Roses: what they say and how to choose them
Roses are the flower people reach for when words fail, from a single red stem on Valentine’s Day to a bowl of garden roses for a neighbour. Each colour carries its own message, and Ireland has a few rose stories of its own.
Rose bouquets for love, thanks and sympathy.
See rose bouquetsChoosing by colour
What rose colours suggest
| Colour | Message | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Romantic love | Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, a proposal |
| Pink | Thanks, affection, admiration | Mothering Sunday, friends, a thank-you |
| White | Respect, purity, a fresh start | Weddings, sympathy, a new baby |
| Yellow | Friendship and cheer | Birthdays, get well, a colleague |
| Orange and peach | Warmth and enthusiasm | Congratulations, a new job |
| Lilac | Enchantment | Something a little different |
These meanings come mostly from Victorian flower books, and few people read them strictly today. The one colour to think about is red: it says romance, so for a friend or a mother, pink or peach is the kinder choice.
Ireland and the rose
- The Rose of Tralee. Every August, Tralee in Co Kerry hosts the Rose of Tralee festival, named after a nineteenth-century song about a girl called Mary. Young women from Irish communities around the world take part.
- The Last Rose of Summer. Thomas Moore’s poem, set to an old Irish air, became one of the best known songs of the nineteenth century.
- Irish rose breeders. Family firms in Northern Ireland, notably Dickson in Co Down and McGredy, who started in Portadown, bred many famous roses grown around the world.
- The dog rose. Rosa canina grows wild in Irish hedgerows, with pale pink flowers in June and red hips in autumn.
Types of rose
- Large-headed florist roses: one big bloom on a long straight stem; the standard Valentine’s rose.
- Spray roses: several small flowers per stem, good value and lovely in mixed bouquets.
- Garden or English-style roses: cupped, many-petalled and often scented; more romantic but shorter-lived in the vase.
- Shrub and climbing roses: for the garden; pick disease-resistant kinds for our damp summers.
- Miniature roses in pots: pretty for a windowsill, though they rarely thrive indoors for long.
Send roses to someone in Ireland.
Browse rosesMaking cut roses last
- Strip any leaves that would sit in the water.
- Cut a couple of centimetres off each stem at a slant with a sharp knife or secateurs.
- Put them straight into a clean vase with cool water and the flower food that came with them.
- Keep them away from radiators, direct sun and the fruit bowl.
- Every two or three days, refresh the water and give the stems a small trim.
Good florist roses usually last about a week, sometimes longer. If a head starts to droop early, see the bent neck tip below. More general advice is in our care tips.
Choose a rose bouquet for someone special in Ireland.
See rose bouquets →Want more ideas? Read about tulips, colours in flower language and our guide to sending flowers, or go straight to send flowers.
