I've heard great things from a reviewer here. :-)

Jeri

A book with a similar title is The Women Behind the Roses by Tilley and Andrew Govanstone. I saw them speak at Guadalupe Park in San Jose when they were on a book tour, and of course, bought their book. Their book was focused on the roses of breeder Alister Clark of Australia. Apparently there are as many (more?) of Clark's roses grown in warm-weather parts of the USA as in his native Australia.

There seems to be a lot of interest in rose books of this nature recently. I have collected several myself.

Rosefolly

Here is a link that might be useful: The Women Behind the Roses

oh dear, I would never disparage anyone with an interest in this sort of thing - the history, the romance and so forth. But, being an absolute philistine with not a shred of poetry in my horribly prosaic soul, a deeply republican bent (not the US version of republicanism, obviously) and a scarlet socialist to boot, this sort of stuff is never going to float my boat. Horses for courses, though. Much more interesting to me though, is how far your love of gardening stretches into other aspects of life. Anyone uses a lot of botanically printed crockery? Go on gardening holidays? Read stuff from other genres which you would normally never touch (crime, SciFi) if there was a gardening theme, however vague? Is it even 'gardening' or specifically 'the rose'? How much crossover in your life?

Not quite sure what your point is.

Actually I generally avoid rose-print textiles in my house, not wanting to upstage the garden. I do have some lovely Macintosh Rose tiles as part of my kitchen backsplash, some framed rose tiles in a bedroom, and a rose themed vase, but all that has as much to do with my interest in Pre-Raphaelite and Art-and-Crafts Movement ceramics as it does with roses. I also have vases with oak tree and pine tree themes, tiles with landscapes, and even a tile with a pumpkin. On the whole, I like to focus my garden interest on the garden, at least until you get to my bookshelves where all bets are off.

I occasionally do read rose-related novels, my favorite being Elizabeth Goudge's The White Witch. It is a novel about the English Civil War which kicked off both my own interest in plant and garden history, and a sister's lifelong interest in growing herbs. And I liked Robin McKinely's two YA novels about the rose gardens, both based on "Beauty and the Beast". Actually I'm having trouble coming up with a genre of fiction I don't read from time to time, and if there is a rose connection, I read with interest to see how it was handled. Most of the time the authors either get it all wrong, or it is quite superficial, or it is well done but the story falls flat. I find the same thing is true with quilt-themed fiction (with the exception of Jennifer Chiavelli, who did her homework). I suspect the same thing is true of any light fiction where the author did a bit of research but did not have the more extensive knowledge that comes from genuine personal interest.

But I don't really understand how this relates to books about the people roses are named for, and the roses themselves. Not having seen it myself, I would imagine that this book is well done, since Ann Chapman is the wife of the famous nurseryman Lloyd Chapman of Trinity Farm in New Zealand. In fact, he used to post on this forum from time to time, the purple multiflora ramblers being a favorite topic of his. She ought to know her roses very well indeed. And the book about the Alister Clark roses is clearly a labor of love. I met the authors, and can testify to that personally.

Rosefolly

Um no, its alright, Rosefolly, I am not sure what my point is either. Ok, not putting this very clearly. Would you read a biography of a gardener as well as reading their gardening books, for example?. Unless they also had epic alien adventures, in distant worlds, preferably with rayguns, I am not sure I would. Yep, there does seem to be a bit of a trend for historical connections - wonder if people tend to look backwards when the future looks a bit frightening. Certainly nostalgia and anything retro is HUGE in the UK at the moment. I am sure that the book in question is beautiful, erudite and interesting and am not putting it, or its readers down in any way, just wondering how much gardening bleeds into other areas of life or are you a more compartmentalised sort of person. For myself, a prime requisite for any holiday used to be a warm chair in the sun and time to read whereas now, all potential destinations tend to have something of a horticultural bias and two of my offspring have flowery names (Rowan, Willow).

Companula, I share most of the socio/political sentiments you seem to espouse (including your scarlet socialism and abhorrence of the U.S. version of 'Rebublicanism'.)

