Smith & Hawken: 100 English Roses for the American Garden

This is the book I check first when I have a question about an English Rose. The organization is great, the photography is beautiful, and the plants are described by someone who has grown them in the US. This book is therefore best for those growers who live in Southern California, but still, it's better than if it was written by an English grower. This book also describes the negative aspects of varieties, which is one of the most helpful things. One thing that would improve this book is a photo or description of the plant habit so to provide information on where to plant in the garden. E.g. is Abraham Darby staunchly upright, graceful, floppy? This book isn't all-inclusive, and of course there are new roses being released every year, but if you've got to have the latest, does it matter? Check out also 100 Old Roses for the American Garden, by the same author. Also a great book.

I stumbled onto this book because it was featured in the Washington Post in a column written by Adrian Higgins (Henry Mitchell's sucessor). A photograph of the Austrian Copper rose accompanied the article (the cover), and I'm a sucker for burnt-orange, so I followed up on the book. I am very pleased with it. Although the cover is paper, it's a plasticized paper and a sturdy book. I mention this first, because I will refer to the book often, it feels pleasant to hold in the hand, it's easy to carry, and it can get a little moisture on the outside and not crumble. I'm tired of having my roses eaten alive every spring, so I decided to pull out all the hybrids and fall back and regroup. This book takes me back to the old roses that are a little more hardy and can put up with Washington DC weather patterns.The book is nicely laid out. A front section entitled, "What Makes an Old Rose" describes how old roses came to be. The next section is a "field guide" to help you distinguish roses at the nursery. This is followed by 168 pages of roses and text from 'Alba Semi-Plena' to 'Zephrine Drouhin.'What makes this book unique as well as useful is the layout. Each rose is covered in a two-page section. A text description is on the right-hand page, and a closeup photograph of a specimin of the rose showing the bloom, buds, and leaf and branch structure is on the left-hand side. Because it's an actual photo, one can identify the rose in question more easily. The text is useful. Not only are you provided a nice historical write-up on the rose, you are given the 'demographics' including the uses, fragrance, and suseptibility to diseases. Many of the roses appear to be relatively disease free and fragrant--and I found all of them except the "green" rose beautiful.The back of the book contains a list of mail-order houses and gardens where the specimins can be viewed. Since I live in the DC area, I have acces to the U.S. National Arboretum and Woodlawn Plantation, but locations for viewing old roses are located in most states.

The day has finally come when an ergonomic, comfortable yet informative, easy-to-read garden information book has hit the bookshelves, and my workbench! For the first time, I don't feel like I need a botanical dictionary or Harvard degree to get some down and dirty tips on how to make my rose garden shine. Mr. Martin brings himself into my garden when I take the book with me along with my gloves. I'm able to learn more than just latin botanical names as I go through the histories and anecdotes Martin shares from his years of experience. Makes me feel like I have a little deeper connection with the plants in my border when that happens. His insight and humor make this field guide the tops for everyday use. I had to buy a second copy just so that I wouldn't have to worry about the rips and soil smudges on the original one. Can't wait for the next in the series; hear it's supposed to be coming out soon. Thank you Mr. Martin!

I wish that other gardening guides would follow this lead. The photos show bloom, leaf and stem for each entry. The descriptions are personal, not so academic that the reader is unsure of what the author means. The guide to growing roses is well-written in layperson's vernacular. It has shown me how to get more blooms out of my tall-growing English roses and has informed me about others which were new to me.

The most beautiful and informative book on modern roses is also one of the least expensive! Published in April 1997 by Workman, _100 English Roses for the American Garden_ is bound to become a classic. Nearly all of the 100 roses described and photographed are David Austin roses, world-renown for healthy, dense foliage and continous production of fragrant, well-formed and colored flowers. Most resources describe these Austin roses in terms of their behavior in England, which is quite different from that in America. This book gives a true picture of the pleasure these easily-grown roses can provide US gardeners. Each rose has two pages devoted to it. Saxon Holt's full-page photos show not just blossom and buds, but a full foot of supporting stalk complete with foliage and prickles. Set against a textured sheet of white paper, the colors are all unusually accurate, and glorious. Like the photos, Clair Martin's text is unusually accurate, and covers weaknesses as well as strengths. David Austin himself endorses Martin's understanding of these roses in a brief foreword. Several other chapters giving useful tips that aren't found elsewhere. You'll also find the list of suppliers valuable, because after looking at this book, you'll want to buy many English roses for your American garden.