It’s estimated that there are more than 400,000 different species of flowering plants around the world. Some are more obscure than others, of course, while some are as familiar as it gets. It’s not possible to say for certain which of them is the prettiest or the most colourful, obviously, but it’s perhaps fair to say that the rose is the most popular. These gorgeous additions to the garden are as iconic as it gets. Here are four facts about them that you may not have known, however.
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A heritage that goes back centuries
Roses have been around for a very long time. In ancient Greece, they represented beauty, love and sexuality, and were closely associated with the goddess Aphrodite. According to legend, red roses were created when her lover Adonis was attacked by a wild boar, and when his blood and her tears hit the ground together, a red rose was made. These days, the Aphrodite rose is an attractive species that features large pink petals.
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So many wonderful varieties to choose from
If you find it difficult to make decisions when buying flowers, you’ll want to take your time when selecting roses. There are more than 300 different species, and these can be split into thousands of types, including hybrids. The Belle Epoch hybrid has a lovely orange colour on the inside, deep bronze on the exterior and offers a fabulously rich scent.
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The bushes can be very tall
The tallest rose bush ever was grown in Austria, and it towers above everyone who walks past. It was grown by Hafizullah Khaled in Austria, and it took five years to fully grow. Believe it or not, it stands at 8.7 metres (28.5 feet), more than two single-decker buses stacked on top of each other. Thankfully, Hafizullah had a good head for heights, as do all the garden designers in Scotland that we know.
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They can be extremely valuable
Rare examples of flowers can be worth vast sums of money, and the rose is no exception. Rose breeder David Austin introduced his now-famous Juliet rose at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show, and the hybrid quickly became known as the £3 million rose. He’d spent a large sum of money in the cultivation process, not to mention around 15 years of his time.
Brown Earth Landscapes offer the best garden design Perth has to offer, and we work for a wide cross-section of both domestic and commercial clients. To find out more, call 01250 884 342.
