Flowers make for a sublime gift for anyone, whether it is a relative, friend or a loved one. Roses however are quite literally a cut above, symbolising beauty and perfection as well as romantic love. You may be surprised however just how significant roses have been culturally across different civilizations and over many generations.

The Greeks held that the rose was created by their goddess of flowers, Chloris. Indeed the word ?rose? itself originates from the Greek ?rhodon?. Chloris used her power to transform the body of a dead nymph into the rose. With the help of the other gods she was then able to give it beauty, its lovely aroma, as well as make it bloom.

Cleopatra similarly was obsessed with roses. The floors of her palaces were said to be carpeted with layers of rose petals. Moreover, it was then that the rose was beginning to establish its seemingly very modern identity as a symbol of love: people would give wreaths of roses to their beloved, hanging them on doors to those they held feelings for.

It's to the Chinese however that we owe the red and crimson coloured rose. The rose was important to the Chinese culture: even Confucius had hundreds of volumes about how to properly take care of roses.

However, they're not only used by people as gifts for the ones they love. No, in times gone by they have been popular for many other purposes too. Even to this day pure rose oil is one of the most precious essential oils you can find anywhere on the earth. Amazingly, it takes five thousand pounds of fresh rose petals to give you a single pound of rose oil.

Napoleon meanwhile would give his officers bags of rose petals. This was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not because he wanted them to know how much they meant to him, but in order that they could boil them in white wine in order to cure lead poisoning from bullet wounds.

A special and distinct language surrounds roses, in use in many time periods and in different parts of the world. This language developed originally in the Middle East, as a means by which lovers could contact one another even though they were unable to express themselves to each other. In this language giving roses of different colours is a way of expressing different feelings, for example yellow roses sent following a first encounter may mean the person who sends them is trying to say he is not looking for a lasting partnership. Budding red roses meanwhile represent desire still forming and an open red rose conversely stands for love which is already acknowledged.

There can be no one alive who doesn't truly appreciate the beauty and perfection of a rose. Not only are they special flowers in themselves; they are a blessed with a rich history and cultural role too.

Maricruz Tennill is a horticulturalist and freelance writer based in Bristol. They recommend Interflora for flower delivery Bristol.