As if to announce the beginning of summer in all its splendor, the roses are brightly blooming in unison. Lured by their mystic beauty and enchanting fragrance, I wandered into this rose labyrinth again this year.
The history of rose cultivation is very ancient, believed to date back at least 5,000 years.
In ancient West Asia and Persia, rose cultivation flourished in the region that is now Iran. Rose flowers were used for perfumes and medicinal plants. They were beloved as the celestial flowers that adorned the gardens of Paradise.
In ancient Greece, the lady poet Sappho called the rose the “Queen of Flowers," and it was associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
In Medieval Europe, the rose flower became a symbol of the Virgin Mary’s purity and was cultivated in the gardens of monasteries for church decorations and religious ceremonies.
From the Renaissance onward, roses became symbols of beauty and love. They permeated court culture and were widely planted in palace gardens. Roses were frequently drawn in the works of painters such as Botticelli and Raphael, which further reinforced their symbolic significance.
In modern Europe, Chinese repeat-blooming varieties were introduced to Europe. Through crossbreeding with such Chinese roses, numerous varieties have been developed, and modern rose breeding saw dramatic advancements.
