Roses planted in Yunnan universities can be both ornamental and edible

The picture shows Chen Jing in Yunda Rose Garden.

At the beginning of spring in April, tens of thousands of roses planted in Chenggong Campus of Yunnan University attracted many teachers and students to watch and take pictures. Li Yong, director of the Campus Greening Center of Yunda University, said that planting roses can not only stabilize the soil and prevent dust and beautify the campus environment, but also provide raw materials for the canteen and make pesticide-free flower cakes.

The reporter came to Yunnan University on the 26th and smelled the scent of flowers before he entered the rose garden. Tens of thousands of red roses have attracted many students and teachers to come here to take pictures and enjoy the flowers, and many photography lovers have come here to collect customs.

According to Li Yong, the rose garden is one of the greening projects of Yunda, covering an area of 12 mu. It began to be planted in October 2015 and bloomed around April 15 this year. The flowering period is expected to end at the end of May. The rose garden mainly grows edible Dianhong roses and Damascus roses. Dianhong roses are dark in color and can be used to make tea and flower cakes, which can supplement human body moisture and detoxify beauty. Damascus rose, which is light in color and originated in Syria, is a world-recognized high-quality rose variety, which is mainly used to extract rose essential oil.

"this piece of land is a high point in the school. the strong wind in spring and autumn can easily blow sand and dust into the campus. The original purpose of planting roses is to consolidate the soil and prevent dust and green the campus. At the same time, it can also provide a beautiful environment for the school teachers and students to enjoy their bodies and minds." Li Yong said that in addition to beautifying the environment, fixing the soil and preventing dust, the blooming roses can also provide the canteen with raw materials for making flower cakes. "our flowers are never treated with pesticides, and teachers and students can rest assured to eat them."

The picture shows Yunda canteen staff making flower cakes from rose garden petals, photo taken by Chen Jing

Yang Guisong, who is in charge of the window of Yunda canteen selling flower cakes, told reporters that fresh rose petals are sent to the rose garden every day at a price of 30 yuan per kilogram, and the fresh flower cakes made from these petals are priced at 3.5 yuan each. "We usually can't buy flower cakes in the evening. Two days ago, the teacher ordered 50 or 100 at a time, and we planned to take them home on May 1 Labor Day to send them to our relatives and friends. We can't finish it!"

"after knowing that there was a rose field here, many students who were usually very homesick came to see it." Yu Zhaobo, a third-year student at Yun Da Da, said that the rose garden on campus has doubled their happiness. "it is very convenient and happy. Sometimes when you are under great pressure to study, you can come here to relax. It is estimated that this will be a dating destination for many campus couples." (Chen Jing)