for anniversaries or weddings.
Of course, in the end many people just choose the colours that they love the most and that they think will suit the style of the person receiving them. Floraly will package up your roses in a beautiful bespoke box and send them for you to almost anywhere in Australia.
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