Rose Colors - Tillie's Flower Shop

Is there a meaning associated with different colors of rose?

The Language of Roses:
There are many associations made between the flowers and the range of human emotions. The "language" of flowers is thought to have originated in Persia in the fifteenth century, and was brought to Europe in the eighteenth. In the nineteenth century, this "floral code" became more elaborate, so that complex messages could be sent between people in bouquets. With each flower and color having a specific meaning, conversations between courting couples could be carried out over extended periods of time without a single word being used.

Specific to roses, the colors can mean the following:

Red	Yellow	Pink	White	Lavender
True Love Respect Courage Romantic Love I Love You Congratulations Job Well Done	Joy Gladness Freedom Friendship I Care Welcome Back Remember Me Jealousy	Perfect Happiness Gentleness Sweetness Please Believe Me	Reverence Purity Innocence Secrecy I Am Wothy Of You Keep a Secret	Enchantment
Light Pink	Dark Pink	Peach -Pink	Peach	Orange
Grace Joy	Thankfulness	Gratitude Appreciation Admiration Sympathy	Lets Get Together Sincerity Gratitude Appreciation	Fascination Enthusiasm
Coral	Red & White	Black	Deep Burgundy	Red & Yellow Blend
Desire	Unity	Farewell Death	Unconscious Beauty	Jovial and happy feelings
Source: www.everyrose.com/everyrose/lore.lasso

How do I care for my roses?

Here a few tips in maximize the health and longevity of a rose arrangement:

Keep your rose arrangement in cool place out of direct sunlight
Cut an inch from each rose stem under water every day
Add a "floral food" to the water of your arrangement
Change the vase water every day

What is "floral food" and why is it important?

When a rose is cut from the plant, it is cut-off from its source of life. The rose plant transmits water and the sugars it makes to all its blooms through the tiny tubes or straws that make up a rose stem. By placing a cut rose in a solution of water and sugars, the cut rose is "tricked" into acting like it is still attached to the mother plant, at least for a while. Floral food consisted of sugars and acids that plants usually produce. Two good "home-made floral solutions are:

(1)	2 tablespoons white vinegar
	2 tablespoons white sugar
	1 quart of water

(2)	2 cups water
	2 cups seven-up (not diet)
	½ teaspoon bleach

Why is re-cutting rose stems important?

A rose stem is made up of tiny tubes like straws that draw water and sugar from the base of the stem up toward the rose head. Bubbles of air or sugar can block the stem over-time. Forming these blockages is part of a rose plant’s survival strategy. Blockages near a cut in a stem allow the cut to heal over and prevent disease from entering the plant. Luckily these blockages occur in the first ½ inch to 1 inch of the stem on cut rose. Cutting an inch from the bottom of the rose stem frees the rose of blockage so it can drink. In order to prevent the rose from taking a big gulp of air, rose stems should be cut under luke-warm water. To maximize the life span of roses, they should be cut everyday.

Can a droopy rose be revived?

Roses can become “droopy” as a result of an air or sugar blockage at the base of its stem or as a result of a weak stem near the rose head. To revive a droopy rose: First, cut 1 inch from the rose stem under water. Then submerge the entire rose, stem and bloom and all, in luke-warm water for about 20 minutes. This will often perk-up a rose.