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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 33 David C.H. Austin's goal of reintroducing fragrance into cut garden rose cultivars was not an easy task because, at the time, fragrance had a direct inverse correlation to vase life: e more fragrance, the shorter the vase life. at's why many hybrid tea rose varieties developed as commercial cut flowers in the latter decades of the 20th century had little or no fragrance; the breeders traded fragrance for vase life. e work by the David Austin Roses team over the last 30 years has resulted in spectacular English garden roses that combine both perfume and long vase life. Breeding is just one part of the David Austin Roses story. Today, David Austin Wedding & Event Roses works with some of the finest rose growers in the world, each of whom have their own stories, as well as the expertise to grow premium garden roses as cut flowers. Alexandra Farms, in Colombia; Rosaprima and Agrirose, in Ecuador ; and Green Valley Floral, in California, are the proud growers of David Austin English Roses as cut flowers, supplying wholesale and retail florists in the U.S. 12 months of the year. Joey Azout, president of Alexandra Farms, explains, "David Austin began breeding garden roses for the cut flower market that combined the flowers' most famous characteristics— the old-fashioned cup shape and irresistible fragrance—with longevity and vase life. is sparked a trend that's been strong ever since, with breeders in other countries developing and launching new and unique garden rose varieties every year. We grow more than 60 varieties of garden roses at our farm in Colombia, offering florists and designers around the world a wide range of colors, shapes and fragrances." e final element is, of course, you, the floral designers, who bring the roses to life, maximizing their beauty by creating world-class floral designs for the end consumers—your clients. Knowing the story always helps us to revere these flowers and appreciate their beauty even more. Leaving the final word to Mr. Austin: "ere is no such thing as a perfect rose, so our work will never end, but we will never stop looking for it." Fun Rose Facts, Legend and Lore • Due to fossil evidence, roses are known to have flourished 35 million years ago. • The Chinese and the Egyptians are thought to be the first to cultivate roses. This started around 5,000 years ago, when monks would grow roses for medicinal purposes. • The world's oldest living rose bush is thought to be 1,000 years old. Today, it continues to bloom on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral, in Germany. • The era of Modern Roses was established with the introduction of the first hybrid tea rose, 'La France', by the French breeder Jean-Baptiste André Guillot, in 1867. • Nero, the fifth Roman emperor (A.D. 37-68), regularly dumped tons of rose petals on his dinner guests to show his love and gratitude for them. Similarly, the young Roman emperor Elagabalus (A.D. 203-222), once buried banquet guests in "violets and other flowers" released from the ceiling. Unintended consequence: Some guests were smothered to death, it was reported. The event is depicted in an 1888 painting, The Roses of Heliogabalus, by the Anglo-Dutch artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, which shows drifts of pink rose petals (not violets and other flowers) falling from the ceiling. • In Greek and Roman mythology, Chloris (Roman: Flora), the goddess of flowers and springtime, was out walking early one morning when she stumbled upon the lifeless body of a woodland nymph. Saddened by the creature's fate, Chloris decided to breathe life into the nymph, transforming its body into a flower. Aphrodite (Roman: Venus), the goddess of love and beauty, named the flower "rose" and dedicated it to her son, Eros, the god of love. • According to another ancient myth, bushes of white roses sprang forth during the birth of Aphrodite (the gruesome backstory involves hatred, jealousy, revenge and castration, which we won't go into here!). As to how the roses turned red and Anemone flowers were created, Greek mythology has it that one day, Aphrodite received word that her lover, Adonis, a mortal, would be harmed while he was out hunting boar. As Aphrodite hurried to Adonis' aid, she scratched herself on a rose bush, splashing speckles of blood on their white petals, turning the blossoms red. Unfortunately, Adonis died from a fatal wound, and Aphrodite's tears fell into pools of Adonis' blood, giving rise to the Anemone flower. • On Nov. 20, 1986, the U.S. Congress and President Ronald Reagan designated the rose the "National Floral Emblem" of the United States.

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