People have been passionate about roses for centuries. The ancient Romans celebrated their annual rose festival (the Rosalia) in late May, but they reveled in roses all year round--even importing blooms from Egypt. They wore rose garlands, rested on rose-petal pillows, hung smelling-bags of rose petals around their necks, filled fountains with rose-water, and used the petals and hips in cosmetics, foods, drinks, and medicines. The emperor Nero (who was also passionate about his fiddle) once had a beach strewn with roses so he could walk on it.

You can learn how to care for your roses from Rose Basics: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing, Training, and General Care by Amanda Beales (Sterling Publications, 1999). If it's antique roses that fascinate you, you can obtain a catalog for $5 from The Antique Rose Emporium, 9300 Lueckemeyer Rd. Brenham TX 77833, ph. 800 441-0002, email mshoup@phoenix.net. To learn how roses were used as herbs, read Rose Recipes from Olden Times, by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde (a Dover reprint).