However, if one honors history (and who dares not?), then one must acknowledge the fact that for most our existence as a species, the arc of history has been dictated utterly by the HAVES and the HAVE MORES. Some were benevolent, some were not. But collectively they created forms of social order, built wondrous edifices and promoted arts, exploration, invention. Whether they intended to or not, they also laid the groundwork whereby my progenitors (& perhaps yours) escaped peonage and entered a previously unthinkable social stratum: The middle class.

Those titled folk had the freedom, the leisure and the resources to garden and to subsidize the wanderlust of plant collectors and the creativity of hybridizers. We are their heirs, the beneficiaries of their (often undeserved) privilege.

The Kiwi lady who wrote WOMEN IN MY ROSE GARDEN doesn't focus solely on noble peeresses of the realm(s). Two of her more prominent subjects are women who must surely have the respect and admiration of even the most stalwart members of the British proletariat: Grace Darling and Edith Cavell (see the roses named for them @ HMF). Who could possibly be more deserving of awe and recognition than those two most uncommon commoners?

The link above didn't work for me. I'm posting another below. A very interesting interview with a most interesting woman . . .

Here is a link that might be useful: Women in My Rose Garden

I have a great interest in all aspects of history including the history of gardens, biographies and autobiographies of historical personages, men and women, some gardeners. I have run a series of short articles in our Swedish Rose Society quarterly on rose names. I call it The Name of the Rose after the novel by Umberto Eco. One was about the legend of Rosamond Griffith (not true!), one about the much despised name of Sexy Rexy, the McGredy rose named as an inside joke, another about Mme Isaac Pereire, the banker's wife, one about the ugly names Peaudouce, Radox Bouquet and Aspirin named by sponsors. Rose names can say something about society.

I collect all kind of things with a garden motif but with vegetables rather than flowers, anything with garden forks or spades on it. I have t-shirts, curtains, cushions, towels, mugs, trays, plates, pot holders, boxes, a pen stand and more. The basement guestroom/study has curtains and a wallpaper border with watering cans, flowerpots, carrots and tomatoes, and the walls are covered with botanical prints and pictures of old forks, spades, trowels and wheel barrows, etc. Many are souvenirs from travels like my green T-shirt from Filoli Gardens with a watering can, garden gloves and hand tools in front. It's a comfort in winter! My latest find are the mugs I got in Norwich last year.

Campanula - I LOVE botanical crockery, especially blue onion pattern china (I attached a link).

Truth is I was fond of this pattern long before I turned into a rosarian in the bud. Truth is I couldn't stand roses & used to declare that as far as I was concerned roses aren't gorgeous ornamental plants, but inferior edible plants (rose jam being too cloying sweet).

The goddess of roses took her revenge which is how I got to be here.

And here is a poem for you:

The Rose Family
The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose -
But were always a rose.

Robert Frost

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:236248}}

I find the history behind plant names, in general, interesting, but what about "notorious" women after whom roses are named? There's a book I want! For example, I bought Mrs. Lovell Swisher mainly because the rose nearly always looks great at the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, but the tawdry story that had her as some trophy wife running off with the hired help after Mr. Swisher had commissioned the creation of the rose in her honor was icing on the cake. Unfortunately, the legend is utterly false, but, still, it was an attraction.

Note to Campanula, I actually once tried to read the biography of a garden writer, but soon discovered that Beverley Nichols' fictionalized life in his gardening books was more enchanting.

As for crossover, it is complete. I teach ecology and biology, consult as a plant ecologist/botanist, and then come home and play around with plant community conversion in the backyard. I am a total sucker for anything with a floral theme, to the point of pursuing the absurdly taxing art of making Irish crochet because of its abundance of floral motifs. If a trip doesn't have a botanical element of some sort, I would rather stay home and fiddle with the garden. The only person that prevents my becoming a crazy cat lady whose every belonging has a floral pattern is my dear husband, who is neither florally or felinely inclined (on reflection, a good thing).

I would say that my vacations are frequently garden related, or at least landscape related. Tom and I have gone on several hiking vacations, and I took side trips on those to see gardens. When I travel in England or Europe I always visit gardens at least as often as cathedrals and castles, maybe more often. Even when visiting family and friends, if there is a garden nearby to visit, I visit it.

