An English garden without a rose?
There can't be many, except perhaps on newly built estates where front gardens have been paved over to make room for parking.
Three English counties have the rose as their emblem, but how truly English is the rose?
By birth, not at all. We have to thank the Romans or the Crusaders, or both, for our adopted flower.
Through the centuries, roses have reached our shores from all parts of the northern hemisphere, through many people via many routes.
Roses have come to England from the Himalayas, China, Korea, Japan and Turkey.
The Musk Rose is reported to have been introduced by Thomas Cromwell in the 16th century.
Rosa Mundi is popularly associated with Fair Rosamund the mistress of Henry II.
England cannot therefore lay claim to the beginnings of the rose, but it has adopted it in a manner no other nation has done. There is no doubt that it is here to stay.
To list all the music I have with 'rose' in the title or chorus, would take pages so I have picked just two......one of which will be known to everyone..... Moonlight and Roses.
It also gives me an opportunity to show my rambling rose which this year has provided a overwhelming mass of scented blooms.
What beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteDo you know the Purcell song "Sweeter than roses was the dear kiss"? Lovely.
I have a rambling Kiftsgate rose. My friend says it has a flloating fragrance. If you go up to it and sniff, you don't smell it but it's there in the air. It's really delightful. I think it usually comes out in June. Will know when I see (or smell) it.
I haven't heard the Purcell song but I have heard of the Kiftsgate rose.
ReplyDeleteI planted four varieties up the pergola... there is Red Sympathie at the front and the massive pink one is Cecile Brunner. Can't remember the other two of hand, but they never seem to do as well.
"My love is like a red, red rose" bu Robert Burns is a lovely song. Also his "A rosebud by my early walk". There's also the opening chorus of the Gondoliers.
ReplyDeleteYou are right.
ReplyDeleteI said there were hundreds of songs. It is strange how one flower predominates over all other.
A lot of them of course refer to Rose, a short form for Rosemary.