The rose has a long history of attracting important people with its beauty and perfume. During Enlightenment, Napoleon’s wife, Josephine Bonapart, grew every known variety of rose in her garden. Even earlier, in the late 16th century, Shakespeare wrote this rememberable line: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweat” uttered by Romeo about Juliette. And before that, in the 15th century there was there was the War of the Roses, in which the white rose badge was worn by the Yorks and the red rose badge was worn by Lancastrians.
But it was long before the Enlightenment, Renaissance and Middle Ages that roses first captured the hearts and imaginations of humans. In ancient Roman, they were used for perfume and confetti. In Greek mythology, Chloris, the goddess of flowers, turned a fallen nymph into a flower and then she along with fellow goddesses named it a rose.
The rose has grown to symbolize so much for us over the centuries: beauty, desire, respect, but most importantly, love. Its no wonder we celebrate so many meaningful occasions with them: Mother’s Day, Valentines day, birthdays, engagements, weddings.
These days, there are many varieties but some of the most beautiful and vibrant roses are grown in Ethiopia. That’s where our roses come from. Check out our collection.