Roses in Winter

No peevish winter wind shall chill, no sullen tropic sun shall wither the roses in the rose-garden, which is ours and ours only. ~T.S. Eliot

I have a question from a reader to answer today, plus I added a few tips on using roses and rose hips during the holidays. Last week we had a blizzard, then ice and sleet. I certainly hope our weather cooperates this week! The snow is beautiful, as long as I don't have to drive on it. Stay warm and safe this week as you finish your holiday preparations.

My wedding is in a year and I was wanting to use red rose petals that guests could eat. They will be used on a wedding cake.What would you recommend? ~Tina

First, the roses HAVE to be untreated in any way to be used as food. The best ones to use are your own, so you know they've been grown organically. If you can't do that, then check with local florists. You can use fresh whole roses, rose buds or petals on the cake as long as they are safe to eat. They will need to be as fresh as possible and kept chilled until the reception. Place them on the cake at the last minute, unless you could keep the entire cake chilled with the roses already on the cake. You can Royal or Butter cream icing to attach the flowers.

As an alternative you could crystallize the rose petals. There is information on that process here: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/crystallizing-rose-petals

Christmas & Winter Arrangements

As long as we are on the subject of flowers I thought I would toss out some ideas for using plants and flowers during the holiday season.

Rose hips can be used in centerpieces and flower arrangements. They can be ordered from florists or found on your own rose bushes. You can also look for wild rose hips, but those are usually quite a bit smaller. Combine them still on the branch with greens for a rustic look or place them in bowls mixed with other natural items.

Roses are always beautiful any time of year. For the holidays try combining roses with greens in a holiday themed bowl for a pretty centerpiece. If you have a holiday teapot you can cut the roses and combine with greens for another charming centerpiece.

On OFL we have an article on using rose hips:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/rosehips.html

~Brenda