Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

David Austin.
The English Roses: Classic Favorites & New Selections.
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada: Firefly Books, 2008.
paper, 303 pp., ISBN 978–1–55407–445–7, $35.00.

British nurseryman and author David Austin tells of his efforts in breeding highly scented roses, which are best known for their voluptuous beauty, and of his goal in bringing forth hardy plants, noted for fragrance, form, foliage, and a broader range of floral color. He called this cross between old and modern roses the English rose. In this collection of gorgeous photographs, he presents 40 of his most popular hybrids and 40 recent introductions, in addition to portraits of their ancestors. He continues the work with a section on roses as cut flowers and their use in various garden settings. He concludes with tips on their maintenance and the future of the breeding program.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden.