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- Verified Buyer
"From the earliest civilizations, roses have occupied a unique place in man's appreciation and love of flowers. References to roses have been found in Assyrian tablets and Homer wrote that Hector's body was anointed with rose-scented oil. In the 6th century BC, the Ionian poet Anacreon praised the rose as perfume of the gods, joy of men, and flower of Venus." ~ Introduction ~Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix "Best Rose Guide: A Comprehensive Selection" is one of the most attractive, interesting, fascinating and informative books I've ever read about roses. This book is not only designed for gardeners, but also to anyone who simply loves roses. It is an all-embracing guide to choosing roses and a perfect approach to rose growing. The stunningly gorgeous photography is a work of art by Roger Phillips, an award-winning photographer who has thirty books to his credit. His collaborator, Martyn Rix, is a botanist, gardener and plant collector. Their collaboration has produced twenty-five books.There are 850 major species of roses and their historical classes in this book. The roses are classified into groups in accordance with their "history and parentage." Each group has different characteristics. Every rose has been beautifully photographed in color, their origins are described in great detail, their given names are indicated as well as their alternate names. And I'm amazed to learn that some species were named after musical compositions, famous names of royalties, composers, presidents, places, songs, poets, authors, and others. These are the ones that caught my fancy and the most attractive rose species I've ever seen."What's in a name?That which we call a rose by any other nameWould smell as sweet" ~ William Shakespeare ~1. "Handel" (pg 139) Ireland - the large flowers are strikingly bi-colored with each creamy-white petal edged with crimson.2. "Calypso" (pg 142) Denmark - the flowers are semi-double, striped crimson and pink.3. "Pheasant" (pg 162) Germany - the double pink roses are around two inches and they have a very good scent.4. "Heavenly Pink" (pg 179) Belgium - the strong pink, fully double flowers have an excellent old rose scent.5. "Sarah Van Fleet" (pg 185) USA - the flowers are cupped and loosely double, of mid-pink shade. The flowering is continuous.6. "Starry Night" (pg 192) France - Single, pure white roses produced in clusters.7. "Carefree Beauty" (pg 193) USA - light rose pink shrub roses with moderate scent.8. "Blue Skies" (pg 211) USA - long pointed buds open to large, pink blossoms that fade with age and are moderately scented.9. "Blue Moon" (pg 210) Germany - large, double flowers on long stems, comes in pale lilac to lavender, intensely fragrant.10. "Claude Monet" (pg 220) USA - the petals are striped red, white, orange and pink. This is so unique. I've never seen a rose as beautiful as this. It's a Hybrid Tea Rose.11. "French Lace" (pg 229) USA - the well-formed flowers are pale ivory-white with a hint of apricot.12. "Scentimental" (pg 247) USA - the double cupped flowers are swirled with red and white or cream, it has an intense scent.13. "Jubilee Celebration" (pg 254) England - large flowers, salmon pink with gold on the back of the petals. The scent is fruity and rich with overtones of lemon and raspberry.14. "Guy de Maupassant" (pg 258) France - also known as "Romantic Fragrance" for its delicious delicate fragrant. The double flowers are flesh-pink.15. "Rhapsody In Blue" (pg 242) England - the semi-double roses are dark purplish-blue.I could go and on listing all the beautiful roses here but suffice it to say that this is one of the most elegant books about roses. It is also a perfect gift to any rose aficionado and a charming gem of a book to accessorize your coffee table.Wholeheartedly recommended.
