Roses can do more than just decorate a garden or a home. In fact, rose hips (figure A), the fruit of the plants, are a valuable source of vitamin C. Roses need to be pruned anyway, so why not make use of their fruit and improve your diet at the same time?
You need to harvest hips to encourage vegetative growth. If you neglect this important task, a smaller and less satisfactory flower will form at the first or second node from the hip. Simply trim at a bud that faces the direction in which you wish to encourage growth, then take the hips inside for the next step in your rose recycling project.
You can use rose hips to make jelly or tea, both of which are rich in antioxidant vitamin C. Each hip consists of a fleshy outer covering filled with seeds (figure B); to make rose-hip tea, simply mince the hips (figure C) and simmer with water in a saucepan for several minutes. Then pour off the liquid and drink as is or sweetened with a bit of honey.
Dried rose petals can also be used to make a fragrant potpourri that will add a lovely scent to your home. Remove the petals from fully opened roses, not buds, and spread in a single layer on a wire rack or piece of window screen. Dehydrate in a warm oven for several hours or in a microwave on high for three to five minutes. Be aware that the fragrance will dissipate as the petals are dried, so if you've used old rose varieties, you may wish to add petals from more fragrant roses; or add a few drops of rose oil to the finished potpourri.
You can also add rose hips or the petals of other types of flowers for variety. Once the petals are all dried (figure D), place them in a bowl or a basket -- or in fabric sachet bags (figure E) to give as gifts. Anytime the scent needs to be perked up, add a few drops of rose oil.
RESOURCES :
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Model: 0395815916
Author: Barbara Ellis
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
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Model: 0395404509
Author: Steve Schneider
1995
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
Roses for Dummies
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Author: Lance Walheim
February 2000
Roses: A Growing Guide for Easy, Colorful Gardens
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Author: Mary C. Weaver & George Ball, Jr.
December 1998
Scented Gifts: From Sachets to Soap, from Gingerbread to Potpourri
Model: 1579901425
Author: Laura Dover Doran
Potpourri Sachets and Air Fresheners
Model: 1568202245
Author: Story Time Staff
Scented Potpourri and Floral Gifts: Fragrancing the Home with Natural Aromatics
Model: 075480142X
Author: Beverly Jollands
Potpourri and Fragrant Crafts
Model: 0895778661
Author: Betsy Williams
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