Just some ideas:

Trouble shooting--identify common diseases, pest damage and different solutions for dealing with such problems... organic and non-organic solutions, the pros and cons of using organic VS non organic methods. And, how to prevent such problems to begin with.

Planting--how to, when, where (most newbies have no idea how to do this and it makes such a big difference!)

Propagation--how to, what to expect

Typical growth patterns

Fertilization, again, organic and non-organic

Wow! Lots of good ideas. Sounds like a series of regional volumes v. a single resource book.

Important to me:

Bush shots
Tolerance to pH, soil texture (sandy v. clay), lean soil, drought, wind, sun, shade,
Reliable size info (holy grailish)
Fragrance, rebloom, vase life ratings
Disease susceptibility
Heat zone in addition to USDA hardiness zone ratings
Structures, companion plantings

Close ups of bud, half open and blown stages
Self cleaning?

The new book:
TEA ROSES: Old Roses For Warm Gardens
offers my ideal balance of information.

Jeri

I would love to see the hardiness zones revamped and retested.I'd like to see hardeness comparisons between own roots and grafted roses, as well as how the bushes grow own root vs. grafted in different areas of the country.. As expressed earlier, I, too, would love to see a publication with more shots of the bushes, as well as the individual bloom. Donna

Y'all, don't you realize that many of the writers have never grown the roses they write about? Geez, you'd expect real pictures of rose bushes at their best and less best, if they really had a couple of years experience with the roses.
The Tea Rose book that Jerri mentions was written by growers of roses. And it shows.
Scaniellos book on Climbing roses is another book that goes beyond blooms.

What I would write would be a book about my decade of growing roses in East TN. Soil problems and their solutions. Watering and fertilizer and the evolution of my garden. The roses that are proven keepers.
There'd be a tirade about RMV and RRD. And tested rootstock information.
But there's no market for individual experiences. Lots of pictures and little text seems to be what sells. A picture isn't worth a thousand words when you show a picture of an ear and sideburns and call it Elvis.

And the real killer is writers who just regurgitate what they've read, without citing sources, without being concerned rosarians who want to share their love of roses.

I agree with you Mauirose, it does look like a lot of regional books.
Jeri, I have to check that one out.
Ann, I have noticed the same thing. The info. in some rose books, I say, "HUH?"
I do and have grown roses for many years (30 in two very different climates.)
Scorpio, In the notes, I'd like gardeners to put in what they use (organic vs non-organic) and why.
Donna, I like the idea of own-root vs grafted. I have my own experience but we have nematode problems here. I'd be interested in learning how people in other areas compare them.
Thanks and keep the ideas coming. This could be quite a project, but what a labor of love.
Nancy

Ditto to what Ann said. I get so aggravated when I look at a book that completely omits the class of tea roses or that indicates a tea is a hybrid tea or vice versa. grrr

People get disenchanted with roses because their plants don't automatically look like the hype they read in some of those books. Then roses develop a reputation for being hard to grow, etc. grrrr

I enjoy gardening books written by people who know what they are talking about through many years of gardening. I enjoy Elizabeth Lawrence a lot because she wrote about southern plants, which she grew for many, many years. I like regional books because I want to know what grows well where I live.

It is not the style or cleverness of writing or the pictures that are the most helpful, because slick writing and rose porn are everywhere. I enjoy reading what someone has found to be true for their garden growing the plant I most love, roses. But I'll read about any kind of plant if the author actually knows what they're talking about and I think it can help me grow my own garden. My picture preference is for garden shots and whole bush shots.

I couldn't possibly have stated it any better than Ann. I would love to read a book that was written by someone who actually grew the roses they were talking about and someone who grew them in my climate with the heat, humidity, fungal diseases, pests, RRD, and all the other challenges that we face. I would love to see bush photo's and have realistic information about the size of a mature bush, growth habit, etc.

And the real killer is writers who just regurgitate what they've read, without citing sources, without being concerned rosarians who want to share their love of roses.

