This beautiful classic from 1996 is just the thing to inspire rose-gardening dreams on a frigid winter’s day in the Snow Belt, or anywhere else for that matter.
Written and photographed by the husband and wife team of John Scarman and Teresa Scarman, Gardening with Old Roses is a work that masterfully blends informative text and evocative pictures. The many photos of glorious roses and lush gardens draw the reader in, while the conversational chapters—which provide more information and explanation than comparable books—allow the reader to believe he or she could achieve similar results at home. A blend of romanticism and practical advice should be expected from the Scarmans, who opened their nursery in 1983 and write from both personal and professional experience. As an Old Rose specialist, John Scarman is able to easily explain the history, classifications and characteristics of these old-fashioned roses, which are famous for their strong fragrances, romantic colors, and full blossoms. Among his topics of discussion are the large Rambler New Dawn, the summer-blooming Shrub The Fairy, and the thornless Bourbon Zephrine Drouhin. In addition, this book displays a deft balance of information and visual aids. For instance, the chapter “Designing with Old Roses” describes using structures like pergolas or planting near water features and then offers plans and drawings for several different sized gardens. Another chapter, “Planting with Old Roses,” discusses color schemes, plant structure, and planting choices to embrace (such as annuals, herbs and vines) as well as invasive plants to eschew. Here, one of the lovely photos shows the light pink Bourbon rose Souvenir de la Malmaison planted with pale purple campanula. Teresa Scarman’s photographs also include an inspirational mix of vigorous rose bushes in various garden settings and stunning beauty shots of individual rose blossoms, as well as useful pictures of rose bushes before and after pruning and specimens when they are dormant and bare, then verdant and foliated. The captions, too, are noteworthy because many of them not only identify or describe the subject of the photo, but they also are unusually instructive and provide suggestions about things like creating focal points or pruning precisely. The longest chapter, entitled the “Directory of Old Roses,” reviews the history and classifications of these old-fashioned beauties (with helpful photos showing both flower and foliage) and offers specific suggestions about placement, companion plants and care. Here we learn more about the pink Polyantha Cécile Brunner, the fragrant Modern Shrub Constance Spry, and the Shropshire Lass, another Modern Shrub that could also be grown as a Climber. The best part may well be that John Scarman identifies a number of repeat-flowering varieties, such as the Bourbon Louise Odier and the Rugosa Fru Dagmar Hastrup (also known as Frau Dagmar Hartopp), which are generally unusual among Old Roses like the once-flowering purple shrub Cardinal de Richelieu. The most useful section may be the detailed pages about pruning, which not only cover how and when to trim each classification (since their needs differ), but also describe some aesthetics of pruning to achieve the appropriate look and desired growth of the roses in question. With its blend of beautiful images and practical information, Gardening with Old Roses allows readers to both imagine the rose garden of their dreams and find advice to help those dreams bloom into reality. We’d appreciate your feedback. Please leave a comment if you found this book review useful or if you can recommend other helpful titles, and we’d really love to hear from you if grow Old Roses. What success (or disappointments) have you had?
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Patti Dee, Archives
December 2018
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