In Search of Lost Roses

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."

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.

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."

Publishers Weekly

Well known are the rambling rose and its literary equivalent--the rambling gardening book. Both are venerable genres that cover a lot of ground, and horticulturalist/writer Christopher's brief account of his journeys searching out the hardy yet subtle shrubs classified as ``old roses'' provides many satisfactions. A reader learns that ``Autumn Damask,'' which has its legendary roots in Damascus, may be the most fragrant of all roses; and that the Chinese ``Gigantea'' boasts canes as long as 50 feet, while those of ``Rosa Rouletii'' reach only six inches. Chapters, organized loosely around the author's visits with old-rose aficionados, include some satisfyingly tall tales, particularly of his jaunts with Texan rose ``rustlers'' who travel, caravan-style, to find and take clippings of plants growing by abandoned houses or in graveyards. Christopher's knowhow can explain why the rustlers soak their cuttings in water in which they have previously soaked willow chips: willow hormones promote rooting. Illustrations not seen by PW. Garden Book Club alternate. (Oct.)

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.