Roses are the queens of flowers. They symbolize beauty, perfection and, in the language of flowers, love. They have an unchanging place in Christianity as attributes of the Virgin Mary and also appear on the coats of arms of many families and cities. It is as if fate had predetermined everything for me – I come from a Moravian royal city, which has a light pink rose planted in its emblem. These flowers have surrounded me my whole life. Starting with a very old bush in my grandmother's yard, through planting roses in the garden of our house in the Czech Republic and ending with the rose garden surrounding our current home.
Damascus rose from Kazanlak
Simply put, life begins and ends with roses. Proud fathers bring them to maternity hospitals, we congratulate them on their birthdays and they are used to create condolence wreaths at the end of life's journey. Today, we can count around 12-30 thousand cultivated cultivars in the world. My favorite is the so-called Kazanlak rose (Rosa damascena mill). This traditional Bulgarian variety is grown in a 120 km long strip of the so-called Rose Valley, which territorially overlaps with the Valley of the Thracian Kings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a magical place from which for about one month a year the intoxicating scent of millions of blooming flowers wafts. You can't escape that scent, it is everywhere! It's just a shame that no way has yet been invented to transmit the scent online!
Collection in the Rose Valley
Visiting the Rose Valley during its picking season was my big dream. One does not know what is more beautiful! Whether the view of the endless number of light pink flower heads or the incredible scent surrounding their fields or the mountain range stretching along them. It is the Central Mountains and the vast Stará Planina that create a specific climate suitable for growing roses. The highest quality rose oil in the world is produced from the local unique variety, which is used in the production of world-famous perfumes and their cosmetic lines (Elizabeth Arden, Kenzo, Channel, Bulgari, Paco Rabanne, Еstee Lauder, Dior) and last but not least natural cosmetics. Every year, 95% of the total 2000 tons of “liquid gold” goes directly for export. Before it reaches the final oil, a large number of human hands and loving care are required. Yes, the flowers are picked by hand after sunrise, when they are still covered in morning dew, and their petals contain the highest amount of essential oils (0,02-0,04%, exceptionally up to 0,09%). And proof that a really large amount of labor is needed is the simple equation: from about 3000 kg of flowers, “only” 1 kg of valuable oil is distilled.
