Roses are some of the most beautiful garden flowers. Below, you can learn about some useful practices to enjoy their lovely sight for a long time.
Reviving wilted roses
Wilted roses benefit from soot solution. Place some soot in a container and pour hot water over it. Allow the solution to settle and cool. You may use the solution daily to water the roses. The color of the roses will be more vivid and the bushes will become stronger.
A small amount of fat can do miracles for roses, but it shouldn’t be used where dogs or cats can dig it out. Another option is to dissolve 25 grams of Epsom salt in 4.5 liters of water and use the solution to water the roses for a few weeks.
Grow parsley near the roses, as they strengthen rose bushes. Parsley also attracts bees and keeps away aphids.
Making rose water
Collect approximately 450 g fresh petals of strong-scented roses. Always collect petals when the early morning dew has already dried up. Cut off only a few flowers at a time, and dry the petals carefully. Fill an old teapot with water, throw in the petals and heat up the pot over low heat fire. Fix one end of a watering hose to the spout of the kettle and the other end to a bottle. When the steam starts to rise, place the middle part of the tube in ice water. The concentrated rose water drips into the bottle until almost all the water evaporates from the can. When the process is over, seal the bottle hermetically.
Making rose potpourri
Homemade potpourri is much cheaper and better than the ones bought at the store. It is essential that we only collect wholesome and clean petals when they are the freshest, so they keep their strong scent.
This simple recipe requires the following:
- three parts of a strong rose petals (dried in a well-aired room away from sunlight).
- one part dried thyme and dried rosemary mixture
- dried and powdered orange or lemon peels
- several bay leaves
- 15 g crushed cloves
- 1 teaspoon crushed allspice
Mix all ingredients and fill a decorative porcelain bowl.
Making rose-scented air freshener
Mix one or two teaspoons of rose water with powdered cloves, soak up with a piece of cotton and set in a warm place. The mixture gives a good scent to bedclothes if placed in a cabinet and refreshes the air.