I am not a great fan of the myriad varieties of cultivated roses.  However what I do love is the wild rose, the so called 'dog rose'. I admire its simplicity and delicate pale pink symmetry of the large petals.

The title 'dog' implies the flower is of 'little worth' but the name may have originated in ancient Greece where it was claimed that an infusion of the roots could cure anyone who had been bitten by a mad dog! 

Whatever the answer, there is no doubt the rose now flowering along hedgerows and on commons has a whole host of attributes.

For example. King Henry V11 adopted the Tudor rose as his official emblem and that is still part of the monarchy today.

At one time the dog rose was used as a medicinal plant and of course rose-hip syrup, rich in vitamin C was taken by children during world war two as a supplement for many foods not available in wartime.

The dog rose is in fact the ancestor of all garden roses that have been bred over many years.

Like all roses, especially garden varieties, we rarely see insects visiting them as the nectar and pollen content is relatively low.

A  close relative, namely the field rose has white petals and grows mainly in light woodland.