- Fossils have shown that roses existed 35 million years ago, with cultivation and gardening of roses beginning approximately 5,000 years ago. Believed to have originated in Asia between 60 and 70 million years ago, many early civilizations left evidence of growing and culturing roses, including the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
- Like the significance and symbolism associated with the types and numbers of roses, the colors of roses in a bouquet can send messages of love, affection, friendship and desire to the recipient. From the purity and chastity associated with white roses to the harmony and prosperity of green roses, each color tells the recipient what he or she means to the giver. Combining several different colors of roses in a bouquet or arrangement can further enhance the message.
From the thornless rose’s message of love at first sight to the tea rose’s promise to always remember, the type of rose can speak as clearly of the giver’s intentions as the color and number. Damask roses speak of freshness, wild roses of simplicity and the moss rosebud serves as a “confession of love.” - Traditionally, lavender roses express the sentiment “love at first sight,” as the color purple is often associated with romance. Also affiliated with royalty, the various shades of lavender, lilac and purple have come to mean attraction, desire, fascination, elegance and enchantment. According to ProFlowers.com, lavender roses are "one of the rarest and most visually stunning rose colors," and are commonly used to "suggest regal majesty or splendor" as well as love and adoration. Lighter hues reflect the more innocent and lighthearted emotions.
- Deep purple and plum-colored roses represent more intimate connections between the giver and recipient. They are often associated with royalty, intimacy, enchantment and magnetism. More seductive and sultry than their lighter counterparts, the magic and grandeur of dark purple roses can be both enthralling and short-lived. Because of its majestic affiliations, a gift of deep purple roses can speak heavily of a sudden and swift desire on the part of the giver, from a quick and intense emotional affair to the enduring love of 25 years of marriage or more.
- Blending light and dark purple roses can create a more complex and multi-layered message for the person receiving the bouquet, as can mixing purple roses with other roses, such as white and red. Further layer the symbolism and message by paying attention to the number of roses—a single rose means love at first sight, as does a lavender rose. A group of three blossoms says I love you, while seven roses indicate infatuation. Pay attention to the messages sent by the type of stem—long, thornless, etc—number of blossoms and the shades of roses when creating an arrangement.
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