It depends. Are you looking for photographs, rose descriptions, accuracy, history, general information about classes, hybridizers?

I've collected about four good shelves filled with rose books and I think if I had to limit myself to just one it would probably be Vintage Gardens' catalog. But that's just me. I use Botanica, Classic Roses, Climbing Roses, A Year of Roses, The Rose, The Rose Guide and all of Dickerson's books on a regular basis. There are days when I just want the images and days when I'm looking for information on a particular class (for example, Verrier's books on rugosas and gallicas).

Hope this is helpful. At least you know there are lots of options.

Sue

I'm pretty much in line with Sue. The best encyclopedia I know is 'Botanica's Roses': there are some newer and very worthwhile ones out, but this is the most comprehensive and is very good. Like her I highly recommend the Vintage catalog, a dense, fascinating compendium of information. Though his work is rather dated by now, no one writes better than Graham Thomas about all the roses that aren't Hybrid Teas or Floribundas, and 'The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book' still earns its space on the shelf.

There is no reference I can call to mind that treats exclusively and more or less comprehensively old roses, which in any case is not a terribly useful classification for the gardener, in my opinion. My observation has been that old roses tend to be favored by gardeners who like roses that are handsome as plants, fragrant, frugal, and of easy cultivation; and that these gardeners like any and all roses that happen to fit these criteria, old or not. Of course some gardeners like roses for their historic or romantic connotations, and for these gardeners a rose's being old is an asset. Another confusing factor (confusing to an editor attempting to identify a book's potential market) is that many gardeners can grow only part of the range of old roses because of climate and environmental conditions: a gardener who lives in, say, upstate New York is not going to be interested in that half of a book on old roses that's devoted to Chinas, Teas, and Noisettes (at least, probably not), while the Deep South old rose fans aren't going to be terribly interested, other than in a theoretical, eye-candy way, in those sections devoted to Gallicas, Centifolias, and Albas. You're one of the lucky gardeners who can grow both warm- and cold-climate roses.

I pick up my knowledge about old roses in dribs and drabs from books about roses and other plants, and from rose catalogs. There's also a lot of information available in periodical literature, which filters through to the forum and finally gets to people like me. I've never gotten into the Dickerson books, though I own them, but they're important references. I'll mention a couple of other books I like. 'Roses' by Jack Harkness is a lucid, very readable account of roses, their biology, history, and hybridization; it was published in 1978 and is still well worth reading. It was recommended here on the forum. I've heard much criticism of Charles Quest-Ritson's 'Climbing Roses of the World', but I find it very interesting, and it has information on a lot of roses that it's difficult to find elsewhere. Don't forget that you can often get these books second hand from Amazon, Powell's, or other online sellers.

Melissa

Another vote for Vintage Gardens Book of Roses. Not much in the way of pictures but there's always HMF for that.

Try your local library. That way you can preview the books and buy the ones that really work for you. (And avoid spending the big bucks on those that don't!)

Early on, I found that the Random House Book of Roses by Phillips and Rix (it's a soft cover!) had more useful pictures than many of the books listed above. The Random House book has pictures of blooms, buds and leaves. THAT makes it one of a kind and a place to start.

That said, there are roses that don't photograph well. And there are roses that have different color nuances when they were photographed in England or Australia than they do in Tennessee.

You are welcom to visit my roses. Just to learn some of the different growth characteristics of the old ones. Seeing a big centifolia and how it differs from an alba or one of the early setigera hybrids is better learned in a garden than from a book.

Ann (near Knoxville)

Hello, Jen,

Two that I've enjoyed reading are:

100 Old Roses For The American Garden by Clair G. Martin

Antique Roses for the South by William C. Welch

In fact, I'll be happy to give my copies to you if you'll send me your contact information.

Mary

Jen, some of the best books are available used, at VERY reasonable prices.
Search ABEbooks . . .

I HIGHLY recommend Mrs. Keays book. It's one of the books I keep closest to my hand. "OLD ROSES."

Everyone ought to have a copy of "A BOOK ABOUT ROSES" by Dean Hole. (You can find this VERY inexpensively, because it ran to so many editions.)

For the sheer romance of the thing, look for "IN SEARCH OF LOST ROSES" by Thomas Christopher. (Just don't take everything he writes as gospel.)

For warm-climate gardeners, the new book on Tea Roses is an essential. It's "TEA ROSES: Old Roses For Warm Gardens."

AND "NOISETTE ROSES: 19TH CENTURY CHARLESTON'S GIFT TO THE WORLD"

See if you can find a copy of "LANDSCAPING WITH ANTIQUE ROSES," Druitt & Shoup. That was my Bible, starting out.

Of course, there are many more. That's just a start.

I have Austins and Beales big books, but they are British-Centric. They don't apply well to Southern CA, so they are banished these days to the less-accessible bookshelves.

Jeri

Hi cottagegirl.-----I was just going over my collection of rose books ----Most of mine are not strictly "old roses"

I do like the Organic Rose Garden by Liz Druitt-----It is a small book but has a lot of good information but again it is not strictly old roses.

Hope you find what you are looking for---"In search of Lost roses " is interesting----

good luck on your search---keep us posted if you find what you like-

Florence

For reference, you must have the Vintage catalog, it is just so useful with it's drawings of projected sizes and growth patterns,descriptions of more rare roses than anyone and telliing commentary on all the old roses you're likely to run into.
After that, if you can grow them the Tea Roses, Old Roses for Warm gardens is fabulous. I use Alibris to look up used books and have the beals books, the Botanica,and the Brent Dickerson books but the first two I mentioned have been so useful. The Druitt book "The Organic Rose Garden" is invaluable and amusing as well.
la

I agree with all the suggestions above, but want to make clear that the Vintage Gardens Book of Roses is one of the best reference books available for old roses. Luanne points out a lot of the reasons why, in addition to what she said, it gives fragrance ratings, date of introduction and wonderful detail about each rose. Where else could you find such complete information for so many thousand roses, and for around $20!

For sheer photo power, the Martin & Rix Roses book is wonderful. I wore out a couple copies of that already.

--Ron

For me the bible on roses is the ARS Encylopedia of roses.

I'm sorry to say that I don't think one book will do it for you. You probably need a small collection. Some of the best have been listed here. And yes, I'm in agreement that the Vintage catalog is the best single reference currently in existence. If you never buy another rose, you will still turn to it again and again.

I also have to say that I once identified two roses whoes tags had been switched with the aid of 100 Old Roses For The American Garden. True, it only has a hundred roses, but it also has the absolutely best photographs I've ever seen in a rose book, showing not only the bloom, but also stem, leaf, and thorn.

Rosefolly