The simple rose is a source of herbal remedies growing in your own back yard
This wonderfully beautiful and highly fragrant flower is found in the majority of gardens and parks around the world. Cleopatra was knee deep in rose petals when she seduced Antony. The Roman used it as a garland at their banquets. Most potpourris include rose petals as a fragrant addition. It's perfume has long and forever been used as a perfume and bath water addition.
The petals can be eaten raw and in salads. The Turks use the hips to make jams, jellies, and a gelatin candy known as Turkish delight. An interesting salad vinegar can be made from a combination of the hips and petals being added to it and left to stand for a while.
The rose hips are very high value in the Vitamin C line up. They are rich in this essential vitamin and rose hip tea, if made from fresh hips, is a great cold and flu remedy due to this. 45- 90% of the value is lost and gone if the store bought dried hips are used. Ounce for ounce rose hip beat oranges. Drank regularly it can prevent help colds and flus. Most manufacturers, if pressed, will tell you that the Vitamin C tablets you purchase are produced from rose hips because of the high ratio of the blessed vitamin contained in them.
Dried rose petal tea can be used for headaches, dizziness, menstrual cramps, and for mouth sores. Rose water has always been known as an astringent for beauty care. So it is not as surprising as it might first seem when you know that it is used also as an antiseptic, too. If taken internally it is also a mild laxative. Most nursing mothers will be able to vouch for this if they have ever eaten or drank a fair amount of orange juice, because of the results it produces in small babies.
