It’s National Rose Month

We had the "Run for the Roses" in May at the Kentucky Derby, but June is actually National Rose Month. Whether or not you're into flowers, the rose seems to be the one flower most associated with romance.

Remember that classic line from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet:

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"?

We do a lot of gardening at the McShea household, and flowers add such beauty and color to the yard. Roses are a little more tricky to grow, but they seem to be at the top of the food change of flowers.

"According to Rose Gardening 101, some bits of rose trivia:

* Since 1986 the rose has been the official National Floral Emblem of the United States.

* A rose is the official state flower of: the District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, New York, and North Dakota.

* George Washington was the first rose breeder in the US.

* Roses are native plants in the US.

* Roses are big business: 1.2 billion are sold annually."

Source: International Cut Flower Growers Association