White Roses Innocence Tested Through War
In an age of innocence, white roses are the typical symbol, especially in the Victorian language of flowers, in which the white rose is standard for purity, secrecy, reverence, humility and friendship. They are often part of bouquets for weddings, church services as well as sweet 16 birthday parties.
White roses, commonly referred to as Alba roses, were also the symbol of the House of York, adopted by the Duke of York in 14th century. During the 15th century, the red rose was used as a symbol for the rival House of Lancaster. As the two houses fought, the battle became known as the War of the Roses, which incidentally was also used in the movie, War of the Roses.
When King Henry VII combined white roses and red roses to develop the Tudor rose, the conflict ended. The Tudor rose became the symbol of the Tudor Dynasty. The white roses are considered the oldest of the garden roses. The shrubs produce blooms once a year and their blossoms are white or pale pink, with leaves of green or grayish green. Many will use them to offset the colors offered by other types of flowers in landscaping.
White Roses Join In March To Championship
Roses typically are grown in a temperate climate and are common through most of North America. Although they have been seen in tropical climates if grafted onto proper root stock. Many colors of roses, especially white roses make their appearance at the annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California each January. The annual parade marks the annual football championship game and all floats in the parade are made of roses.
Polyantha hybrid roses were grown to provide bushes with more blooms than the typical rose bush, which offered more color when used for landscaping. Grandiflora roses, literally meaning big flowers, were also developed to provide more color and the miniature roses were developed in colors corresponding to their larger species. This made florists happy as they were able to add roses into arrangements without overwhelming the rest of the flowers.
Many miniature white roses are sold as house plants where they seem to survive, but they are a descendant of an outdoor bush requiring a temperate climate. Without an annual period of cold hibernation in which they lay dormant, the bush will not survive. To help them grown for more than one season, it is recommended that during cold weather, they be placed outdoors where they can go through the natural growing cycle.
