Rosa rugosa Wild Rose A tea made of the petals of this plant is said to induce dreams of one's future mate, and perhaps this is what made some people connect this magick herb with Moon. However, this pink-flowered rose is also considered the combination of red (feminine) and white (masculine) roses, a kind of summation of both, so this flower would be good for work invoking completion or unity. This is of course a traditional herb for love magick, and this wild version might be a good choice for an especially risky (thorny) or passionate relationship. Traditionally, rose petals strewn on the bed aid love spells.
Why not add some wild roses? After growing meadow wildflowers for awhile, it occurs to many, Why not add a wild rose or two? After all, everyone knows that wild roses are some of the most beautiful and famous wildflowers of them all. And it makes sense that like all wildflowers, they don't need lots of care. Nobody sprays, fertilizes, or worries over the native roses in the wild. Yet they manage to produce lovely foliage and flowers year after year. So it's nice to know that the roses we're talking about are some of the most self-sufficient flowering plants on earth. It's only the delicate rose hybrids that are famous for high maintenance.
You can add trouble-free roses easily, but here are some tips. First of all, you need to realize that when you add roses to a wild meadow, you're adding a shrub, not just another herbaceous perennial wildflower plant. ( Herbaceous means the top dies down in the winter, like it does with a daisy .) Like a tree, a rose takes years to grow to blooming size from seed, so we recommend you begin with a plant, not a seed. (We don't even handle the seed, since it is so hard to find.)
What kind of roses are recommended? Like everything else about your meadow, this is up to you. But most wildflower gardeners want to add rose plants that are no- or at least, very low-maintenance. And in this area, you're in luck. Many of the roses available are the most carefree plants you can own. However, finding low-maintenance roses means totally ignoring the largest group amdash; the tea roses (the delicate hybrids with the big florist-style blooms). Yes, they're beautiful, bu they're the opposite of what you need, and require lots of care. Look instead for shrub roses, species roses, and other types are almost totally work-free.
