The English Roses: Classic Favorites and New Selections [Hardcover]

David Austin (Author), Howard Rice (Photographer), Andrew Lawson (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 2008

"The rose has always been the best loved of all garden flowers. With the English Rose our aim has been, quite simply, to breed a more beautiful rose on a more beautiful shrub."
- David Austin

Exquisite photographs of Austin's beloved blooms grace every page of The English Roses. David Austin revolutionized rose gardening by restoring the viability and popularity of the Old Roses. In this book, he introduces 40 recently developed varieties in addition to 40 of his best-loved and time-tested favorites.

Here David Austin tells the compelling story of how he set out to create the English Roses and presents an entirely new classification, which helps rose enthusiasts to better understand and appreciate their great diversity. The book also features:

• The distinctive qualities and fragrances of English Roses
• The original Old Rose Hybrids
• Musk Hybrids, Alba Hybrids and 'The Leander Group'
• Climbing Roses, Cut-Flower Roses
• Growth habits, flower form, foliage, and name origin
• Valuable cultivation tips
• Austin's favorite garden designs
• Tips forcutting and arranging roses.

(200803)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Austin achieved great success as a hybridizer of his so-called English Roses, which possess a combination of alluring traits found in antique varieties and modern hybrid teas. More than a decade has passed since his first guide to these cultivars, and Austin now explains the ancestry and qualities of his roses, presenting 80 roses in six subgroups that include more recent introductions. Only roses that have proven to be vigorous and disease free make the cut. Succinct descriptions sum each rose's attributes, from growing habits and overall shape to luscious fragrance, flower form, foliage, and origin of the plant's name. And breathtaking photographs illustrate the reasons English roses are beloved by gardeners everywhere. Rose lovers will find Austin's personal observations regarding the development of these exquisite flowers mesmerizing, while his candor regarding a rose's faults is noteworthy and will surely help a gardener select roses for any given situation or climate. Novices will appreciate a final chapter with useful tips on culture and maintenance. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Exquisite photography .... valuable tips, guidelines and methods, and even the casual admirer will enjoy learning about the flower's history. (Romantic Homes 20090618)

Stunningly beautiful photographs ... that have the artistic quality of the work by the renowned French artist, Pierre Joseph Redoutï¿1/2(c). (The National Gardener, National Garden Clubs, Inc. 2009)

The definitive reference on the English rose. (Karla A. Dalley Connecticut Horticultural Society Newsletter vol. 20090628)

At $45 it is a great investment, containing growth habits and cultivation tips for this popular flower. (Terra Hangen Victorian Homes 2008)

This book practically leaped off the shelf into my arms. If you love roses, this truly is a sumptuous book! (Donald McClure The County Weekly News (Picton ON) 20090611)

Exquisite photographs. (Rob Mooy Kingston This Week 200906)

Gorgeous photographs. (Marilyn K. Alaimo Chicago Botanic Garden (www.chicagobotanic.org) 200910)

Full-color illustrations will make you want to cut them out and frame them. (Grand Rapids Press )

Breathtaking photographs illustrate the reasons English roses are beloved by gardeners everywhere. (Alice Joyce Booklist )

No other individual has contributed more to modern roses than breeder extraordinaire David Austin. (Stephen Westcott-Gratton Metro (Toronto, Ottawa) )

David Austen has created something amazing with his roses, just as he has done with this book. (Shelf Life )

Encyclopedic in scope and somewhat literary....this book is basically everything you could want to know about English roses. (Ginny McGraw Washington Gardener )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (January 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554073510
• ISBN-13: 978-1554073511
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,266,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money..., March 25, 2006

By 

Martha R. Acaba (TAMPA FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The English Roses: Classic Favorites & New Selections (Hardcover)

As an avid collector of David Austin books and roses, I was very displeased with this over priced book. It's pretty much his older books just rehashed with a few more added roses. The quality of the photographs are not very impressive. The book just seems to photograph each rose by itself as opposed to a full bush. I was hoping for a lot better quality for the price I paid for this book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, May 30, 2006

By 

Ann M. Sweet "ams" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The English Roses: Classic Favorites & New Selections (Hardcover)

I love growing David Austin roses, reading about them and deciding which ones to add to my garden. I was disappointed with the quality of the paper and the printing has declined since the previous edition. I found it difficult to really see what a rose would look like in the garden when the backgrounds of the photos are all stark white.
After having this book out on my coffee table for three months and making notes to decide which roses to buy I noticed that the binding is starting to tear. I feel that stardardizing this edition took away the charm and beauty of the previous edition. ams

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars English Roses, February 22, 2006

By 

K. Mras (California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The English Roses: Classic Favorites & New Selections (Hardcover)

I ordered this book to get an update on what is currently available on this subject in the garden market. This is a beautiful coffee table book. The full page color photos are well done. David Austin is The definitive expert in English Roses and their developement. This is a great reference book for folks who like this class of roses. Beside each photo is a detailed explanation of name selection, cultivation, and hybrid history information. Who doesn't like a rose which actually has real fragrance!!