A Book of Roses

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Full-colour plates of 55 different roses, combined with a brief text, constitute a valuable browsing package for the gardening and flower-arranging hobbyist. Anyone with an interest in domestic flowers will want to give keen attention to this book.

The paintings are realistic and executed with care to convey details as well as mood. The color printing is excellent and the uncluttered design of the pages shows each species to advantage. Although not intended as such, the work could serve as an identification guide to garden roses. The text is brief but fact-filled. The pedigree of each rose is given, together with comments on disease resistance, appearance, awards won by the species, and fragrance.

An introductory chapter gives an abbreviated history of rose growing, from the Greeks’ container gardens, called “Gardens of Adonis,” through to techniques of hybridizing cultivars for today’s market. There has always been an interest in the shape of roses, and the text mentions variations such as a hundred-petalled rose and the age-old fascination with the shape of the bud.

Color is also reviewed. With today’s array of shades and colors (nearly everything but blue), it’s hard to remember that the ancient world knew only two rose colors — red and white.

The work concludes with a glossary that clarifies the distinction among types such as damask, hybrid tea, and bourbon, as well as defining parts of the plant (calyx, sepal, etc.).