THE ROSE IN ART

1. Red and White Roses

Read in these roses the sad story
Of my hard fate, and your own glory.
In the white you may discover
The paleness of a fainting lover;
In the red the flames still feeding
On my heart, with fresh wounds bleeding.
The white will tell you how I languish,
And the red express my anguish;
The white my innocence displaying,
The red my martyrdom betraying.
The frowns that on your brow resided,
Have those roses thus divided.
Oh! Let your smiles but clear the weather,
And then they both shall grow tighter.

Thomas Carew (?1595 - ?1640)



2. The Sick Rose

O Rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

William Blake (1757 – 1832)



3. To a Friend

As late i rambled in the happy fields,
What time the skylark shakes the tremulous dew
From his lush clover covert;- when anew
Adventurous knight take up their dinted shields:
I saw the sweetest flower wild nature yields,
A fresh-blown musk rose; ‘twas the first that threw
Its sweets upon the summer: graceful it grew
As is the wand that queen Titania wields.
And, as I feasted on its fragrancy:
I thought the garden rose it far excell’d:
But when, O Wells! Thy roses came to me
My sense with their deliciousness was spell’d:
Soft voices had they, that with tender plea
Whisper’d of peace, and truth, and friendliness
Unquell’d.


To a Friend Who Sent Me Some Rose, John Keats (1795-1821)


4. Of Poetry and Painting

June of this iris and the rose.
The rose not English as we fondly think.
Anacreon and Bion sang the rose;
And Rhodes the isle whose very name means rose
Struck roses on her coins;
Pliny made lists and Roman libertines
Made wreaths to wear among the flutes and wines;
The young Crusaders found the Syrian rose
Springing from Saracenic quoins,
And China opened her shut gate
To let her roses through, and Persian Shrines
Of poetry and painting gave the rose.

Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962)

THE ROSE DISPLAYED

1. Sweet Simplicity

What could be simpler and yet more stunning than an elegant, tall-stemmed glass of beautiful roses. The secret of success here is to densely pack the glass with a selection of blooms in varying shades of the same colour: in this case, from palest pink to deep crimson touches in the form of small buds. For additional interest, we have included some old-fashioned roses – notably Ferdinand Pichard, with striped crimson petals. This variety also offers a powerful scent.

2. Hearts’ Desire

St Valentines’ Day is marvellous opportunity to be hopelessly romantic and create a decoration or gift in true Victorian style. A heart-shaped basket provides the prefect container for a dramatic collection of red roses, the very embodiment of love. The basket is first filled with damp floral foam. The stems of the scarlet rosebuds are cut very short and then packed into the centre of the basket following the heart shape of the container. This solid of mass of colour and texture ensure maximum impact. An edging of lilac serves to soften both the hard edges of the basket as well as the solid outline of the heart arrangement of roses. Heart-shaped fresh rose decoration created solely from roses of a single colour can generate very different moods, depending on the colour chosen: vermillion for powerful drama; shaded pinks for a soft and pretty effect.

ROSE GIFTS

1. Peach Rose Candle-holder

Circle of card 12.5cm in diameter
Quick-drying adhesive or glue gun
Dried eucalyptus leaves
Peach jute scrim ribbon 2.75m x 7.7cm
Florist’s reel wire
Dried peach roses
Gypsophila (Baby’s breath ), dyed peach Candle

Remove a 7.5cm diameter circle from the centre of the card to make a ring. Glue overlapping eucalyptus leaves to the ring to cover it. Measure 5cm from the end of the ribbon, bend in half to form a loop and secure with a length of reel wire twisted around the base. Measure 7.5cm along the ribbon from the loop and make a second loop, again securing with reel wire. Repeat a further three times. Glue the ribbon around the ring at each loop base. Glue a single rose behind each loop. Then, glue roses onto the ring between each loop. Glue the bases of single eucalyptus leaves around the inside edge of the ring so that they stand upright, to frame the candle. Cut the gypsophila into short sprays, apply a small amount of glue to the bases and intersperse between the roses and ribbon loops. Push the candle up through the centre of the base.

2. Rose Hand Gel

18ml glycerine
¼ tsp borax
18ml cornflour
300ml rosewater
3 drops rose essential oil
2 drops red food colouring

Place the glycerine in the top of a double boiler and heat gently. Add the borax, then stir in the cornflour a little at a time and beat into a smooth paste. Continue to heat and add the rosewater a little at a time, stirring continuously until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Add the rose oil and food colouring, give the mixture a final beat and pour into a storage jar.

3. Almond and Rose Oil

There is no better way to condition your skin after bathing than to massage in a little of this oil. You can mix any amount, large or small, provided that you follow the ratio given below, ie 20:1.

500ml almond oil
½ tsp rose essential oil
The latter must never be used directly on the skin- it is far too powerful. For our blend, it is worth-while selecting a top quality essential oil – price usually indicates quality. When mixing, use rubber gloves, shake the mixture well and leave for two days to blend. If using a clear glass jar, do not display in a sunny or hot bathroom. To keep the oil in optimum condition, store in a cool, dark cupboard