Published: September 01. 2009 2:00AM

By Stephanie Trotter
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

No flower evokes as much imagery and emotion as the rose. One marvels at its rich history that reaches back almost to the beginning of time. Greek mythology credits Aphrodite with giving the rose its name.

Confucius possessed 600 books on how to care for the succulent flower. It's said Cleopatra's palace was carpeted with thousands of rose petals. Years later, Napoleon's Josephine collected and nurtured more than 250 varieties in France. And archaeologists recently discovered the fossilized remains of wild roses more than 40 million years old.

Roses have inspired love and bestowed beauty, prompting Shakespeare to mention them no fewer than 50 times in his writings. Today, the incongruously delicate yet sturdy bud stands as the national flower of the United States. Here in Greenville, the rose has come to symbolize charity and compassion through the long-running Rose Ball.

“The whole purpose of the ball has always been to extend generosity and care to the community,” says Lee Farrar, Rose Ball board member. “This has been such a long-running community benefit that has raised so much money for health care and education-oriented charities. Volunteers have demonstrated goodwill and grace toward others time and again through this gala.”

Farrar is busy assisting with her fourth Rose Ball. This year, she's serving as point person for the handful of local growers donating homegrown roses. “It takes hours to lovingly tend and care for these roses, and the people who so generously donate them work so hard,” she says. “It's time, energy and a huge sacrifice, a huge commitment on their part to grow these roses.”

In fact, the perennial flower has solidified this event's image as one of the most beautiful and elegant in the Southeast. Not only is the gala the longest running charity ball in Greenville, but it also exudes an ambience of timeless Southern charm. Philanthropists and party planners will tell you, it's one thing to decorate a ballroom with flowers for a special event. It's quite another to deck out an empty space floor to ceiling in roses of every color, shade and hue. When attendees enter the Poinsett Club on Sept. 25, the heady aroma of an estimated 4,000 roses will tickle their noses. Eyes will open wide in each room as the majesty of hundreds of blooms, buds and greenery gracefully bends to attention.

“It's something else to see, all the roses they have,” says Julian Dority. The patent attorney takes pride in the fact roses from his yard will anchor many of the displays. He and his wife, Jean, have been cultivating their bushes for about five decades now. “Well, I plant and pick, and she arranges them,” he says, laughing. They harvest two-to-three dozen a day during peak season. “Someone gave my wife a dozen roses about 50 years ago, and I thought, ‘That's the nicest gift I've every seen.' It just perks you right up. So now we just give roses away.”

Rose Ball organizers hold local growers in high esteem, acknowledging they are a much-needed addition to corporate floral donations. “I think the homegrown roses are the tradition upon which the Rose Ball was founded,” says Farrar. “They will always be critical to the elegance of the ball. Just the beautiful petals and the aroma of homegrown roses, I think they just make the evening.”

A premier black-tie event, the Rose Ball has stood out on the fall social calendar since 1971. The event is held every other year, and organizers have raised and donated more than $2.1 million to local groups and charities. Back in the beginning, while brainstorming ways to help St. Francis Hospital, one of the founders gave artist Jeanet Dreskin a rose from her garden and told her to create a logo. That logo of a rose in full bloom is still used today as the 20th ball approaches its big night.

Gold Medal roses, Nancy Reagan roses, Voodoo roses, Perfect Moment roses. The sensuous, vibrant petals of hundreds of varieties will stand tall on display, offset by bunches of thick, deep-green, glossy leaves. A floral fantasy will come to life as the arrangements line doorways, fill tables and grace the podium. Even those who don't know a tea rose from a tea light can't help but appreciate the workmanship involved in creating the scene and especially in growing these gorgeous multi-colored flowers.

Local attorney Neil Jones has been donating roses from his yard to the ball for the past 12 years. “I just enjoy doing it,” he says. “Any opportunity to help an organization like the Rose Ball and all they do, we try to do that. While I only do a little part, I believe my couple of roses helps at least a little.”

Jones could spend quite a bit of time in his garden, but tries to limit his work to one hour each week. He appreciates the fact his hardy bushes tolerate his frequent absences. “I travel quite a bit for business. They get taken care of more at times and less at times,” he says. But come late summer in odd-numbered years, he puts his gloves on and digs in. “Once Lee calls, I always start back doing more to care for them. I make sure I spray and fertilize, all the little things that I need to do. And the Japanese beetles always arrive a few weeks before the ball,” he says, laughing.

Pesky bugs, absence of rain, abundance of heat. Farrar is never quite sure what she's going to see the morning of the gala as local gardeners walk through the doors of the Poinsett Club, carrying their bounty. But a smile comes to her face at the thought. “Just all the beautiful colors of the rainbow. The array we get. And then the magic the designers and decorators have created using these beautiful roses,” she says. You can almost catch the sweet smell from here. It's only made sweeter knowing the roses and the ball will help so many in need for years to come.

For more on the Rose Ball, go to RoseBall.org.