Amen.
Carol

I would like to see a Southern rose book that incorporates ALL elements of the South-not just Texas-the climate of the Coastal South is somewhat different.

Multiple volumes, yes.

I haven't seen the Tea book yet (spending my $ on roses), so perhaps the following is redundant.

I would not go by regions--too many exceptions, boundaries too obscure. Is Texas south as in Texarkana or west as in Lubbock. And climate change is making things more uncertain.

I'd go by class. Name, other names, date of intro, average dimensions, three photos: Bud, Bloom, Bush. Then a rating table for other criteria: fragrance, disease resistance, cold and heat tolerance, clay, sand, thorns, humidity, PH...
Then a bit of history: who grew it, who it was named for, awards. Then a few comments.

After the roses themselves: 1) pruning techniques for that class, 2) organic vs non-organic (ie rugosas don't tolerate spraying, which makes them good organic choices) 3) propagation for that class.

I'd include a list in every volume of all the chemicals and rate them for effectiveness, bee damage, pet damage, water solubility, etc.

Also, a description of fertilizers, organic and inorganic. What does bone meal do, how effective alfalfa tea, etc.

And of course, a list of diseases and pest.

This is a dream list, but I would like to see a list of 12 key identification traits, maybe more, for each variety that would finger that variety. It would be very useful in identifying a rose as to who and what it is. That way, if one gets a misnamed rose or if one gets asked to identify some rose in a neighbor's yard, there is at least half a chance of figuring out what it is and who it is. Pictures and cultural information are always useful, but I think that some kind of identification tree would be beneficial. Some of the data could be used from publications such as the Modern Roses books.

A picture isn't worth a thousand words when you show a picture of an ear and sideburns and call it Elvis.

LOL-that's a great line!

I would like to see a book that just had nothing but vigorous roses. They could come from any class. I don't want to see roses that have to be budded to grow well. I don't want a chapter at all on how to grow them etc., every book i have whether it be roses,iris, peonies, etc. and they all say the same thing. It doesn't matter if they catch every disease known, if they are vigorous they will overcome. Local rose societies have roses that are suppose to do well in a particular location, but why do they all seem to have the same ht's only and none that seem particularly hardy? But then again i think perhaps a book just on beauty alone might be better, since even though everyone says they want hardiness, disease resistance etc., don't we really do our actual buying because of beauty, i think that's really all it's about anyway, beauty. Yes, a book on 200 of the most beautiful roses, with of course maybe a mention of vigor, yes or no.

Len511,
The problem with beauty is that it's even more subjective than most abstract nouns. (See, I avoided the cliche, even though the cliche is true.)
A lot of rose growers have been taught that the only beautiful rose is a high centered hybrid tea without a pinpoint hole at the center of the petals. There's even a name for that hole, volcano. So any book of beautiful roses would have to omit all roses that don't fit that criteria.
Others believe that if the roses don't look like what they buy at the grocery store, the blooms aren't roses.
Once upon a time, a century ago, The Reverend S. Reynolds Hole, aka Dean Hole of Rochester Cathedral, originator of rose shows proclaimed that all the different styles of rose blooms were beautiful. Sadly, people remember other phrases of his, but ignore the one that encouraged people to cherish all the different forms of the rose.

Enough soapbox from me today on this.

What about ARS ratings?
Also what about zone extremes. For example, I live in zone 10. Lots of books will only rate a rose to how cold it will live and not how warm it will live?

Len, what do you mean when you say vigor? Is that they are like the energizer bunny and keep going no matter what?
Beauty is #1 in my mind. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'd like the book to appeal to both the person who really enjoys the work involved as well as the person who wants easy care. I think there are beautiful roses in each category. But I like the idea of having the roses listed that can push past whatever is thrown at them.
Nancy

Should be fun to read and tell me useful things I don't already know. Other than that I'm not fussy.

Generally speaking, I find ARS Ratings too watered down to be useful.
They reflect an almost non-existent national average, which sure doesn't relate
to MY garden.

