A Single Rose

Today I have been catching up things around the house. As I was putting out my washing I notice this rose smiling at me as it was catching a little sunlight. It seems to be just holding on in this cold weather. It a rose just keeps flowering for months. It is great having a next-door neighbour who loves gardening as we can get the pleasure from it as well.  

The History of Roses
Roses have a long and colourful history. They have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics. The rose is, according to fossil evidence, 35 million years old. In nature, the genus Rosa has some 150 species spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to Mexico and including northern Africa.

Garden cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years ago, probably in China. During the Roman period, roses were grown extensively in the Middle East. They were used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes, and as a source of perfume.

Roman nobility established large public rose gardens in the south of Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the popularity of roses seemed to rise and fall depending on gardening trends of the time.
For more information on the rose.