Roses

The thorns of a cactus are a mutation or adaptation of what were once the leaves.

- The smaller surface area allows for less loss of water through evaporation.

- The pointy nature of the thorns works as a deterrent to animals that might otherwise chew through the outer layers for the water contained within the plant.
to prevent themselves being eaten by predators

The Cherokee Rose is a woody, evergreen, perennial plant.

• A climbing shrub, the canes can extend up 12 feet and spread out 15 feet.
• The rose itself has leaves that are 1-4 inches long
• Petals are 2-4 inches in diameter.
• The hip can be 2 inches long and 1-2 inches in diameter

Roses have a long and colorful history. They have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics. The rose is, according to fossil evidence, 35 million years old. In nature, the genus Rosahas some 150 species spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to Mexico and including northern Africa. Garden cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years ago, probably in China. During the Roman period, roses were grown extensively in the Middle East. They were used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes, and as a source of perfume. Roman nobility established large public rose gardens in the south of Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the popularity of roses seemed to rise and fall depending on gardening trends of the time.

During the fifteenth century, the rose was used as a symbol for the factions fighting to control England. The white rose symbolized York, and the red rose symbolized Lancaster, as a result, the conflict became known as the "War of the Roses."

Roses were in such high demand during the seventeenth century that royalty considered roses or rose water as legal tender, and they were often used as barter and for payments. Napoleon's wife Josephine established an extensive collection of roses at Chateau de Malmaison, an estate seven miles west of Paris in the 1800s. This garden became the setting for Pierre Joseph Redoute's work as a botanical illustrator. In 1824, he completed his watercolor collection "Les Rose," which is still considered one of the finest records of botanical illustration.

It wasn't until the late eighteenth century that cultivated roses were introduced into Europe from China. Most modern-day roses can be traced back to this ancestry. These introductions were repeat bloomers, making them unusual and of great interest to hybridizers, setting the stage for breeding work with native roses to select for hardiness and a long bloom season. Many of these early efforts by plant breeders are of great interest to today's gardeners.

Roses are once again enjoying a resurgence in popularity, specifically, shrub roses and old garden roses. Gardeners realize that these roses fit the lifestyle of today's gardeners who want roses that are not as demanding with regard to disease control, offer excellent floral quality, have excellent winter hardiness, and fit into shrub borders and perennial gardens without seeming out of place.

To be successful in growing roses in Midwest gardens, one needs to be aware of some basic considerations. Attention to plant selection, a basic knowledge of the wide array of classes available, basic culture information, and information about potential disease and insect problems will go a long way in making roses an enjoyable addition to the garden.

This short guide to rose gardening will hopefully help sort through some of the confusion about roses and entice you to include one or more of these plants in your garden.

Rose Water, Method No. 1 This recipe is the more traditional way to prepare rose water. Though it's a little more involved, its fun to do and the results are outstanding. You can make a quart of excellent-quality rose water in about 40 minutes. However, if you simmer the water too long, you will continue to produce distilled water but the rose essence will become diluted. Your rose water will smell more like plain distilled water, rather than the heavenly scent of roses. Be sure you have a brick and heat-safe stainless steel or glass quart bowl ready before you begin. INGREDIENTS

2-3 quarts fresh roses or rose petals

Water

Ice cubes or crushed ice 1. In the center of a large pot (the speckled blue canning pots are ideal) with an inverted lid (a rounded lid), place a fireplace brick. On top of the brick place the bowl. Put the roses in the pot; add enough flowers to reach the top of the brick. Pour in just enough water to cover the roses. The water should be just above the top of the brick. 2. Place the lid upside down on the pot. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower heat to a slow steady simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, toss two or three trays of ice cubes (or a bag of ice) on top of the lid. 3. You've now created a home still! As the water boils the steam rises, hits the top of the cold lid, and condenses. As it condenses it flows to the center of the lid and drops into the bowl. Every 20 minutes, quickly lift the lid and take out a tablespoon or two of the rose water. It's time to stop when you have between a pint and a quart of water that smells and tastes strongly like roses. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/rose-water-how-to-make-your-own.html Rose Water, Method No. 1 This recipe is the more traditional way to prepare rose water. Though it's a little more involved, its fun to do and the results are outstanding. You can make a quart of excellent-quality rose water in about 40 minutes. However, if you simmer the water too long, you will continue to produce distilled water but the rose essence will become diluted. Your rose water will smell more like plain distilled water, rather than the heavenly scent of roses. Be sure you have a brick and heat-safe stainless steel or glass quart bowl ready before you begin. INGREDIENTS

2-3 quarts fresh roses or rose petals

Water

Ice cubes or crushed ice 1. In the center of a large pot (the speckled blue canning pots are ideal) with an inverted lid (a rounded lid), place a fireplace brick. On top of the brick place the bowl. Put the roses in the pot; add enough flowers to reach the top of the brick. Pour in just enough water to cover the roses. The water should be just above the top of the brick. 2. Place the lid upside down on the pot. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower heat to a slow steady simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, toss two or three trays of ice cubes (or a bag of ice) on top of the lid. 3. You've now created a home still! As the water boils the steam rises, hits the top of the cold lid, and condenses. As it condenses it flows to the center of the lid and drops into the bowl. Every 20 minutes, quickly lift the lid and take out a tablespoon or two of the rose water. It's time to stop when you have between a pint and a quart of water that smells and tastes strongly like roses. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/rose-water-how-to-make-your-own.html

No. There are petalless flowers. They reproduce by having the wind release their pollen.different classifications of flowers according to the presence or absence of their parts:

• Complete flowers are made up of calyx, corolla, stamens, and a pistil or pistils (the four "regular parts").
• Incomplete flowers lack one or more of the four regular parts of a complete flower as in all of the Fagaceae (oak family), Betulaceae (birch family) and Juglandaceae (walnut family).
• Perfect flowers have both stamens and pistils, but not necessarily sepals or petals.
• Imperfect flowers lack either stamens or pistils, and may or may not have sepals or petals.
• Naked flowers are without petals (apetalous) or sepals (asepalous) as in Zantedeschia spp. (calla lily).
• Apetalous flowers lack petals as in Elaeagnus pungens (silverthorn), Hydrangea spp. and Cornus florida (flowering dogwood).
• Staminate (male) flowers have a stamen or stamens, but no functional pistils.
• Pistillate (female) flowers have a pistil or pistils, but no functional stamens.