High summer is all about roses. The strength of the sun convinces the blooms to unfurl fully, and the true beauty and scent of flowers are finally revealed to the patient gardener.
It's only right therefore that we chose a rose as Gift of the Month this July. But which rose? We're not usually the type to pick favourites, but their is just something about the warm happy yellow of our 50th Golden Anniversary rose that just epitomises summer.
Plus, this rose is dedicated to such a momentous occasion; a 50th wedding Anniversary. It seems right that this cheery rose meant for a happy occasion is the star of summer gifts!
Natural History
Hybrid Tea roses, such as the 50th Golden Anniversary, were first created by the French in 1867 by crossing two existing types of roses - Hybrid Perpetuals and Tea Roses.
As well as being the oldest classification of modern garden roses, Hybrid Tea roses are also the most popular variety of rose in the world, and its not difficult to see why. They are admired for their graceful aspect; each long stem bears a single bloom, and each bloom has many velvety petals which arranged in a uniform pattern. The resulting flower is a thing of beauty in isolation, and as the hybrid tea rose bush has an open rather than bushy habit, it can make quite an impact in the garden.
Alternative Meanings
The rose has been a symbol of love and beauty since the time of the Classical civilisations, one which is still instantly recognisable the world over.
Over the centuries the colour of roses has also become highly symbolic and steeped in tradition. Everyone knows that red roses symbolise romantic love and passion, but did you know that yellow roses in particular are used to symbolise joy, happiness and friendship?
Yellow is the perfect colour for the 50th anniversary rose as it represents the joy and happiness of the occasion as well as the friendship that has developed between the couple, who have spent fifty years together.
Care Advice and Tips
The 50th anniversary rose bush is perfect for planting into the ground, in beds and boarders. It can also be grown in a large pot on the patio, as long as the pot is nice and deep to accommodate the roses long root system.
Roses benefit from being cut back every winter, which promotes summer growth. The easiest way to prune this plant is to cut back the rose to half its height using secateurs. To produce larger and more spectacular blooms, we also advise that you feed your rose every spring with a granular rose fertiliser.
So there you have it, our Gift of the Month for July! Did you know that you can also find the 50th Golden Anniversary rose as part of the following new gifts:
The Golden Anniversary Rose and Plaque Gift Pack
The Golden Anniversary Rose and Seed Gift Set
