The origin of the rose dates back to pre-historic times. In fact there is a fossilized rose in the Smithsonian Museum, that was found in Florissant, Colorado. That makes the rose as American as the bald eagle. The rose was declared our National Floral Emblem in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Throughout history, the rose has been the inspiration of great works of art, literature, and music, and has been called the “queen of flowers”. It is most often associated with love, and appropriately it is the flower of June, the wedding month. Old garden roses began to lose their popularity in the latter part of the 19th century, taking a backseat to the very competitive hybrid tea roses. Thankfully collectors started to preserve them in their gardens before they completely disappeared, as many have survived in family cemeteries. The old garden roses are now resurging in popularity, as their hardiness and varied fragrant characteristics are being rediscovered. How to care for your fresh rose arrangement: Check the water supply immediately upon arrival. Add lukewarm water as needed. For best results, use floral preservative, if provided. Mix the preservative with room temperature water, in the proportion recommended on the package. If floral foam is used, make sure it is always thoroughly saturated. Check your arrangement daily to make sure it has plenty of clear, fresh water. Display your arrangement in a cool location, out of direct sunlight and away from electrical appliances. Avoid particularly hot or cold areas. To rearrange any flowers, re-cut the stem ends under water using a sharp knife or scissors. Then, insert each flower back into the arrangement. If floral foam is used, be sure to insert the stems firmly and deeply.