Larnach’s Castle Roses – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite is said to have created the rose when her tears mixed with the blood of her dying lover Adonis. The mixture of tears and blood created a stunning red rose bush when they hit the ground. When the Romans identified Aphrodite as the Goddess of Love,  they also adopted the rose as a symbol of love and beauty. However, Shakespeare once wrote, “Of all flowers, methinks rose is best” and that sounds good too.