When I was ten I begged to go away to a summer camp a few hours away from my house where I would learn to appreciate nature instead of complaining about getting dirt in my socks. Besides dropping my pancake on the ground the first and second and a few other breakfasts during my camp tenure and having to pretend the dirt was Oreo crumbs so I could choke it down, I also had to eat a flower.

One afternoon there was a nature walk in the flower gardens and while everyone was touching this newly sprouted rosebud, I was the last to touch it and when it accidentally came off in my hand, the counselor made me eat it in front of the group. Gulp…apparently roses are good and good for you. Who knew what I observed as unfair torture turns out to be a natural remedy for vitamin C.

With rose petals adorning wedding cakes and seen on top of fancy desserts in four-star restaurants, it seems they are no longer generally accepted as decorations. Sure roses have long been  used as extracts in perfumes but it is doubtful many people have recently stopped to smell the roses and took a bite out of them.
If you are looking for a lovely new type of tea that can also boost your immune system, thinking of sprucing up your next hearty meal, or are in need of an alternative for treating arthritis pain, look no further than your beautiful garden.

Just remember that even though rose hips themselves are not poisonous, if you find them outside your own garden, make sure there are no pesticides or herbicides sprayed on them because those can have negative health effects on your body. Rose hips show that beauty has more than just superficial benefits. Maybe I should give roses another try since the embarrassment of being ten has subsided.