No comments about Sweet Days and Roses: An Anthology of Garden Writing.

3 comments about Quest for the Rose:: A Historical Guide to Roses.

1. This book provides an in depth history of the rose, plus modern roses. It gives good descriptions of the plant, its care and even its scent. Lots of good photographs



2. The importance of this book in serious rose research lies in the photographs of the roses in their growing habitat. Most rose books show close-ups of the flowers, rather than the entire bush, making it difficult to see how large the flowers are in relation to the leaves and the plant. Seeing the plants growth habit is also important in choosing a rose, which this book illustrates most admirably. In addition, the historical facts and cultivation information reward the researcher with the most complete volume on roses published to date. If you must buy only one rose book, this is the one to own!



3. I learned more from reading "Quest for the Rose" than any other horticulture book I have read. It is a fascinating book. After reading "In Search of Lost Roses" I became very interested in roses throughout history. Humans have been breeding roses for different characteristics for thousands of years. This book teaches modern rose lovers practical lessons about different varieties of roses: which roses grow well in hot climates, or dry climates, or the most northern climates, which grow tall and will clamber up a nearby tree or wall, and which will stay small and compact. All these characteristics are determined by the plant's ancestors, and the country of their origins. As an example, I had always heard that it is very hard to find a cold-hardy yellow rose. "Quest for the Rose" explains that the genetics that favor a yellow bloom originated in the most uniformly warm climates of the world. If you love roses, and are curious about their development over the years, you will really enjoy this book. Make sure to also read "In Search of Lost Roses", about a horticulturist's discovery of historic roses.

No comments about Landscaping With Antique Roses ("Fine Gardening" Books).

3 comments about Gardening With Old Roses.

1. I have several old rose gardening books. This welcomed book is hard to put down. What I have found helpful is the section on care and pruning of old roses. In the past I've had to research several of my books to find out the information that is in this one consice and beautiful book.



2. I liked this book on the old roses because Mr. Scarman gives you such detailed information regarding their habits of growth, the type and shape of bush and how to keep it looking it's best. He gives a personality to the different classes of the old roses so you can understand how they want to grow, plus their likes and dislikes pertaining to soil, location and even watering. His chapter on the pruning of the old roses is the best I have ever read .The whole book is very informative. I would definately reccommend Gardening With Old Roses for those who are looking for that little bit of extra information on the older roses.



3. This is one of the best books I have on gardening with old roses, and I have many. It's small enough to carry around, has great pictures, but it's his information that is so wonderful. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in old roses, beginner or pro.

1 comments about Random House Book of Old Roses, The.

1. 
   A wonderful book about roses, 5.75" X 8.25", with soft laminated full color cover. The inside illustrations, several on each page of the book, are beautifully photographed older varieties of roses, all in full color and very well done. If you want to be able to identify a particular variety of old garden rose (not bred for exhibition at a rose show or the florist's shop), this may be the book for you. If you are a rose lover, it is certainly a book you will want in your library.

   Joseph Pierre

1 comments about Roses for Washington and Oregon.

1. This is the book I recomend to people who live in the Northwest and want to learn about roses. There are many great rose books out there, many more informative and with more pictures... but for folks who are just starting out too much information can be confusing and frustrating.
   
   This is a great book for people that want to try to grow roses, but are intimidated by the selection at the local nurseries. Or for people who have tried to grow roses before, and have been disapointed with the results. The roses listed arn't the ONLY roses that will grow here by any means, but it acts like a cheat sheet, naming varieties that are likely to do well here regardless of the experience of the gardener.
   
   I especially like that they encourage people to try old garden roses and Rugosas, which are sometimes snubbed in other begining rose books in favor of Hybrid teas.
   
   For the beauty of the pictures and many varieties, I would encourage rose lovers to also purchase Random House Book of Roses by Roger Phillips. The color photographs look so real you swear you can smell them!

5 comments about Antique Roses for the South: New Edition.

1. This was a great book, full of information specifically geared toward the south. It was great to see a book full of roses that can thrive in the southern climate. Though I am a beginner at gardening, and especially antique rose gardening, I felt there was lots of information here for the experienced gardener as well. This book has been a great reference tool, as well as one that is a joy to just look at.



2. I thought the book would address more than the South Texas Area. Rather misleading title- It is difficult to find information on roses that do well in zones 6-9.Too many pages devoted to flower arranging and potpourri making.



3. The good news is that this book identifies antique roses that are not seen that often and has some very good pictures of them. There is also some interesting discussion about how some of these roses were found and identified by hobbyists. The bad news is that I was expecting a lot more information on husbandry. For example, there are only two pages in the book dedicated to growing antique roses in containers, but there are no less than 52 pages (about half the narrative of the book, discounting the rose list in the back) dedicated to indoor flower arrangements with roses, drying and preserving roses in displays, etc., which has absolutely no interest to me. I'd recommend this book as a supplemental reference on antiques, relying on other sources for care information.



4. As a horticulturist and landscape designer, I am asked to do seminars on antique and old garden roses. I always recommend this book as an additional source of information. It gives a lot of good information on propagation, care, and recommended varieties. Especially valuable is his list of roses in the back of the book with suggested landscape uses. This book won't disappoint you.



5. I do like this book on roses very much; however, Dr. Welch gave way too much attention along with way too many pages to the subjects of arranging roses and rose potpourri. When I saw this was the new edition, I hoped it did not include these two subjects and instead give us more pictures and information on additional roses. Sadly, it does not. Other than arranging roses and making potpourri, the roses and information in this book are excellent, a most very enjoyable read.

2 comments about The Complete Book of Roses.

1. Excellent information on many aspects of roses - roses in history, origins of various roses, lists of recommended roses, botanical information. The best rose book I have found.
   (The German title is Rosen, Rosen, Rosen - thus my review title.)



2. Finding this book is a diamond in the rough. It is simple the best book on roses. This book was published in 1981 and does not have the roses of the last 20 years. However, as a resource book excellent! I love roses and understanding them just adds to their luster.

No comments about Old Roses (Gardens by Design).

2 comments about Ortho Complete Guide to Roses.

1. This is the first rose book I purchased, and now some twenty books later, it's still a favorite. It's an attractive book, well written and photographed, and covers more aspects of rose growing and related interests than other rose books do. For example, there are chapters on the history of roses, roses in art/literature, rose crafts, rose photography, exhibiting roses, rose culture/diseases/pests, recommended varieties, landscaping, propagation, and much more.




2. 
   So did I.

   I never promised her a rose garden, but now we have one, and it's a pure delight. Before we started, I bought two books; this one and Pierre-Joseph Redoute's Roses. In case you are unfamiliar with that gentleman, he was the Audubon of flowers, and especially roses and lilies. His artwork is exquisite.

   This book, formerly published as Enjoying Roses, was created by the editorial staff of Ortho Books. The project editor was Janet Goldenberg, and it was written by Ann Reilly. The illustrators were Cyndie Wooley and Ron Hildebrand, and the photography was Saxon Holt. The resulting volume is stupendous!

   Unlike Redoute's book, which is entirely illustrated with his artwork, the flowers in this book are primarily illustrated with beautiful full color photography. The illustrations are primarily technical line drawings showing how to prune, disbudd, plant in containers, and plant bare-root roses, etc.

   The book details how to select roses and use them in your landscape,how to plant them and care for them outdoors, as well as how to grow them indoors. It also goes into the history and lore of the rose, and discusses (and shows) many of the world's finest, most cherished roses.

   Altogether, if you are growing roses, or if you just like to look at them and want to know more about the culture of roses, this is a book you should have!

   Joseph Pierre