2018 Rose Parade Queen's TrophyJanuary 1, 2018 ![]() Builder: Downey Rose Float Association 2018 Tournament of Roses parade (Pasadena, CA) Queen's Trophy. "Most effective use and display of roses in concept, design and presentation." A Triumph of Rose DesignJanuary 1, 2016 ![]() "Most effective use and display of roses in concept, design and presentation." The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Rose Parade since 1890 and the Rose Bowl since 1902. "America's New Year Celebration" is "a festival of flowers, music and equestrians and sports unequaled anywhere in the world", according to the Association. The association has 935 volunteer members and the members spend some 80,000 combined work-hours to stage the events. The year 2016-17 marks the 128th Rose Parade and 103rd Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 2017. Kenyan Rose CultureMarch 16, 2016 ![]() by Milena Veselinovic, for CNN Updated 9:37 AM ET, Mon March 16, 2015 (CNN) If you were the lucky recipient of a bunch of fragrant roses this Valentine's Day, it's likely that they came from Kenya. The country is the third largest exporter of cut flowers in the world, accounting for around 35% of all sales in the European Union. Famed for being long-lasting, Kenya's roses, carnations and summer flowers are also popular in Russia and the U.S. where last week several growers showcased their blooms at the World Floral Expo in Los Angeles. The event is one of the industry's largest and gathers over 80 exhibitors from across the world, with several Ethiopian growers also representing the African continent alongside Kenya.
Hong Kong Valentine's Day 2016February 14, 2016 ![]() The Light Rose Garden, a public art installation featuring a sea of white roses made with light-emitting diode, or LED, is also a perfect venue for Valentine's Day in Hong Kong. Originating in South Korea, the Light Rose Garden is on a world tour with its first stop in the southern Chinese city. Organizer Jung Yong Jin said he's thrilled to see people outside of Seoul enjoying the garden, made up of 25,000 waterproof white roses arranged tightly in Hong Kong's landmark Central and Western District Promenade, with 25 roses planted every 3 square yards. The roses light up each night and instantly illuminate the park against the backdrop of Hong Kong's skyline. Couples, families and friends flock to take photos. "I created this LED rose garden because I wanted families, friends and lovers to come out to parks at night," Jung said. A woman from Taiwan, who was visiting with her boyfriend, said the romantic setting reminded her of Korean dramas. "I don't feel anything," the boyfriend, who identified himself only as Lee, laughed. "She showed me those scenes. Korean dramas are like that. So when I read about it, I wanted to bring her here." For Valentine's, he gave her roses made of Lego bricks. © 2016 FOX News Network, LLC. Photo © Reuters. A Heart of RosesJanuary 26, 2016 ![]() A Triumph of Rose DesignJanuary 1, 2016 ![]() PBS' float "Downton Abbey: The Final Adventure". "Most effective use and display of roses in concept, design and presentation." The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Rose Parade since 1890 and the Rose Bowl since 1902. "America's New Year Celebration" is "a festival of flowers, music and equestrians and sports unequaled anywhere in the world", according to the Association. The association has 935 volunteer members and the members spend some 80,000 combined work-hours to stage the events. The year 2015-16 marks the 127th Rose Parade and 102nd Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 2016. Messier 17: Could a massive cosmic rose smell as sweet by any other name?September 2015 ![]() The rose-hued stellar nursery has earned many colorful nicknames, including the Omega Nebula, the Checkmark Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, the Lobster Nebula, and the Swan Nebula. Whatever you call it, Messier 17 remains a gigantic hotbed of star-birth - one of the youngest and most active in our galaxy. Astronomers have counted nearly 800 young stars emerging in its center, with even more stars scattered across the whole nebula. You can see Messier 17 in the constellation Sagittarius (The Archer), where the cosmic rose stands out as particularly bright against one of the darker regions of the Milky Way. It stretches 15 light years across and its gas has more than 30,000 times the mass of the Sun, astronomers estimate. What gives this stellar nursery, located 5,500 light-years from Earth, its rosy hue? Glowing hydrogen gas. Infant stars emit ultraviolet light that excites the hydrogen gas around them. That excited gas radiates in the pink to red wavelengths, bright enough to catch astronomers' eyes. Messier 17's official name comes from Charles Messier, a French astronomer who searched the sky for comets. As he hunted, Mr. Messier also noted the locations of bright celestial objects that were not comets, so he wouldn't be confused. He numbered the radiant objects in his published astronomical catalog in 1764. But Messier wasn't the first to spot the spectacular rosy nebula. Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux had found the cosmic rose around 1745, but his work was not widely publicized, so when Messier independently discovered the same nebula later, the Frenchman received the credit. Messier 17's many nicknames come from its appearance, which reminds some of the Greek letter omega, while to others it looks like a swan, a horseshoe, or a lobster. The glow of this vast celestial rose is interrupted by darker spots and webs, caused by dust that blocks the light from the excited hydrogen gas. Increasingly powerful telescopes have allowed astronomers to see more and more colors hidden in the nebula. When the ESO took a close-up six years ago, astronomers described a "fascinating palette of subtle color shades across the image," caused by "different gases (mostly hydrogen, but also oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur) that are glowing under the fierce ultraviolet light radiated by the hot young stars." A Rose Used As A Paint Brush![]() The Kumari of Tokha, nine-year-old Dangol, became a living goddess as an infant. A kumari's eyes are believed to draw the beholder into direct contact with the divine. For religious festivals her forehead is painted red, a sign of creative energy. A Valentine's Rose Made of Galaxies![]() The distorted shape of the larger of the two galaxies shows signs of tidal interactions with the smaller of the two. It is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger one. Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Feb. 2015My Personal Rose Garden![]() Froggy Rosebud![]() 2014 Rose Parade Flowers![]() Man Proposes to Girlfriend with Dress Made from 9,999 Roses![]() Initially Xiao Fan considered proposing with only the roses, but realizing his girlfriend’s love for fashion, he decided to go a step further and get them sewn onto a dress. So the flowers were stitched together carefully to make a sweeping floral gown, fit for a bride. Several dressmakers worked round the clock on the project to get it completed on time. I think it’s pretty amazing how they managed it, keeping the flowers so fresh and lovely. Yin Mi, the lucky girlfriend, had the gown adjusted on her on the day of the proposal. On top of the rose gown, she wore an ivory-white fur shrug and also held a bouquet of yellow orchids. The event took place on the grounds of Chime-Long Paradise amusement park in Guangdong province. The place was chosen because that’s where the happy couple met for the first time, when Yin Mi was crowned Miss Bikini 2009. The dress that Mr. Fan had made is not just breathtaking, but also pretty symbolic. The number 9 in Chinese culture is said to represent ‘forever’. The orchids are known to symbolize love, beauty and virtue. Mr. Fan has obviously won top brownie points from his girlfriend, seeing that she happily accepted his proposal. But I do think he’s set some pretty high expectations with her as far as romance is concerned, and he’s going to have to live up to them all his life! This all seems very original, doesn’t it? Only Xiao Fan isn’t the first to use thousands of roses to propose to the love of his life. Back in 2009, we posted about another Chinese romantic who used 9,999 roses and a lot of friends to ask his girlfriend to marry him. I have to hand it to Chinese men, they know how to make a great impression. Massed Roses in ChelseaHighlights to the Chelsea Flower Show include the avant-garde show gardens designed by leading names with Floral Marquee at the centrepiece. The Show also features smaller garden such as the Artisan and Urban Gardens. A Petal for your Thoughts![]() Roses, Roses EverywhereApril, 2011Thirty-eight of Will Ryman's larger-than-life rose sculptures grace the medians along Park Avenue from 57th-65th streets. The sculptures, made from metal and fiber glass, range from 3 to 25 feet in height and add a bright spray of color to this concrete city. This playwright-turned-artist has combined the strength of the steel buildings that surround the sculptures with the beauty of nature in an artistic message that spells I Love NY. For more images of Ryman's rosy creations click here. A Rose for a RoseCredit: BBC News | Day in PicturesThursday, March 26, 2009 ![]() What if it Rained Roses?Credit: BBC News | Day in PicturesThursday, January 15, 2009 ![]() Raindrops on RosesCredit: Toulouse Daily Photo BlogMonday, April 14, 2008 ![]() http://toulousedailyphotoblog.blogspot.com/ Pick a Rose, Any RoseCredit: CNN.com InternationalFriday, December 22, 2006 ![]() A Rose, As Ever So SweetCredit: The Associated PressFriday, June 9, 2006 ![]() A Rose by Any Other Name . . .Credit: Tony and Daphne HallasSaturday, July 23, 2005. ![]() (NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day) The Wingthorn RoseOne of the most unusual roses is the Chinese Wingthorn rose (R. sericea ptericantha). It's most remarkable for its elongated and most colorful thorns. The effect is best viewed with a light source behind the thorns, which come in red and orange varieties. The bloom is quite modest, so the novelty is in the thorns. One can be seen at the Uncommon Rose®.The Rosette NebulaCredit & Copyright: Richard CrispWednesday February 14, 2005: ![]() (NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day) Icicle RoseTuesday January 25, 2005:![]() Roses are blue?Wednesday June 30, 2004:![]() In 1990, Suntory purchased a 15% share and formed a joint venture with Australian biotechnology Calgene Pacific Pty Ltd. to develop various new biotechnological products. Underway is the first combined project to create a legendary blue rose. Flower Color Is Major Target
By Jos Bijman
Calgene Pacific (CP) was established in Melbourne, Australia, in 1986. Shareholders include DNA Plant Technology (USA), Fides (The Netherlands), and Suntory (Japan). Last year CP acquired its Dutch competitor Florigene. |