A Year of Flowers: Roses

Everything’s coming up roses for the month of June… and what a coincidence — as the birth flower for June is the rose! Have you seen the other installments of our “A Year of Flowers” mini-series with Poppy + Mint Floral Company? If not, pop on over here and then continue the journey with us as we celebrate the true sweetheart of summer: Roses!

Now is the time when gardens are simply bursting with aromatic blooms creating an atmosphere of true romance and serenity. Roses have existed for thousands of years and have long been a symbol of love, passion, and purity. They are a metaphor for the perfect beauty and connect us to the vast worlds of folklore and mythology.

It was the Victorians, however, who turned flowers into poetry, giving them symbolism and meaning. Inspired by a French book, Le Langage des Fleurs by Charlotte de la Tour, those genteel Victorians adopted this flower code to convey their sentiments. Soon every young woman relished in knowing that receiving a rose — a symbol for true love — was of the highest significance.

Kristen Soileau Portraits captured the lovely photos at LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, and we’ve got to say — they put us all in a summery mood! Now, let’s take a stroll through the garden, shall we?

The era of modern roses began in 1867 when French rosarian, Jean-Baptiste André Guillot, created a new cultivar called “La France.” This was the first hybrid tea rose, which is now among the most common of roses. Tea roses are a hybrid of china roses, but named because their smell resembles that of black tea!

Did you know that roses are also edible and good for us?! Legend has it that Cleopatra, the beautiful and extravagant Egyptian Pharaoh, would fill her boudoir with rose petals when Marc Antony came to visit so that he would be reminded of her every time he smelt a rose. Apparently her plan worked!

Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, marmalade, and soup or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products and some makeup products.

Isn’t this the absolute essence of summer? You can *almost* smell the magnificently sweet scent of the roses and imagine yourself frolicking through the garden in this Free People dress, right?

How gorgeous are these blooms?! Especially with those vibrant splashes of color…

Whether you walk past beautiful vining roses, adorable ground covers, or are strolling through a garden, stop and smell the roses! And when you do, keep in mind that a rose is most fragrant when half open on a warm day!

photography: Kristen Soileau Portraits // venue name: LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA // event design: Poppy and Mint Floral Company // planning: Poppy and Mint Floral Company // florals: Poppy and Mint Floral Company // wedding dress: Free People // hairpiece: Trashy Diva // hair stylist: Verde Beauty // makeup artist: Verde Beauty // models: Catherine Masters