But not so much biographies; I have never warmed up to reading them, with the exception being biographies of authors I admire - Jane Austen, Elizabeth Goudge mentioned above, Daphne DuMaurier, the Brontes, Georgette Heyer, and two or three others I cannot recall at the moment. On the whole biographies are not my thing, not even gardener biographies. I think that when you read a number of an author's books, you have the illusion that you know them, and that is why I want to read their life stories.

Back to textiles and pottery, while I do not have a large collection that are rose-themed, I am very fond of leaves as a motif. I love trees as much as I do roses, so leaves appeal to me as well. We have an empty hillside outside the garden fence. It has to be disced each year for weed abatement to prevent grass fires in one of our droughts. Tom has dreamed for about ten years of planting grapes. I've told him that I've waited long enough, and he has to plant them by this fall. After that, if no grapes, I'm planting a forest. Or at least a grove of trees.

I'm always interested in learning more about the names of our roses, I find it fascinating, so am very much looking forward to getting this book. I thought it might be of interest to others on the forum, so I shared it.

Campanula, I found this for you, it should get your revolutionary blood boiling. ;)
{{gwi:236249}}

(Marie Antoinette, looking fabulous, complete with old rose. Yes, I love this painting. :) )

cheers,
robert

Campanula, I forgot to say that I love your children's names.

Rosefolly

Thanks for the book recommendation, Robert. I'll see about getting a copy.

I'm looking forward to reading that book. . Does anyone here know what type of rose Marie Antoinette is holding in that painting? I hope it's 'Duchesse de Montebello' or something similar.

Robert--this book sounds interesting---I have two books about how roses were named and I've enjoyed reading them----
Pink Ladies and Crimson Gents---and A Rose by any name--

Rosefolly----one of my favorite books from 50 years ago is Pilgrims Inn by Elizabeth Goudge--for many years I would curl up every winter and reread this book. I will check out the one you mentioned.

Wintercat---my friend has the onion pattern---it is lovely----
Campanula----I would love to know your children's names---if you want to share---

Florence

WinterCat,
Thanks for the poem! I've never run across that one before, and it's beautiful as well as botanical.
I'm moderately interested in the history of rose hybridization, and plant discovery and development in general, but the lives of the people who happened to get roses named after them as a rule leave me cold. I've never cared for celebrity gossip. And, perhaps because of a minimalist element in my aesthetic composition, I don't collect plant-themed objects, or anything else, except for the plants themselves, and books. But my goal, or dream, is a very large, very complex garden filled with a tremendous variety of plants all in the place that's right for them.
Much as I love both literature and gardening, I don't find a great deal of connection between them. Maybe it's like, oh, kittens: they're absolutely delightful in real life, but perhaps too charming to make good subjects for artistic interpretation. For years I've had a vague idea in the back of my mind of a garden poem, long, full, complex, rich, beautiful, like the garden of my dreams. I'm not going to write the poem, as I'm not a poet, and I haven't found that anyone else has written it, though I don't read much poetry, either.
I don't believe that Dickens, that pre-eminently urban author, is commonly regarded as a notable writer of landscape description, but have recently become conscious of his sensitivity to the beauty of the countryside and his ability to describe it.
From Nicholas Nickleby:
[after a night of drinking and riot, ending in a quarrel]
"They...emerged upon the open road,...
Fields, trees, gardens, hedges, everything looked very beautiful; the young man scarcely seemed to have noticed them before, though he had passed the same objects a thousand times. There was a peace and serenity upon them all strangely at variance with the bewilderment and confusion of his own half-sobered thoughts, and yet impressive and welcome."
And from Bleak House:
[on a trip to visit a friend in the country]
"It was delightful weather. The green corn waved so beautifully, the larks sang so joyfully, the hedges were so full of wild flowers, the trees were so thickly out in leaf, the bean-fields, with a light wind blowing over them, filled the air with such a delicious fragrance!
[and the friend's garden]
But indeed, everything about the place wore an aspect of maturity and abundance. The old lime-tree walk was like green cloisters, the very shadows of the cherry-trees and apple-trees were heavy with fruit, the gooseberry-bushes were so laden that their branches arched and rested on the earth, the strawberries and raspberries grew in like profusion, and the peaches basked by the hundred on the wall. Tumbled about among the spread nets and the glass frames sparkling and winking in the sun, there were such heaps of drooping pods, and marrows, and cucumbers, that every foot of ground appeared a vegetable treasury, while the smell of sweet herbs and all kinds of wholesome growth (to say nothing of the neighboring meadows where the hay was carrying) made the whole air a great nosegay."
Melissa, with the help of Charles Dickens

After reading descriptions of the book and listening to the author's comments, my interest is piqued. However, I invariably pause when I see or hear "coffee table" used as an adjective to describe a book. Before buying it, I'd want to thumb through the book, or read a review or two, or hear positive comments from one or more of my far-flung gardening pals.

