Alluring Roses FROM AFRICA

Roses, including both those that grow wild and those cultivated by man, perhaps none has acquired more international acclaim than the rose. It has captured man’s imagination for centuries. Poets have written about it, while artists have often depicted it. Shakespeare extolled it with the famous line from Romeo and Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Thanks to the rose, new friendships have been established and cemented, strained relationships have been restored, and many a sick person has been encouraged.

In addition to all of that, the rose has great economic value. In many countries where climatic conditions favor flower farming, the rose is a major earner of foreign exchange. In Kenya, for example, out of the millions of flowers exported during one recent year, over 70 percent were roses, making the country one of the leading producers in the world.
In times past, before man discovered the flower’s alluring qualities, the rosebush grew freely in the wild. Today, through the use of carefully controlled methods of crossbreeding, some of the more than 100 species of wild roses have been bred to produce the thousands of varieties of roses known today. As a result, the flower has become known worldwide and is found in almost every country on earth. The most popular and widely cultivated is the hybrid tea rose.

 From the farms to your flower vases at home
 Mostly, people buy their roses either from a florist or at a supermarket. These flowers are grown commercially on large farms and require much more attention than the backyard variety. A visit to one such farm located near Nairobi revealed to us the extra care that goes into preparing the flowers for market.
Here, as elsewhere in Kenya, elaborate polyethylene greenhouses readily identify the commercial rose farm. These structures serve several purposes. The newly grafted roses are delicate and require protection from harsh weather. Heavy rain, wind, or direct sunlight can wreak havoc on them. To maintain a constant temperature, it is necessary that cool air enter the greenhouse easily and hotter air be expelled.
Inside the greenhouses there are rows of young flowers in different stages of growth. At this farm several types of roses are cultivated, ranging from the popular hybrid tea rose, cut at a little longer than 27 inches, to the 14-inch-long sweetheart rose, a particular type of hybrid tea rose. The two and a half acres here may contain up to 70,000 plants.
How do the plants receive their nutrients? Ordinary soil is not used. The flower bed is made up of pumice (volcanic rocks) laid on polyethylene sheets. This is a preferred method, as the rocks are free from many soilborne diseases. The drip-irrigation concept is employed to water the plants. In this method small pipes are directed to the flower bed, discharging the water and other nutrients in well-regulated quantities. Being porous, the volcanic material allows water to drain from the plastic bed. Then it is collected and reused.
Despite the specialized care provided, roses can become infected by a number of diseases, mainly caused by funguses. These include botrytis and powdery mildew, which attack the leaves and stems of the plants. Left unchecked, these diseases can adversely affect the flower quality. Applying fungicides helps control the problem.
As time passes, some bright colors begin to show up, a clear indication that the roses are ready for harvesting. The flowers are carefully cut at the tight-bud stage. At this point the petals have yet to unfold. Harvesting at this time enhances the life span of the cut flowers as well as their color retention. However, the harvesting stage may vary slightly from variety to variety. It is vital to cut the flowers in either the morning or the late afternoon, when humidity is high and wilting is slower. Harvested flowers are then taken to the cold room for precooling. This too ensures that the roses remain fresh for a longer period of time.
The flowers will pass through another vital phase—the grading stage. Here they are separated according to color and size. Packaging is done according to customer requirements. Finally, the flowers are ready for market. From this farm they are transported to the main airport in Nairobi, and from there they will be exported to Europe, thousands of miles away. Because they are highly perishable, the flowers should reach the market, local or international, within 24 hours of harvesting.
The next time you receive a bouquet of roses as a gift or buy them from a supermarket or a florist, pause and think of the long journey they may have made, possibly even from Africa. Possibly it will enhance your appreciation for this beautiful plant.

Plovdiv—A Modern City With Ancient Roots!

PLOVDIV is older than Rome, Carthage, or Constantinople. Some 350,000 people live in this city, which sprawls over seven hills in south-central Bulgaria.

Walk down the city’s ancient streets, and you will see abundant evidence of its glorious, tumultuous past. Edifices built by the Thracians, a feared race that lived hundreds of years before the Common Era, can be seen, as well as Greek pillars, Roman theaters, and Turkish minarets.

The “Loveliest of All Cities”

Archaeological discoveries in and around the city reveal that it was inhabited well before the first millennium B.C.E. Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus wrote that before the fourth century B.C.E., a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpias existed at the site of present-day Plovdiv. In 342 B.C.E., Eumolpias was conquered by Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great. Philip changed the city’s name to Philippopolis.

When the Romans gained control of the city in 46 C.E., they called the city Trimontium and made it the capital of Thrace. The Romans were eager to hold this city because it straddled the Via Diagonalis, an important crossroad of the Balkan region. The Romans added a stadium, an amphitheater (seen above), numerous baths, and many other typically Roman buildings.

Lucian of Samosata described the natural beauty of this city, which was set among three hills at the base of the Rhodope Mountains.

“THE

CITY OF SEVEN HILLS”

A modern visitor to Plovdiv may find it hard to locate the city’s famed seven hills, or tepes, as they are called. A hundred years ago, one of the hills, Markovo Tepe, was demolished as the city expanded. Six hills remain as silent witnesses of Plovdiv’s ancient past.

Three are obvious to the visitor: Bunardjik Tepe, Djendem Tepe, and Sahat Tepe, called such by the Turks because of the clock tower built on this hill. Trimontium, as the Romans called Plovdiv, comprises the three remaining hills: Djambaz Tepe, the largest and highest hill; Taksim Tepe; and Nebet Tepe, which in Turkish means “Guard Hill.”

A stroll through the area of Trimontium takes one into the heart of Plovdiv’s past, from the ancient ruins and walls of Philippopolis to the still-functioning Roman theater. Of interest too are the well-preserved houses of the Bulgarian National Revivalist era that line the narrow cobbled streets.

It lay near the Maritsa River, with the fertile Thracian plain spreading out before it. Lucian wrote that Trimontium was “the greatest and loveliest of all cities!”

After the decline of Rome in what came to be called the Dark Ages, Slavic peoples settled the area. Over the next few centuries, crusaders looted the town on four separate occasions. Then, in the 14th century, a political change took place when the city fell to the Turks. They renamed the city Philibé and remained the city’s masters until 1878. The Jumaia Mosque with its minaret and sundial still stands as a reminder of that time.

When Russia defeated Turkey in 1878, the city’s name was changed from Philibé to Plovdiv. The city was given an economic boost in 1892 when it hosted a trade fair. From then on, Plovdiv became the main trading center of Bulgaria. During the second world war, the Nazis briefly controlled the city but were ousted by the Soviets in 1944. Then, in 1989, Plovdiv slipped from the grip of yet another mighty empire when the Soviet Union collapsed. Some of Plovdiv’s past masters may have been sincere; still, they were hampered by the imperfections that characterize human rule.