Rose for Mother's Day (Herb of the Year)

With this being Mother's Day I decided to make it the start of Rose week!

This year the Herb of the Year, as determined by the International Herb Society, is Rose.  I have been working on a post for the herb of the year and realized I have so much information that I could do a week of posts on Roses and their uses as an herb, so I decided to start this week of homage on Mother's Day.

If you are getting last minute roses for Mom, remember this symbolism (it works great on Valentine's Day too!)

Red Roses Symbolize: love and remembrance
White Roses : purity
Pink Roses: happiness
Peach Roses: passion 
Yellow Roses: infidelity

I always thought that last was too bad because my mother in law loves yellow roses and as family members we get them for her regularly.  They are still uniquely lovely.

“Rose in your tea will bring you love.”

  ~Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, Rose Recipes from Olden Times (published 1939)

The Rose Garden in 2011 at Cantigny in Wheaton, Illinois

Looking at a book like Rose Recipes from Olden Times, you get a feel for why the International Herb Society choose rose as the Herb of the Year. for 2012.  As a symbol for love and passion it has also been used medicinally and as decoration

Here are just a few possibilities:

·         Decoration for tables and banquet floors;

·         An aphrodisiac

·         To combat drunkenness

·         for remembrance when planted at grave sites, (red for lovers, white for purity of young women)

·         when used in the Church representative of the blood and wounds of Christ

·         Rose Beads used in the making of rosaries

·         Rose Essential Oil used in cosmetics

·         Perfumes

·         An aid for depression

·         To care for sensitive skin

·         To combat insomnia.

Another old book, this one from 1606 gives a recipe for a sweet bag whose scent will instill sleep.

“Take drie Rose leaves, keep them close in a glass which will keep them sweet, then take powder of Mints, powder of cloves in a grosse powder. Put the same to the Rose leaves, then put all these together in a bag, and take that to bed with you, and it will cause you to sleepe, and it is good to smell unto at other times. “

~Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606

If the scent is what you adore, then I suggest trying one of these three old-fashioned ways to capture that glorious fragrance of roses for use inside your home.  These are written so you can actually understand. 

Rose Oil
Make your own delightful rose massage oil with this simple recipe. Pack 4 cups of fresh scented rose petals into a glass jar. Cover with 1 cup almond oil and let stand for two days. Strain the oil into another jar, pressing the oil from the petals. Discard the petals. Repack the jar with fresh petals, and pour the scented oil over it. Repeat several times, until the fragrance is has reached the desired intensity.

Cosmetic Rose Water
Put 2 cups of scented rose petals into a non-reactive saucepan. Add 4 cups of distilled water, and simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Cool. Strain and discard the petals. If you.d like a stronger scent, repeat, using fresh petals and enough water to make 4 cups. Keep in a spray bottle to use on your hair and skin—even nicer when it's cooled in the refrigerator.

Rose Sugar
Make this fragrant sugar to sprinkle over strawberries and add to herbal tea. Bruise ½ cup clean, scented rose petals (use a mortar or a rolling pin). Stir petals into 1 cup granulated sugar and store in a lidded container for 3 weeks. Sift the sugar from the petals. Use immediately or store in a clean, dry container.

Come back each day this week for more on the uses, growing techniques and history of Roses.