Favorite Rose Colors, and their Meanings

I am thinking of going to buy some fresh roses for my house during my lunch-break from work, today. The flowers in my living room are dying, and it is time for their weekly replacement.

I have set some traditions for my adult life; and buying myself fresh roses every week is one of them. I get myself two bouquets – a unit each; making 20 roses. I normally get red roses, but will occasionally switch it up for some yellow, and at times white roses.

On July 9th of 2015, I was walking around Sun’n’Sand Beach Resort with my sister, when I just fell in love with all the roses around me. They were such an extravagant sight.

My mid-semester break of the second semester of my third year of Uni was almost over. I’d made it a tradition then, that every time before heading back to school – I would take my little sister and I to the beach, to just have us an easy good time. I like sitting around with her, talking about nothing and everything. It’s pretty refreshing. The beach proves to be a great place to think and clear your head. I’d always feel fresh and ready to get back to my books.

Looking around, I saw all the beautiful flowers and great vegetation. I attempted to take a few good shots with my 8MP camera. It was that day when I realised that it was time I started saving up for a good camera. I apologise for the low quality shots below, but we are grateful for growth.

My sister and I – July 9th, 2015, Mangochi, Malawi

“Roses must have been the second thing God handcrafted Himself after man. There’s no way roses were just a part of the ‘let there be plants’ command,” Charmie said.

Looking back now, and I realise it was at least 2 years before I received flowers from anyone before. I have now, countless times (because my lover is amazing) – but back then, it was just a fantasy.

I spent my evening, later that day, looking up what different kinds of roses mean.

Roses come in at least 10 different rose colours – ranging from Red, through Lavender, to even green. Yes green.

My favourite rose colours are red, yellow (with a red tip), white, pink and peach – in that order.

Symbolic Rose Meanings

Love
Honor
Faith
Beauty
Balance
Passion
Wisdom
Intrigue
Devotion
Sensuality
Timelessness

There were more meanings; perfection, immortal love, guiding principles, carrier of secrets, and so on.

Roses with different numbers of petals also carry different subliminal messages.

A rose with eight petals sends the message of rebirth and renewal.

A rose with seven petals sends the message of iconic perfection.

Red Roses

One of the most universal of all symbols, the red rose represents true love.

I personally love red roses for their gorgeous smell, and the ambience they give. There is something very visually appealing about red roses.

Red roses have been known to also represent beauty, courage, passion and respect. You can send red roses as a congratulatory message. A dark/Burgundy rose represents unconscious love and they are my favourite kind of roses.

The red rose has also appeared throughout history and across cultures as both a political and religious symbol.

Yellow Roses

Yellow roses are known to represent friendship, joy, delight, a promise of a new beginning, a ‘welcome back’ message, ‘remember me’, and jealousy.

If you have ever tried to buy a girl that you like some yellow roses, you will be warned against it because of what they have been known to symbolise. You would easily send the wrong message to the girl of your dreams with the slight mistake of sending her yellow roses. If yellow is your favorite color however, you could try a variation:

Yellow Roses with Red Tips

These are easily my favorite type of roses. The delicateness and uniqueness of the flower always keeps me intrigued. Perhaps because it is a fine merger of my two faves – red and yellow.

Yellow roses with red tips symbolise ‘falling in love’, but also do symbolise friendship. Think of it as a ‘I like you, and I wanna get to know you’.

White Roses

White roses symbolise purity, Sanctity, Secret admirer, Mysticism.

I love white roses for their clean and pure looks. I remember scheming a plan so my second boyfriend could get me 21 roses for my 21st birthday. It worked out, of course – and that was the first bouquet of flowers I got. 21 white roses, for my 21st birthday. To me – a symbol of renewal, a fresh start – I mean 21! And indeed, it was.

White roses are also commonly known for bridal. There was a time I fantasized about an all white wedding with an abundance of white petals allover.

I however detest white roses for how they wilt and die. I like to keep my flowers for about a week – and you really cannot keep white roses for more than 4 days without your house looking and smelling like death paid you a visit.

Pink Roses

Light pink roses symbolise innocence, sympathy, gentleness, grace, perfect happiness, healing, and a first love.

Dark pink roses symbolise appreciation, gratitude, and the most needed – the message “Thank you!”

I saw the year when I posted this post for the first time, and I realise that I must have been healing from my first love. I definitely deserved lots of pink roses.

As the days went by, I was getting more and more impatient to graduate. I could not wait to get that degree and show the world what was capable of. Boy was I ambitious because 2 years with that degree and do I know better now.

I couldn’t wait to travel the world. I couldn’t wait to take myself shopping and get whatever I wanted. I needed to get out of here. I needed to leave this college. Two years of city living and a bit of travel, and I am certain that it has been more hardwork, and less my class education that has gotten me where I am now.

I’ve always thought that when I build my own house, I will have a lot of trees and vegetation all around. Now I really want roses all around my house.

Peach roses

Peach roses represent appreciation, ‘closing the deal’, gratitude, sincerity, and the request to get together.

They are easily another fave of mine – mostly because it is easier to find peach roses than it is to find orange roses. Plus, they are a soft bridge between pink and orange – and I would be sending all messages at once in one flower.

Orange Roses are yet to make it to my list; but I still love what they represent – desire, enthusiasm and passion.

I’m ashamed to say I was tempted to pluck the roses and take them home with me. My sister had to pull me away. Such beauty, can you blame me?

I wore an African print dress that my sister and I had designed. I had my texlaxed hair poppin’, and I was feeling really African. That was possibly the birth of my obsession with African prints.

We went to Mpale Cultural Village, just across the road and up the hill from Sun’n’Sand, for some more sightseeing. It was a beautiful place and has a magnificent view of the majestic lake Malawi.