Rosa Rugosa

I was somewhat hesitant to buy this book because of the prior negative review but all fears have been allayed. This book has very pretty pictures of various rugosas - many of which I had not seen before. The book lists the roses in alphabetical order by their cultivar name, generally lists their height & width, which plants were crossed to develop the cultivar and where the plant originated. Generally, the author states her observations about the foliage (dense, yellow-green vs. deep green, very rugose, etc.), the blooms (size, double vs. single, repeats or not), disease resistance, growth habit, hardiness issues and a bit about the cultivar's history. After the section of available roses, the author includes a chapter on cultivation, a chapter on roses in the garden (design), a chapter on historic roses and then a table of the available rugosas - listing their attributes in an easy to refer to format. The author also includes a short list of resources for finding the various roses. This book is less academic than many of the books I use as reference for my landscape designs but it will definitely come in handy. It is a great book.

Rugosas are a much underused class of rose--and they deserve to be grown more than they are. Admittedly, rugosa blossoms are not as large or sexy as those of the traditional hybrid tea rose. But have you ever tried to grow a hybrid tea? It isn't easy, especially if you live in a cold northern climate. Suzanne Verrier makes the case for replacing fussy, difficult, disease-prone roses with hardy, fragrant, and often gorgeous rugosas. This isn't meant as a scientific treatise, with rose ratings and awards won. It is a guide written by a lover of roses--one who knows her way about this wonderful variety better than almost anyone in the horticultural world. The book is beautifully photographed, accurate in all essentials, and Verrier writes beautifully, in the best tradition of garden literature. My only suggestion is that Rosa Rugosa could use an updating. Some great rugosa hybrids have been introduced in recent years, and it would be nice to have them included.

Suzanne Verrier's book should be considered the rose bible for northern climates. The book provides complete descriptions, photographs and parental lineage for winter hardy rosa rugosa roses. I've found no other book that contains as much comparative detail for growing organic roses in zone 4/5. Her personal comments are a strong indication of her passion, dedication and personal experience growing these wonderful roses. I no longer purchase a rugosa without looking it up first in this guide. All of the 20 varities growing in my garden are testament to how indispensable this book is.

In the many, many rose books I own this class of rose receives a short description and just a few of its roses are described. This type of rose DESERVES more attention! It can be the answer to your prayers! I grew the top rated modern roses in the world in South Texas - used a lot of rigor in the selection process to pick the hardiest, most disease free roses - the landscaper built raised beds with perfectly composed soil and automatic watering - and I watched those roses struggle against the heat and their leaves be consumed by disease and pests - no amount of spraying could help. And then ... drum roll... I planted my first Rugosa - and there it sat - unsprayed and undemanding, growing on its own roots - gleaming bright green ruffly leaves, branches covered, lovely old rose blossoms - with not a touch of black spot or anything else - while just feet away my wonderful modern roses were decimated. This book will provide you what you need to know about this cate! gory - it has lovely photographs of a wide number of rugosas. It has a very useful matrix the provides at a glance the rugosa's name, size, type foliage, blossom description, how often it blooms, how fragrant it is, its hardiness, disease characteristics and whether it makes hips. Its well worth the investment. I'm very glad I bought it and when I prune my library, it won't ever be pruned away!