RUGOSA ROSE (Rosa rugosa), is a antique originally discovered in Japan in 1796 by western rosarians. It is beautiful rose, but is principally grown for the enormous red Vitamin-C rich hips that it produces in abundance. A native of Asia, the large bush-form rose grows 4-8 feet with full foliage and is a good candidate for hedging. It is a suckering shrub with heavy thornset on its stems. The flowers, are sweetly scented (very popular in Asia for making potpourri) and can range from white to rose pink, single form (the doubles are hybrids), and blooms almost constantly spring to fall. And because it is a wild rose, it is resistant to aphids and other nasty bugs, black spot and rust, making it an excellent candidate for organic gardeners who want roses but don't want to use chemicals to maintain them. It also holds up to temperature swings and severity on either end. It is salt tolerant, so a good maritime candidate as well as for placement near roads. It also hybridises readily with other roses so is often used by breeders. The leaves will turn to gold before dropping in the fall. Pretty much a care-free rose with the extra benefit of the delicious hips! Perennial. 10 Seeds.
ABOUT ROSE HIPS: You may have to fight the birds for them in the fall, but rose hips are a treasure! You can do so many things with them and they are delicious! The large and juicy hips produced by the rugosa rose have a tangy, fruity flavor similar to cranberries. Best harvested after first frost, which turns them bright red and slightly softens them. They can be used fresh, dried or preserved. You can add them to your apple sauce, in soups and stews, syrups, puddings, marmalade, tarts, breads, pies, jams or jellies. They make a wonderful tea, by themselves or with other herbs, but you must boil, not steep, for 10 minutes to get the full flavor and benefit. Each hip is composed of an outer fleshy layer, which may contain up to 150 seeds embedded in a matrix of fine hairs, which should be removed before using the hips in a recipe. Rose hips have a higher concentration of Vitamin C than citrus, and were harvested wild in England during World War II, when imports were disrupted, as a substitute.
MEDICINAL: Rose hips are also an important medicinal, having been used since Roman times to treat a wide range of illnesses. Modern study has shown that rose hips have high levels of antioxidant flavonoids with known anti-inflammatory properties, useful in treating osteoarthritis. Danish studies showed a significant reduction in joint stiffness and pain, and general improvement in mood after 3-4 months of rose hip treatment. Rose hips also contain phytochemicals that protect against cancer and heart disease. Traditionally, rose hips have also been used as a diuretic and laxative and to treat flu-like infections. NO known side effects when used in normal amounts.
CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM GARDEN SEEDS & PLANTS offer hundreds of heirloom and vintage open-pollinated varieties! Most have histories dating back centuries and are tried and true producers. Some are rare, or threatened with extinction. When you grow a plant from heirloom seed and save that seed, you are participating in a practice that goes back for generations. Our grandparents and their grandparents grew these varieties. Often the seeds were prized possessions carried to the New World when they emigrated.
Ever notice how most seed catalogs require you to buy (and pay for) much more seed than you could ever possibly use in a season? If you have a budget for garden seeds, this limits your choices! Although seeds can be viable for longer than one growing season, it requires that they be stored at a consistent temperature and humidity. Few of us do this. CherryGal sizes its seed packets for the home gardener, because we know you may want to grow 5 different lettuces, or three different corns, and don’t want to have to take out a second mortgage to do so! CHERRYGAL SEEDS ARE A TREMENDOUS BARGAIN!
All seeds offered are FRESH stock, with high germination rates. Varieties are specially selected for home gardeners. If you want the flavor you remember from grandma's kitchen garden or the beauty of her cottage flowers, choose CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS.
ABOUT OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS . . . All CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are heirlooms (dating at least 100 years) or vintage (mid-20th Century or older) OPEN-POLLINATED varieties. This means saved seed will be true to the parent. Don't be dazzled by the never-ending array of hybrid seeds promoted by gardening suppliers. First, seeds from that produce will not grow true to the parent -- you have to keep buying hybrid seed. Second, most hybrids are developed for market – not home -- growers with an emphasis on extended shelf life, storage and shipping qualities -- NOT flavor, texture and all those other elements that home growers seek.
All CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS come from reputable growers (most of them small farms) and wherever possible ORGANIC suppliers (so noted). By buying CHERRYGAL SEEDS you are supporting the growing worldwide movement of SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and with a little practice you will be able to save even more money in the future by growing open-pollinated varieties and saving seed for next year. All my seeds are DOUBLE GERMINATION TESTED: First by my growers and then by me. Please Note: CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are guaranteed to be fresh stock, but are not guaranteed as to results (sorry - we wish we could, but there are too many variables in gardening) so please do not ask to return. However, we think you will be pleased and would like to hear about your gardening success!
SHIPPING: I endeavor to ship my seeds as quickly as possible - usually within 24 - 48 hours. If there is a need for more time, you will be advised at time of purchase and shipped as soon as possible. In the event an item becomes unavailable or temporarily out of stock I will offer you a chance to substitute another selection or refund you immediately. I package my seeds for shipping in a manner appropriate to the amount and type of seed - larger orders and larger seeds require more packaging. I also combine multiple orders of the same seed variety, where practical, in one envelope unless you request otherwise. This is an ecological measure, not a cost-saving one. Whether you choose first class mail or priority shipping, your seeds will ship using a delivery confirmation number which will be supplied to you.
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