| It is said that one of Cleopatra's gifts to Mark Anthony | | | | and colors and these would be perfect for your rose |
| was a bathing room full of scented rose petals, strewn | | | | loving friends. |
| across the floor to a depth of three feet! Personally I'm | | | | Books and Stuff |
| not quite that extravagant or possess such a large | | | | Actually I really like to receive a yearly calendar full of |
| rose garden to produce so many fresh petals but I do | | | | rose photographs at this time of year. Books such as |
| appreciate the sentiment. | | | | '100 English Roses for the American Garden' or any of |
| Christmas in the northern hemisphere means we look | | | | the Peter Beales books make good choices. How |
| out over our rose beds of bare canes and some of | | | | about 'A celebration of Roses - An Illustrated |
| us miss the summer blooms, the vibrant colors and the | | | | Anthology of Verse and Prose' if you prefer a more |
| delicate scents. | | | | lyrical outlook, or 'And Roses for the Table - A Garden |
| Christmas gifts for rose lovers can help maintain the | | | | of Recipes' for the budding chef on your list. Don't |
| sentiment and bring joy to an otherwise heavy heart. | | | | forget the notepaper and envelopes with printed rose |
| To help you with your gift giving plans, here are a | | | | buds or the yearly subscription to the 'American Rose |
| variety of gift ideas for the rose lovers on your 'nice' | | | | Society'. Then there is another favorite of mine, a |
| list. | | | | yearly subscription to my favorite magazine 'The |
| Use Your Own Roses | | | | Rose'. |
| If you have had the foresight to save and dry some | | | | Dabble in Oils |
| of your own roses, why not use them to create a | | | | Not painting so much, although a nice framed picture of |
| summer memory? A dry rose bud centerpiece or | | | | your favorite bloom would be a great idea, but rose |
| small door wreath both look nice, or how about using a | | | | oils. It's worth considering for it embraces both ends of |
| variety of dried petals and a cinnamon stick to make | | | | the spending spectrum. Rosewater is both useful, fine |
| up a potpourri which can easily be presented in a small | | | | scented and rather inexpensive, while rose attar (true |
| wooden box topped with a rose bud. | | | | rose oil!) is both exotic and costly. Who wouldn't like to |
| Use Your Rose Hips | | | | receive even a small gift in this category? |
| These wonderful little berries can be the source of | | | | Small Tools for the Spring |
| many an unusual and welcomed gift. Boiled they can | | | | How nice to be reminded that spring will be around |
| become a rose hip tea, rich in Vitamin C or added to | | | | again and you will have a new tool to help you |
| your door wreath of dried rose buds they complete | | | | produce those superb blooms. My most used small |
| the Christmas color theme. My Aunt has the best idea | | | | tool is a water probe which is both inexpensive and |
| however, she uses them to make rose-hip jelly. Now | | | | invaluable. How about small pruners or a sharpening kit |
| wouldn't a pot of that go down well at Christmas | | | | for old pruners? The ultimate gift in this category |
| time? | | | | however is a pair of rose gardening gloves, the ones |
| Get Crafty with Petals | | | | that are thorn proof and have long sleeves, covering |
| Dried rose petals, your own or purchased, can be used | | | | the lower arms from scratches. These would really |
| in paper-making, candle-making and soap -making. | | | | bring a smile to your rose lover friend. |
| They bring color and some scent to all these crafts | | | | When I was a child I always envied our relatives in |
| and their value can easily be enhanced by adding a | | | | Australia at Christmas time, because they got to |
| card with dried and pressed rose buds. Gifts like these | | | | spend Christmas at the beach, but now I envy them |
| become even more poignant if the card noted that the | | | | because they have a full rose garden of blooms at |
| petals being used had been cultivated in your own | | | | Christmas while I, living in the Northern Hemisphere, |
| rose bed! | | | | stare out at bare rose canes. I know the spring is |
| Crystal and Glass | | | | coming so I go hunting for Christmas gifts for my rose |
| Okay, so your not into crafts and you forgot to collect | | | | loving friends and somehow this bridges the winter |
| and dry your own roses this year. No Problem. What | | | | gap. Hopefully these ideas can help you with your gifts |
| about a single rose made in crystal or a small tiffany | | | | for your rose loving friends. |
| style lamp with a rose design motif or, my favorite, a | | | | Oh, and don't forget, reminding them to get a tetanus |
| crystal rose shaped pendant? There are some | | | | shot every ten years is probably the most useful of all |
| stunning designs available that incorporate rose shapes | | | | gifts, but of course it is a little difficult to wrap! |