Growing and caring for Rosa freedom

All the freedom pink (freedom, in English) are the leading flowers of Saint George's Day (or Sant Jordi), which is celebrated on April 23 in Spain, England, Georgia, Portugal, Bulgaria and Ethiopia. And why is it so popular? Legend has it that many years ago an evil dragon terrorized the town of Montblanc (Catalonia), killing their animals and polluting the air and water with his stinky breath. He was getting closer and closer to the walls, so they began to feed him sheep; when they were finished, they gave him oxen, and then horses.

When there was nothing left, they had no choice but to sacrifice their own inhabitants, putting all the names in a pot, including the king and the princess. Every day an innocent hand decided who died the next day, and one afternoon the princess was chosen. She went to her sad destiny, but when the dragon advanced towards her, a gentleman dressed in white arose from the mist on a white horse that wounded the feared beast. The dragon was carried away from the walls, where it was finished off by the knight. In that instant rose from the earth a rosebush of precious red roses. Do you know the name of the knight? Indeed, Jorge, or Jordi.

Thanks to this legend, red roses have gained such popularity around the world that they are planted very frequently in gardens. What's more, the custom of giving a loved one a rose of this color on April 23 has become a custom, a tradition. Since 1996 it has also been accompanied by a book, to celebrate Book Day.

But…, Would you like to have a Freedom rose plant in your patio or garden? It does not require any special care, although you must bear in mind that you should place it in an area where the sun shines directly, and water it often. Nor should we forget to remove the flowers as they wither so that they sprout more, since otherwise we would end up having a plant that would only have leaves; and maybe some very small flower.

What did you think of Rosa Freedom? Have you ever seen it?