For this feature, we’ll show some love and devote our time to roses. Roses have stood the test of time, having been taken note of in literature since the Bible was first written. Roses first came to Europe in the form of the perpetual blooming varieties native to China, and most places on the map boast native varieties. Because they’re relatively easy to clone and hybridize, gardeners have created thousands of varieties. Our own native rose is called the Nootka, and is excellent when grown in riparian buffer zones – the areas of land and vegetation immediately adjacent to streams.
Beyond the Nootka, there are hybrid tea roses, climbing roses, and miniatures. There’s even a variety of Rose known as the Portland rose. This rose isn’t native to Portland, though – it was presented as a gift to the English Dutchess of Portland back in the 1800’s, and it’s a cross between a China rose and a European variety.
Since we’ve begun cultivating roses, we’ve found many uses for them. Boil some petals in mineral water to create your own rosewater, which makes for a fragrant addition to a bath, a tonic for facial blemishes, or an alternative to perfume. One friend of mine loves to wear essential oil of roses because it inspires love. A known matchmaker, she delighted in the fact that she was “walking around and making people feel all warm and fuzzy inside.” Additionally, rose hips have been shown to treat inflammations, joint stiffness, and arthritis.
Though we most often think of roses as belonging in cut flower arrangements, there are quite a few culinary uses for them, as well. Rose hips (the little berries that appear later in the season) can be popped into your mouth like berries, or added to salads. Rose petal jams and jellies are also common. Soaking rose petals for a few days in the milk or cream you plan to use to make baked goods will add a delicious, floral note to your creations.
The recipe below comes courtesy of one of the people that inspires me to do my best in the kitchen – my dear illustrator Mr. Groenink. Give it a whirl, or give a rose a whiff. Though a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, Gertrude Stein had it right when she said “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” – though there may be thousands of varieties, we know how to recognize a good thing when we see one.
