Love Roses

The history of cultivated roses goes back thousands of years. According to fossil evidence, rose plants have existed for approximately 35 million years old. The genus Rosa has some 150 species spread throughout the world.
Wild roses are hardy and adaptable plants which grow in conditions ranging from swampy to arid, and can tolerate extreme climates of the northern hemisphere. Alberta, a province of Canada where winter temperatures often reach -40 degrees, has as its provincial flower the wild rose, a small wild variety with dark pink blossoms and a delicate scent.
Domestic cultivation of roses began more than 5,000 years ago in China. Wreaths of Damask-like roses have been found in Egyptian tombs. Frescoes of the Minoan Crete culture show roses. Roses were cultivated extensively in the Middle East during Roman times, their petals used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes and perfume. Roman nobility kept large public rose gardens in the south of Rome, where they used hot-houses to "force" roses into bloom at desired times, and they also imported roses from Egypt. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the cultivation of roses spread throughout Europe.