Roses and truths

I never really used to like roses. I think growing up I used to simply associate them with the Valentine’s Day cliche.

My feelings for the rose though have changed recently. Maybe it’s because my neighbourhood’s full of them or maybe it’s because I took a stroll recently through the rose garden at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens but now I think they are simply striking. I didn’t know there were so many varieties - I think I read somewhere there are about 150 types of roses! Rose oil is one of the oldest main ingredients used in perfumes too. In addition to rose oil and roses in your flower vases, rose petals are also edible and rose water has been used in making jams and as a flavouring to some Asian dishes. 

While I’m on a roll, here are some other fun facts on roses that might be helpful for the next quiz night:

• There are rose fossils that date back 35 million years
• The oldest living rose is 1,000 years old and grows on a wall on the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
• Just one gram of oil is produced from two thousand roses.
• The most expensive rose, the Juliet, was unveiled at the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show in London and was sold for $5 million.

The more you love roses, then more you must bear with it's thorns.Matshona Dhliwayo