Nothing says “I love you” better then a red rose. Less expensive than a diamond, and much more thoughtful than a gift card; red roses are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. But how did the red rose become synonymous with the holiday of love and the expression of romance in general? Let’s have a look back into how the “flower of love” became so iconic.
Roses have been around for thousands of years and today they are found all over the world in many variations. So why is this particular flower so special? According to Proplants.com; The symbolic history of the red rose dates back to Greek mythology, where it was the symbol for the goddess of love, Aphrodite. This association made the red rose into a sign of love, passion, and prosperity for the Greek people. By the time Shakespeare put pen to paper, the use of red roses as a symbol of love was already an early “trope” in writing. This is one symbol that Shakespeare loved including in his works. The LA Times counted and roses are mentioned more than 70 times in Shakespeare’s works! After all we’ve all heard Juliet tell Romeo, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Shakespeare’s liberal use of the red rose in symbolizing love helped to cement the popularity of this icon. Today, the red rose is synonymous with love, and different shades of roses are now used to represent different kinds of love; the pink for new love, yellow for friendship, or dark red for intense passion.
Keeping the history of the red rose in mind, it’s a safe bet their status as the flower of true love is here to stay. Red roses are a must-have in your garden and depending on where you live, it might be the perfect time to get planting! Spring is a great time to plant and roses do especially well after the last frost. Don’t worry about getting started too late, roses can be planted anytime between early spring and fall, between the last frost of spring and first frost of fall.In fact, one of our Green King team members, local to Arizona, started her rose garden earlier this month! If you are looking to get your rose garden growing for the first time, check out Garden Design’s Beginner’s Guide to Growing Roses! Whether you are growing roses for the first time or have an established rose garden, our 14 inch DEEP DRIP® Watering Stake is the perfect valentine for your flowers. Designed for shallow root plants like shrubs and vines, the 14” is made to make your roses bloom.
This Valentine’s Day, go out and give your special someone a rose (or give yourself one, you’re worth it), and continue a tradition of love around since Plato. Roses are red, violets are blue Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Green King to you!
