Roses in February come in many colors and from afar
Although February is the shortest calendar month, it is the longest in terms of winter misery in the Great Northeast.
By now the lovely, white blanket of snow, you saw in December has been replaced by a cold, grey shroud that threatens the sanity of many housebound residents. I think this is why there are so many holidays this month. People are desperate for something to celebrate, so we look to the Superbowl, groundhogs, dead presidents, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, and Valentines to ease the pain.
According to Alexa, my newest companion at home, there are a total of 26 holidays celebrated in February 2018. This is also Black History Month in the U.S. and Canada, but not in Great Britain, which celebrates black history in October, when the weather is much more conducive to celebrating anything!
I watched most of the Superbowl and I was pleased with the outcome. It is not that I am an Eagle’s fan, (I am not) it is just that I dislike New England much more. As a New York Giants fan, this is my duty. As a New York Yankees fan, I feel the same about the Red Sox. I heard that the game was being live broadcast to more than 155 nations around the world, where the U.S. has active duty soldiers stationed. I am not sure if that makes me proud, or sad. There are only 195 nations on the entire planet in total and we have troops in 80 percent of those nations. Think about that on a cold February evening.
If Valentine’s Day was in June, I bet roses would cost a lot less! This year, Americans will buy 1.3 billion roses, making them the most popular flower in the country, by far.
George Washington is recognized as the first American Rose Breeder, which proves that we have had a love affair with these blossoms for a very long time! That reminds me that my former father in law, George Story, turns 98 this February 22. George has been a horticultural inspiration to many, many people for more than 60 years and Story’s Nursery, in Freehold, Greene County, remains a premier place to purchase high quality plant material. Visiting their greenhouse this month is a wonderful remedy for cabin fever, by the way. Happy Birthday George!
Sixty five to 75 percent of the roses bought this week will be from Colombia or Ecuador, where it is summer. It is possible to grow roses in northern greenhouses during the winter, but it is quite costly.
Roses like lots of sunlight and sunlight is scarce this time of year, so northern greenhouse growers must rely on supplemental lighting in addition to heat and enhanced carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the nasty gas blamed for global climate change, but it is also the basic ingredient for plant growth. Plants suck up carbon dioxide gas, combine it with oxygen which is derived from water molecules and voila! We get carbohydrates. Many plants, such as roses, grow much faster with extra CO2 added to the air, so northern greenhouses employ little devices to burn organic matter to produce the extra gas.
Since roses are available in many colors, ranging from ivory white and pale pink to orange and deep, almost black, maroon and all shades of red, the color of the rose you select has meaning as well as the gesture. A dozen red roses is the symbol of passionate and long lasting love while white roses signify innocence, such as a first time bride might carry walking down the aisle. Yellow roses are an expres-
sion of exuberance. Yellow roses evoke sunny feelings of joy, warmth and welcome. They are symbols of friendship and caring. The yellow rose, like the other roses, does not carry an undertone of romance. It indicates purely platonic emotions.
If you purchase roses this week, the best way to preserve them at home is to immediately immerse the stems in a sink full of warm water, remove the lower leaves and make a fresh cut about two inches above the bottom of the stem. Use whatever preservative is included in the bouquet in the vase water. If one or two should droop, repeat the immersion and cutting process.
Studies have shown that gifts of roses will be remembered long after the chocolate is gone. Best to buy both for instant, as well as longer gratification.
Bob Beyfuss lives and gardens in Schoharie County. Send him an e-mail to rlb14@cornell.edu.