Jeri

I want a good reference book--not a lot of chit-chat. I want to look at a chart to see if it can endure clay soil and hot-humid summers. I don't want to read half a page to find the words "nearly thornless." I want to know on a scale of 1-10 or 1-5, how shade tolerant it is.

And I want it alphabetical, either by class or just plain alphabetical, even if it takes 26 volumes. I don't want it by region because that is too subjective.

Just the facts.

subjective, Particular to a given person; personal: subjective experience.

Aren't all rose books subjective to some degree? One persons experience? Either the author's or whoever he collected the information from? If the information isn't regional, then how will it help you know what rose will do well in your hot, humid summers and clay soil where blackspot is a huge factor? Even if you have a chart, it would have to be broken down regionally because what works or is true on the west coast is not correct information on the east coast. Size or hardiness wouldn't be the same in the northeast versus the southeast. A rose might tolerate more shade in Phoenix than it would in Maine....

I think it would be a gargantuan task to write a book with factual information about roses that covers growing them in all of the area's of the US. If you haven't grown roses in all area's of the US how can you give information that is accurate or helpful to those area's? There are lots of books with pretty pictures and I do love them, there are books written on growing roses by authors from the west coast and I enjoy reading them but I can't relate, the roses they recommend often are disasters here. I collect rose books and I read all of them, and I learn something from all of them but it would be wonderful to see a book written by someone in my region, for my region, with it's particular climate, soils, fungal diseases, pests, and challenges.

Now, don't get me wrong, I would read all the books about growing roses in other area's too. :-) I love learning about all plants and how they grow in different area's. I am impressed with the work that our friends up north put into protecting their roses, what size their roses attain.....again, a whole nother world when it comes to growing roses.

Carol

Carol, I think I understand what you mean, but if there is no explanation at all about different climates, soils and so on, it can lead to problems, especially for people new to growing roses.

Too many rose books instructing all readers to lime their soil, but this is only helpful in highly acidic soil areas. My soil, and water, are alkaline -- if I added lime, my roses would look pitiful because they would not be able to absorb nutrients properly.

I also see rose books listing "disease-resistant" roses that are actually blackspot-resistant roses. That is only occasionally seen where I live, but we have other fungus diseases to worry about.

If I followed the generic advice about soil and variety selection, I would have roses with chlorotic foliage that was full of rust and mildew. Then I would decide that roses were too hard to grow, and give up on them.

Petaloid, I agree on the comment of disease resistant. I would specify which diseases it is resistant to. In one area it may be great, in another not so much regarding disease anyway. I know Iceberg is great in the drier states, but here, no way.

Carol, I am pretty sure now that it has to be broken up into regions, so the diseases, soil, moisture and sun issues would hopefully apply better.

Catsrose, it sounds like what I like too. Pictures, facts and figures. I'm not big on lots of text.

Jeri, I've noticed the same thing about the ARS ratings. Maybe it is better for the middle zones.

HoovB, what don't you know? You are one of the most knowledgeable people here.

I really appreciate all of the feedback everyone.
Nancy

Petaloid, that is exactly what I mean! Thank you for understanding. In gardening "one size fits all" just doesn't work.

Nancy, I wish you the best of luck and hope you write a very informative and very successful book about growing roses.

Carol

I would like to see a section that shows proper dead heading and pruning for shrubs and floribundas.
I tried to follow the cut down to the first five leaves on a few of my shrubs and floribunda and what a mistake that was. Now I kind of stand back and look at the bush before I hack away. I attempt to save as many healthy leaves as possible during beetle and black spot outbreaks. I really think some helpful hints and pitures of real pruning issues would be great.

I don't care about the information; it's almost always incorrect for where I live.

But I do want to see:

** see lush color photos on excellent quality paper.

** few centerfolds, and

** a '75% off' sticker on the jacket.

I want to know the breeder, parentage and date of introduction. Also at the back of the book, I'd like to see the roses listed by breeder. That gives me a sense of the breeding goals and I can see which roses have passed "the test of time".

