In Search of Lost Roses

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0380719878 ISBN 13: 9780380719877

Publisher: Avon Books, 1993

A delightful, fascinating chronicle of Christopher's search for "old roses"--the original breed which all but vanished after 1867, when roses were hybridized. "What sticks in the mind is the stories he tells and the people he's met, researched or gone to look for--the mad, passionate, wildly uncompromising people, fixed on a flower."--New York Times Book Review.

From the Inside Flap:

Once upon a time—before the 1860s—people loved old roses like "Pearl of Gold," "Marchionesse of Lorne," or "Autumn Damask." Then along came the hybrid tea roses, which were easier to arrange, more dramatic, and longer-blooming, and the old roses were all but forgotten. Now the lovely, subtle-hued, richly perfumed old roses are making a comeback, thanks to the efforts of a stubborn band of eccentric characters who rescued them from back alleys, ramshackle cottages, and overgrown graveyards across the country. Thomas Christopher tells us the fascinating stories of the old roses—how they were created and made their way to America—and the unforgettable people who "rustle" them from abandoned lots and secret gardens today, revelling in the mystery of an "unknown yellow."

About the Author:

Thomas Christopher is a frequent contributor to Horticulture magazine and the New York Times. He is the author or coauthor of a number of books, most recently East Roses for North American Gardens and Annuals with Style: Design Ideas from Classic to Cutting Edge. He gardens in New York and Texas.