An English Rose

Tuesday was St George's Day, the national day of England. And could there be a more English pastime than gardening? No other nation seems to relish tending their gardens more. 

The national flower of England is the Tudor rose, adopted by Henry VIII as a symbol of peace after the 15^th century 'War of the Roses', a civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. It combines the white rose of York (likely Rosa alba or the Rosa canina) with the red rose of Lancaster (likely Rosa gallica). 

Incidentally, April 23^rd is also the birthday (and death) of William Shakespeare, our greatest playwright. Shakespeare used the rose in both the context of love and war. Four of history plays cover the 'War of the Roses', commonly known as the first tetralogy. 

At the hands and quill of the Bard, Shakespeare evokes the human condition, especially with reference to flora. I cannot disagree with Emilia in The Two Nobel Kinsmen when she says, "Of all flowers/Methinks a rose is best." (The Two Noble Kinsmen, 2.2.166) Shakespeare refers to the rose immensely - we believe he includes plants in his plays at least 200 times, and of those mentions, 70 are roses. Roses held not only symbolic currency, but actual currency; Mareike Doleschal writes 'at Europe’s royal courts, roses were legal tender' (Shakespeare's Favourite Flowers: The Rose, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust). 

Roses were also valued for their supposed medicinal benefits. The herbalist John Gerard proposes roses can be used as a sedative ('bringeth sleep'), a pain relief ('for all things that require a gentle cooling') and a digestive aid ('maketh the belly soluble') (Gerards' Herbal, Chapter 5, 'Of Roses'). 

Whilst Shakespeare may have had a few roses to refer to - potentially the Holland Rose, or Cabbage Rose was a popular choice, but we know he refers to the Damask Rose in Sonnet 130 and Twelfth Night, so he was familiar with Mediterranean preferences - we have a whole abundance of varieties, which can be rather bewildering at times. My particular favourite is the English rose who has gardened alongside me from the day we became custodians of this garden - turning a wilderness into a haven of peace, and a place to feed ourselves and our souls. 

Happy St George's Day. 

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