Actress: unknown. Sorry! History tells us that wild rose bushes grew on hillsides on the island of Crete, Greece, thousands of years before the birth of Christ. The Chinese and the Egyptians are believed to be the first to begin selecting plants on the basis of flower color. Roses, and images of roses, were found in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians. The history of roses is all over ancient times. Roses were growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (actually in Iraq) and at King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. By the time of the Roman Empire, wild roses were widely grown all over Europe. During the Middle Ages, wild roses were primarily grown by Monks and Apothecaries, who grew them for their medicinal value. By the end of this history period, roses, wild ones, were beginning to establish themselves and elaborate rose gardens began showing up at castles and chateaux and manor houses.