Garden Roses!

Photos Courtesy of Alexandra Farms

If you had memories of roses while growing up, then you know the biggest difference between the roses of our childhood and the ones we find nowadays in most flower shops and local grocer markets are that they are devoid of any scent. I miss that so much as that is what makes a rose a rose! (At least, in my mind) and for a long time, I wondered if it was just because that was the way it was.

Well, I'm here to say if you want the roses of your childhood for your wedding day, you won't have to pillage your pawpaw's garden. They exist!! And they are called.... wait for it..  "Garden Roses" - lol.

I love them for their graduation in colors and variety of hues.  If you love transitional color palettes as I do, then garden roses will make you very happy. They also change their shapes as they open and unfurl, transforming from bud to rose giving a beautiful, organic and natural look to arrangements.

This boho-style bouquet was comprised of heirloom garden roses grown in California by Rose Story Farm. Photo Credit: Jamie Lee Noguchi.

They typically come at a premium, as highly priced and prized as peonies, and they are worth it as they come in the most wonderful shapes, colors and scents. There are ones that are specialty-bred for gardens-only and others that have been bred to withstand long travel and the vigors of wedding and event work! I absolutely adore garden roses and use them often for my clients when the budget allows.

Photos Courtesy of Alexandra Farms

Roses themselves have a storied history. According to fossil evidence, the rose is thought to be 35 million years old. The cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years ago in Asia and during the Roman period, roses were grown extensively in the Middle East. They were used in celebrations as confetti, for medicinal purposes, and for perfume. The Romans made this flower a symbol of beauty and love, a symbol they still carry to this day.