Roses beloved all across the world
Roses not only hold a place in the hearts of Americans, but they are loved the world over.
In America alone, June has been the National rose month since 1969. In 1986, President Reagan proclaimed the rose to be our official national floral emblem. One of the foremost promoters of the rose as our national flower was Maine Senator, the late Margaret Chase Smith. She wore a rose as her trademark.
Individual states — New York, North Dakota, Georgia and Iowa adopted the rose as well. Several cities are also known for their devotion to the rose: Since 1886, Pasedena, California, has hosted an annual Tournament of Roses Parade; since 1907, Portland, Oregon, has held a Rose Festival; since 1943, Tyler, Texas has hosted a 4-day Rose Festival and boasts the World’s largest rose garden of 40,000 bushes.
Well known persons also esteemed the rose. The late Joe DiMaggio, the famous baseball palyer and second husband of Marilyn Monroe, had fresh flowers delivered to Marilyn’s grave site three times a week, after her death in 1962.
Noted for his famous glassware, Baron von Stiegel, is credited to being the first in our country, by 1773, to have accumulated a vast variety of roses. By deed, he granted land for a church for the token payment of “one red rose” in Manheim, Pennsylvania.
Presidents, their wives, and presidential candidates have revered the rose. In 1872, the first woman nominated for president, Victoria Claflin Woodhull, by the National Equal Rights Party, attended several functions for her cause, always with a rose close to her neck as her trademark.
Dolly Madison, wife of James, was known for her beautiful rose garden. Years later, under
President Wilson’s term, legend tells us, when the roses were being moved Dolly is said to have appeared in spirit. After a good tongue lashing from Dolly, the gardeners left her garden intact.
Franklin Roosevelt’s love of roses, in 1946, led each of the House of Representatives to wear a rose in honor of his birthday. As a matter of fact, Roosevelt loved his Hyde Park rose garden so much he requested to be buried there.
George Washington, at his Virginia home, Mount Vernon, grew the hybrid “Martha Washington.” Through the American Rose Society roses have been named the Mister Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Barbara Bush, and Betty Ford.
In America, some of the old famous songs were “Yellow Rose of Texas,” “If You Were a Big Red Rose,” If Every Girl Were a Beautiful Rose,” “The One Rose,” and “Life Isn’t All Roses Rosie.”
The rose has been, and still is, loved in America, by President’s and their wives, songwriters, and poets. “Can the rose’s beauty and simplicity be described?” Perhaps, only by the phrase made famous by Gertrude Stein, the American writer — “Rose is a rose is a rose.”