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Roses are believed to be 35 million years old. Rosa gallica officinalis growing wild in Asia was first cultivated in the gardens of Persians and Egyptians 5,000 year sago. It wasn't until the late eighteenth century that cultivated roses were introduced into Europe from China where roses were grown in Greek and Roman gardens from which they migrated to France.
Throughout human history roses have come to symbolize love& beauty. But, they have also been claimed as symbols of war and political power especially in regard to the British Empire and a famous conflict know as the War of the Roses. Beloved to gardeners the world over, references to the rose in art and literature abounds, from Shakespeare, “ That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, to Robert Burns, “Oh, my luve’s like a red, red rose” and Gertrude Stein, “a rose is a rose is a rose”.