‘Marriage is like life in this….
That it is a field of battle
And not a bed of Roses’

R.L.Stevenson

Uses for Aromatic Roses

• A large vase of cut flowers, rose buds and full blooms offer a scent experience not to be sniffed at.
• When drying rose petals, cut out the white heel, dry in an airing cupboard (finish off in a low oven if needed), then use in pot pourri or scent bags.
• Rose water is meant to be distilled but can be made as follows. Beat a pound of rose petals in a blender and leave to stand in there own juices for 5 hours then cover with water and add a further pound of petals infusing for 24 hours. Boil, strain and bottle leaving it in a sunny position for a couple of weeks. It may need diluting 50% before use.
• Rose Oil is not for the ordinary gardener as it takes 50,000 roses to make an ounce of oil. Rosa Damascena and Rosa Centifolia are the traditional roses for making oil by distillation but Tea Roses will make a third fragrance of oil.

Cheat your Senses

• Cheat and grow the rose scented  Pelargonium graveolens.
• Cheat and buy ready made perfume.
• Cheat and use synthetic rose oil (not a patch on essential oils though).
• Do not cheat and be happy to leave the scent in your garden.
• Grow Old Fashioned Roses (top ten) you will find great perfume and no cheating.

Ehow says ‘… that rose scent is used in various beauty and health treatments and considered a very powerful aphrodisiac? It’s true! The scent of rose is also thought to be a potent scent that heals emotional wounds, anger, resentment, depression, and nervous anxiety. One way to get the full benefits of the rose scent is to use it in combination with bath salts.

Just Joey is as aromatic as its parent Fragrant Cloud.