There is a reason why roses are the most popular flowers for gifting on Valentine’s Day.
Since time immemorial roses have been associated with femininity, beauty, love and romance and are also considered symbols of innocence.
Red roses in particular are associated with love, passion and romance and that never goes out of fashion. Check out trending roses on TikTok and Instagram and you’ll see it’s all about red roses.
The scent of a rose
Who can resist an exquisite perfume? But did you know that just as the best perfumes have their individual fragrance, so do roses? Each perfumed rose has its own distinctive scent, that can be spicy, or sweet, fruity or fresh. Red roses generally have the strongest perfumes.
Because we all respond differently to perfumes why not let your loved one choose their own perfumed rose and plant it in the garden. They will think loving thoughts of you every time they bend down to smell the rose!
These strongly perfumed roses are recommended by rose grower Ludwig Taschner:
- ‘Ecstasy’ (Hybrid Tea) produces velvety, strongly fragrant crimson red blooms that change to magenta with age. The bush grows to a medium height and is a good bedding rose.
- ‘Oklahoma’ (Hybrid Tea) has huge, full, highly perfumed blooms of a deep velvet-red. The bush is strong growing, flowers prolifically, and has a well-rounded shape.
- ‘Mister Lincoln’ (Hybrid Tea) is a classic, highly perfumed garden cut rose that is easy to grow. Its large rich red blooms have velvet sheen and are borne on strong and sturdy stems.
- ‘Avon’ (hybrid tea) has large, velvet red blooms with a powerful fragrance. Makes a beautiful standard rose.
- ‘Alec’s Red’ (hybrid tea) is an old favourite with full-petalled cherry red blooms that mature to carmine. It is a health, vigorous grower.
https://www.ludwigsroses.co.za/product-category/fragrant-roses/
A bouquet that says I love you
Imagine being woken up with a bunch of long-stemmed red roses, with that morning cup of coffee. Make it even more personal by having a rose for every year you have been together.
For the roses to last longer in the vase and unfold fully, cut a further 1 to 2cm off the end of the stem and place it immediately in HOT water (as hot as you would use in the bath) in the vase. The fresh cut with intact openings of the capillaries allows the hot water to be absorbed through the bottom of the stem driving out the locked-in air. It might sound crazy but even wilted rose blooms can be refreshed in this way.
A love feast with roses
Prepare a Valentine’s Day dinner with a difference. Besides the roses on the table, add rose petals to your salads, dessert, and sparkling champagne.
Don’t underestimate the romantic effect of fresh rose petals. They can be strewn on pathways and sprinkled on tables as decoration. Specialised rose nurseries like Ludwig’s roses sell fresh rose petals. Rose petals are edible and safe to eat as long as the roses have not been sprayed with poison.
https://www.ludwigsroses.co.za/product-category/rose-edible-products/
A soothing rose spa
Bring Valentine’s Day to a luxurious close by running a rose bath for your tired partner. Gather some rose petals (preferably red), buy rose scented candles and distill some drops of rose essential oil into the bath water. Aromatherapists use the fragrance of roses to calm nervous tension and relieve depression.
https://www.ludwigsroses.co.za/product-category/rose-body-range/
Compiled by Alice Coetzee
