David Austin's English Roses: Glorious New Roses for American Gardens (Hardcover)

by David Austin (Author), Clay Perry (Photographer) "The history of the rose stretches back to the dawn of civilization - and beyond - and man's fascination with this flower has continued to..." (more)
Key Phrases: strong myrrh fragrance, bedding roses, arching growth, English Roses, Old Rose, Hybrid Tea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Developed since 1969 by the author, English Roses are hybrids of Old Roses with present-day Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. They generally retain the shape and fragrance of the Old Roses, while keeping the disease resistance and perpetual bloom of the Moderns, although as the illustrations show, there is considerable divergence among individual varieties. Austin tells how he began creating English Roses, describes their characteristics, and suggests how best to use and care for them. The book is rounded off by individual portraits of each variety with specifics of size, fragrance, hardiness, and parentage. A list of suppliers follows. This will probably not be the last word on English Roses, especially on their care, but it is an excellent introduction to this new group of roses, beautifully presented in Perry's photographs. Recommended for larger public libraries and academic collections serving agriculture departments.
- Molly Newling, Piscataway P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
For decades, Austin has devoted his life to the development of exquisite new rose varieties he designates English roses. In a stunning presentation that includes a brief history of roses through the centuries, Austin reveals his process of hybridizing these exciting new plants. Now widely available in the U.S., these are the roses creating real excitement among gardeners looking for superior specimens possessing sublime scent, many-petaled form, and color tempered by subtlety. Austin's beautifully photographed, clearly written guide--offering cultivation requirements, pruning instructions, an extensive portfolio assessing the habit of each English rose type--provides information indispensable to gardeners in general and rose connoisseurs in particular. Alice Joyce --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Rev Upd Su edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316059730
• ISBN-13: 978-0316059732
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #846,538 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Pictures, But..., August 25, 1998

By A Customer

Austin's revised edition is full of beautiful photographs and glowing decriptions of his English roses. In fact, some of his descriptions are a little too glowing, since he fails to acknowledge some of the serious shortcomings these plants can have. In addition, the subtitle "glorious roses for American gardens" is misleading: nowhere does Austin discuss the behavior of his plants in climates warmer than England's. Many, many of the beautiful photos are not labled, so it's impossible to know what rose you're seeing in what picture, and at least one rose in the field guide is paired with an incorrect photo. Tho book is very poorly edited, loaded with typos and missing words and sentences that make little sense because they simply stop without completing thoughts, as though someone forgot to type the rest of them. That being said, it's probably worth it to rose lovers on the basis of its pictures alone, since it does include photos of the flowers with a substantial piece of the lower foliage, and each rose description does come with a line drawing of its growth habit, which can be useful in planning out garden locations. If only the text had been cleaned up a little more...if only Austin had acknowledged the popularity of his roses overseas by presenting some data about the effects of warmer climes...if only this book didn't cost so darn much...

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good information about English roses, February 12, 1999

By A Customer

This book contains an encyclopedia of English roses with descriptions, photos and a line drawing (depicting the shape of the shrub) for each rose. It is a great book for professionals interested in learning more about the different types of English roses available in the trade. The book begins with the history and details of the various classifications of roses (ie, floribunda, tea, shrub, etc.) that will help you distinguish between and select varieties more wisely.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NH Yankee in King Arthur's Garden, July 28, 2002

By	"csecharles" (Great North Woods, NH) - See all my reviews

WOW!!! The pictures of the roses in this book are unmatched by any other publication. I have for many years been a Hybrid Tea Rose fan, but after reading this book and after visiting several gardens with Austin's roses in them, I have been converted. I just ordered over 20 bushes and I cannot wait for their arrival next spring. I agree with a previous reviewer who commented that the writing is self serving at times, but Austin's passion for his plants can be understood. Austin's comments about group plantings and his recommendations concerning minimiums for plantings of each species, I found invaluable. I believe this book is well worth the price and will win you over to a relatively new breed of rose.