Watching the video, I was especially interested in the author's brief comments about Nancy Steen, another New Zealander who wrote about roses. It would be good to learn that this new book contains info on Steen's work and her garden.

Zeffy, my oldest son is called Rowan. my middle daughter, Naomi Willow Kestrel ( bit of a hippy, I am afraid) and my youngest got the unbelievably short, non-gendered name of Tas (a boy)- a romany word meaning bird's nest - appropriate in all sorts of ways). My daughter has named our first grandchild Phoebe Rosa (to my great delight, after the amazingly brave Rosa Parkes and the ferocious Rosa Luxembourg)
Yeah, re-reading my original response, I had to slap myself for appearing so snotty but I couldn't help wondering whether anyone was interested in the subjects of biography purely because of the rose connection....and feeling a bit puzzled. I have a (disgustingly thin) foodie friend who has been in the grip of this obsession for many years - EVERYTHING she does seems to have some food connection. I offered her a couple of Sci-Fi books by Theodore Sturgeon and Thomas Disch (a genre she hates) and she made a good attempt to actually read them.
Windeaux, I have to contest the version of history being written by the haves and have mores, if only to remind myself of the heroic struggle made by the disenfranchised, the labouring poor and the destitute - when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose and many, many poor people, throughout history have been emboldened to strike out against injustice - of course, without the few more powerful and elevated champions of their cause, they would be less likely to succeed or at least, it would take longer and be more bloodier, but I am still cheering on the downtrodden of the world to claim social justice and fairness, even though the 'enemy' remains faceless, heartless and largely unknown, hiding behind the might of corporations and banks. For myself, nothing makes me feel prouder to be english than reading of Gerard Winstanley and his heroic diggers of Cobham common - a true meaning of 'commonwealth'.
Cheers, Suzy (a leveller at heart)

Hmmm....I think I need to apologize for the snotty tone of my comments as well: sorry, folks!
I'm not sure how I got from a book about people and roses to Dickens, but will repeat that he's worth your attention. In thirty years of steady reading of Dickens's novels I haven't managed to exhaust him.
Melissa

Melissa---no need to apologize---I didn't notice a "snotty tone"---I loved reading your post---it was beautiful----and gives me a different feeling about Dickens----

Campanula---You sure gave a lot of thought to your children's names-----they are wonderful---thank you for sharing----

Florence

Campanula, all Irish and "not a shred of poetry in (your) soul"? I cannot believe it.

I do not collect rose related items except for one small oil painting that "spoke to me". It had spiky thorny branches as well as pretty roses, so not too saccharine. I like botanical prints and have a few of pears and an apple (unmounted - well, someday). It would be interesting to have botanical prints of the cultivars I grow (well, someday). It would be interesting to copy the prints of roses, including the names, from Gerard's Herbal onto cloth and embroider them. I chaired a project like this for our garden club and the embroideries were made into a quilt which we raffled.

As to poetry: I have been hunting but cannot find Robert Herrick's poem that contains the phrase "...a green thought in agreen shade". Vergil's Georgics are good reading too for a gardener.

I love history, art, artifacts (antiques), classical music, etc. but my passion is plants.

Cath

Whoops, that was Andrew Marvel's "...a green thought in a green shade".

Cath

Oh, my....
I went looking for the quote, not with an Internet search--that would be too easy--but in my Norton Anthology of Poetry. Andrew Marvell knew his gardens!! Read 'The Mower Against Gardens'. The line "a green thought in a green shade" is from 'The Garden'. Of course.

Well Cath, I do listen to Van Morrison.....but loathe U2

Campanula,

Ummm. Van Morrison? U2? Guess I am from an older generation. Still can really relate on roses though.

Cath