Elegance, nobility, a delicate aroma, and velvet petals — roses are all of this. In Ancient Greece a flower represented Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. In the ancient Chinese tradition the rose is a sign of success and prosperity. These tender flowers took root in the gardens of Europe in the Middle Ages, after knights in the Crusades brought roses from the Middle East. The rose became an established symbol in heraldry, and for many centuries it adorned coats of arms and family insignias. It occurs frequently in architecture and art. During the Victorian era, the rose became a code to represent feelings, in which each color had its own meaning. Rose buds on a card conveyed delight and affinity without words.