British Billy smells the roses

  • Published
  • By British Billy
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  I have never been a great fan of roses, as they aren't any fun to climb. A thorn in the paw can be very painful. However, England adopted the rose as its national emblem in the 15th Century, and so I must admit that they have a certain grace and beauty that befits this fine land.

Fashions in gardening have always changed, but the rose has remained a firm favourite. In the 1940s, patriotic Britons were urged to "dig for victory" by the wartime government when they realised the population would go hungry if the war were to last longer than a few months, as the German Navy was targeting merchant vessels. The result was that formal gardens, lawns and even sports pitches were transformed into allotments*, large and small, and everybody on the homefront was encouraged to become a vegetable gardener. Flowers were seen as less practical, and yet, with the return of peace, the rose once again surged to the top as the nation's choice.

The most popular, best-selling garden rose of all time is the 'Peace' rose. In 1945, Dr. Ray Allen of the American Rose Society sent 49 'Peace' roses to the inaugural meeting of the United Nations, along with the words, "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men's thoughts for everlasting world peace."

The common dog rose, with its pink and white flowers and five flat petals, brightens the British hedgerows in June and July, and it was probably this rose that the poet, Rupert Brooke, was considering when he wrote:

"Unkempt about those hedges blows
An English unofficial rose."

Wild roses have grown in Britain for thousands of years. Others were introduced during Roman times and many rose varieties were brought over from Jerusalem by the Crusaders returning from the Holy Land. Roses were widely grown in medieval monasteries to be used in medicine.

The use of the rose as a royal emblem comes from the time of King Henry VII, who reigned from 1485 to 1509 and was founder of the Tudor dynasty. Henry came to power at the end of the wars between two branches of the Plantagenet family, the Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry was a Lancastrian, whose marriage to Elizabeth of York united the two houses. Searching for a symbol to demonstrate this union, he chose a red rose, representing Lancaster, superimposed on a white rose, representing York. These were only two among many badges used by the rival families, yet they were the most suitable for heraldic combination. As a result, the civil wars came to be called the "Wars of the Roses".

During the Tudor period, hundreds of inns were named the Rose, partly to show loyalty to the royal family. We still have many pubs and hotels named after the flower, often combining it with another symbol, such as the Crown. I am sure that you will spot more than a few 'Rose and Crowns' during your time here.

And so, while the Irish have their shamrock, the Scots their thistle and the Welsh their leek and daffodil, it is the rose which adorns an English chest on St. George's Day, and is the badge of the English Rugby Union team.

What a glorious British bouquet!


*British meaning of 'allotment' - a small piece of land rented by a person to grow vegetables on. Allotments were necessary if your garden was too small to grow sufficient vegetables.