This lovely field guide perfectly epitomizes the practice of form following function, for its shape—tall and narrow—suits its contents to a T, a Tea rose, that is.
Its rectangular shape and encyclopedic format allows each of its 100 Old Roses to be described in detail on the left-hand page with a photo of the specimen in question depicted on the facing page. Perhaps not precisely life size, the photos are truly lifelike and as equally informative as the text, which is by Clair G. Martin, longtime curator at Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. Indeed, the head-to-toe photos of the 100 cut specimens in the field guide section—which are by gardener and photographer Saxon Holt—are possibly the most striking feature of the book. Each long stem is staged against a white background and includes not only an open blossom, but also blooms at differing stages, from bud to fading flower, as well as the foliage and thorns (or prickles, if you prefer). Each exquisite photo fills its page, so, at a glance, the subtly of each specimen, like the form and shape of bud and blossom and whether their color changes as they mature is apparent. Simply by the photos, we can learn if the foliage is sparse, as it is on Louise Odier, a pink Bourbon, or if it densely covers the stem, as on the Albas Great Maiden’s Blush and Pompon Blanc Parfait. We can see, too, how few or how many thorns there are—and how fierce. While the Damask known as Autumn Damask is covered in fanglike prickles, the Rambler Princesse Louise has virtually no thorns in sight. In the first third of the book, Holt’s lovely photos include beautiful close-ups and evocative long shots and show glorious Old Roses growing in various lush garden settings. In the guide, opposite each stunning photo, is a full-page description of the Old Rose that includes some of the plant’s history as well as what Martin has learned from growing the variety himself. At the bottom, are facts about the rose’s stature, fragrance, and hardiness, among other pertinent details, for anyone considering adding the variety to his or her garden. And there are many—one hundred, to be exact—deserving of space in our gardens, and with the Internet, finding sources for Old Roses may be easier than it was in 1999, when the guide was published. In the field guide section, Martin discusses perennial Old Rose favorites, such as •Gallicas The Apothecary’s Rose, Belle de Crécy, Cardinal de Richelieu, and Rosa Mundi •Polyantha Cecile Brunner •Portland Comte de Chambord, which the author describes as “an impeccable Portland cultivar that is intensely scented with a divine Old Rose fragrance.” •Species Hybrid Empress Josephine •Damask Rose de Rescht •Bourbon Souvenir de la Malmaison If these classic Old Garden Rose beauties don’t delight, a few oddities are available, too, and some peculiar temptations can be found by perusing Holt’s well-designed photos: Baron Girod de l’Ain, a red Hybrid Perpetual, has unusually ruffled petals. The Centifolia or Moss Rose Crested Moss boasts buds covered in green feathery growth, and the Green Rose is a China whose “flowers” are raggedy green bursts reminiscent of chrysanthemums. Then there’s the Lady Banks’ Rose, a bright yellow Species Hybrid whose round buds and small blossoms look a little like what we’d see on a cherry tree, color notwithstanding. One of the nicest, and most helpful, inclusions is the Old Rose named Dr. Huey, the Climber whose rootstock often survives the cultivar that was grafted onto it. Dr. Huey often thrives on its own, so it regularly needs to be identified, yet Martin is among the few who thought to include it in their references. But there’s more than the field guide. Martin’s book opens with a conversational note from the author and a few concise pages of background about Old Roses. Holt’s beauty shots of select roses fill an informative chart of 16 Old Rose shapes or forms, while his garden shots depict many of the 17 classes of Old Roses Martin describes. An entire chapter discusses Old Roses as an aspect of culture and covers their uses from ancient times—in medicine, in literature—up to David Austin’s contributions. We’d expect a mention of the influence of the Empress Joséphine, whose rose collection remains legendary and whose foresight commissioned Redouté to paint portraits of her roses. However, we’re charmed to read a nice biography of Joseph Pernet, who Martin calls “the man who would be rose king” and “the creator of Modern Roses.” Another little surprise comes in the title of the chapter on growing and caring for Old Roses. No one who cares for 2,000 roses would be expected to think of his task as easy, yet Martin claims “Rose Growing [can be] Made Easy” and goes into sufficient detail on the most important factors: basic needs like sunlight, soil, water, and selection, purchasing, planting, transplanting, companion planting, mulching, weeding, pruning, fertilizing, training, dead-heading, and cold-hardiness. After the field guide, the book concludes with appendices (which may be somewhat out of date now) that list mail-order sources for Old Roses and a directory of public gardens with Old Roses. An index of these roses by color is particularly helpful, and the final list provides information for Old Rose publications and organizations, including the American Rose Society. An elegant and edifying resource, 100 Old Roses for the American Garden, from Workman Publishing Company in 1999, is available at the Fairport Public Library and, hopefully, at a library or bookstore near you. If not, there’s always the Internet. To learn more about the Old Garden Roses that grow well in Western New York, consider joining the Greater Rochester Rose Society.
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Patti Dee, Archives
December 2018
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