Lyn

The problem is, to be a real "how-to," a book almost has to be written by and for
each little climate-zone.
But that's not economically-feasible.

Jeri

I agree with Dr. Andre. I don't care to read about the basics of rose care. I've read it over and over and over again. I just want to see big beautiful garden photos. I'd like to see examples of the most outstanding rose gardens from all over the world as well as small private gardens.

There are a jillion rose books already out there. (And I have a lot of them!) Personally, I can do without another book on how to plant a bareroot rose and how to prune in the winter.

If I could create a rose book just for me, it would be an annual that had pictures and profiles of all the newly released roses. Such pictures and profiles would be taken and written independently from Jackson & Perkins, Weeks, Meilland, Austin, etc.

I would also like to see each of those roses put through standardized tests regarding various features. You could have a blackspot benchmark, a powdery mildew benchmark, a last-in-a-vase benchmark, a fragrance benchmark, height reports from various parts of the country, etc. It would be like a Consumer Reports evaluation for roses.

With a book like this, you could actually make a more educated decision prior to purchasing. It is my understanding that roses that are chosen for commerce still have to be grown for several more years in the fields in order to have enough to distribute. Somebody in the know should get a hold of them for long term evaluations.

- HershiGrl

But, Hershi -- they are at that point looking at them in their fields.
Which, for a long time, has meant Wasco, CA, and that doesn't tell you or I how
the rose will perform on the CA Coast -- much less Georgia, Louisiana, or New York.

If you ever have an opportunity to hear Tom Carruth speak on new introductions,
jump at it! He is very, very honest about where a rose excells, and where it fails.

Jeri

I envision having the roses tested in all parts of the country, pretty much like the AARS tests, only with more transparency on the results.

I've heard Tom speak several times. I wish I could get my hands on his honest descriptions without having to show up at the rose society meetings. (I used to go regularly, but now that I have two wee ones, I don't go at all.) Plus, I need insights from the other rose hybridizers as well. That's why I need my hypothetical book!

I'd like a section where different rose hybridizers say their future plans are

But especially where different rose hybridizers/experts (maybe master gardeners from this forum) say are their favorite roses for different categories - beauty; disease tolerance etc. You could do a regional flavor in that way by asking different master rosarians from different zones.
Carol

Plus, I need insights from the other rose hybridizers as well.

1. Tom is remarkable in his candor.
2. The hybridizers don't KNOW how a rose will grow in many of your areas.
A rose can be very good 50 miles from where I garden, and yet be a real piece
of basura in my garden.
3. I do know several other hybridizers who are as open and honest as Tom, but
they don't work for multi-national corporations.

Jeri

I'd like to be able to find more info on climbing, shrub, and rugosa roses. You know, the kind you stick in the ground and stand back ! Even my AHS falls *woefully* short.
I HATE any book that refers to itself as "The Complete" anything. Physically impossible, among many other reasons. New stuff all the time. It doesn't entice me at all-has the reverse effect on me, but then that's to be expected.

Witch -- You do know that Stepen Scanniello wrote a WONDERFUL book on Climbing Roses,
And there is likewise a very good book on rugosas (which I do not have because this
is where rugosas go to die). :-)

I look for rose books directed toward warm-climate gardens.
Those would be the wrong books for someone in Maine.

I don't think it's possible for any rose book to provide useful information on
all of the possible different climates and conditions.

Jeri

Suzy Verrier who lives and gardens in coastal Maine has written a book, Rugosa Roses, that you may want to enjoy.
A book on climbing roses AND zone 5a is going to be a lot harder to find. For shrubs and cold, borrow some books by Lois Hole (her experience is Canadian Prairies) or Robert Osbourne (New Brunswick, cold maritimes).
I like the worldcat site, linked below, to search for books that my local library doesn't have. Interlibrary Loan can get books for you, if your library doesn't have them.

Here is a link that might be useful: World cat to search for nearby libraries