Hi everyone,
Today I went out early in the morning for my daily walk, a habit I've had for some time. The weather was really pleasant, with a moderate heat and a light, refreshing breeze that made the atmosphere even sweeter. While I was out walking, I came across an absolutely charming little garden nestling at the foot of a residence in my neighbourhood. What immediately caught my eye was the variety of roses, so different from one another in shape and colour.
This garden belongs to one of the nearby residences, and honestly, I was impressed by the care the residents put into it. Despite the modest size of the space, they made the most of it, transforming it into a true corner of nature. It shows how much these people love nature and beauty. They managed to create a place of tranquility and freshness in the heart of the neighborhood.
As I approached the garden, I noticed a man sitting nearby, probably the caretaker. He seemed to be watching over this little oasis of greenery. I walked up to him with a smile and asked if it would be possible to take a few photos of the roses. With a big smile, he gladly agreed, which warmed my heart.
In chatting a bit with the gardener, I found out that he was not only kind and welcoming but also very knowledgeable. He provided me with lots of interesting information about roses, which I’ll share with those who don’t know much about roses, like me! He told me that roses are somewhat the queens of gardens—a garden without roses feels like something essential is missing.
What’s fascinating about roses is that they’ve been cultivated all over the world for centuries. But what many people don’t know is that many modern roses are actually created by specialists.
Basically, to create a new rose, you take a "mother" and a "father." Every rose has male and female seeds. So, for the mother, you have to remove the male parts, which is called flower castration. Then, you take the stamens from another rose (the male part) and put them on the pistil (the female part) of the first rose. Afterward, you wait... and if all goes well, you get a new variety!
Rose breeders are always trying to recapture the intense fragrance that old roses used to have because the first thing people do with a rose is smell it, right? Well, some are trying to bring that scent back, so roses can become as fragrant as they once were. And if you want to try creating your own rose, you can plant them side by side in your garden and let nature do its work!
Roses are also widely used in perfumery, especially in Grasse, France, the world capital of perfume. There, they grow entire fields of roses. For example, the Provence rose, or Rosa Centifolia, has a sweet, honeyed fragrance, it’s a delight! These roses are handpicked, and to extract their scent, they undergo a special distillation process that uses only water, without solvents, to obtain a precious essential oil. But imagine, from an entire basket of roses, you only get one drop of essential oil!
So, a rose is much more than just a beautiful flower to see or smell; it’s an art and a history that dates back centuries.
Every time I discover a green space like this, I realize how important it is to take the time to appreciate the little things in life. These simple moments, like stopping to admire flowers, plants, or animals, add invaluable richness to our everyday lives.
I hope these few photos and this morning walk have brought you a moment of beauty, just as they did for me. Take care of yourselves !
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Photos taken by my own phone (Samsung Galaxy A04s).
