Thanks for telling us about the book, I'm always interested in reading about roses.

boncrow, I like the history of plants as much as I like the plants themselves- sometimes more!

Noisettes are such tough plants that they shouldn't also be so beautiful and fragrant... it hardly seems fair. And yet it seems to me that they're underused in gardens where they'd do very well. Yes, the Tea-Noisettes are often tender, but many Noisettes do well in colder climates; Europeans seem to know this, but I don't know how many American gardeners grow Noisettes up in those colder zones?

Thanks,
Virginia

I looked at the book at a rose friend's house and it's very nice and a good book for someone interested in Noisettes. Since all my efforts to grow them have failed I didn't buy the book, but Noisettes are wonderful roses where there's enough rain and humidity.

Ingrid

I read the link about the Barbier roses and noticed Ann Champman's book on the history behind the names of the ladies the roses where named for and found a used copy in England for $8 (with shipping) It will take forever to get here but I am looking forward to reading it

Ingrid, I did think of you when I read that 'Marguerite Desrayaux' likes dry weather, but liking dry weather and liking desert conditions are not necessarily the same things.

I don't know if there are any Noisettes that might tolerate your dry heat there, but 'Natchitoches Noisette' seems to do well in some of the dry parts of Texas... I don't know if it's more drought-tolerant than the Noisettes you've already tried, but maybe someone who has grown Noisettes in droughty conditions could speak up about what has worked.

Virginia

Kippy, do you mean Chapman's 'Women in my Rose Garden'? That looks like a great read. I'm always wondering about the Mesdames so many gorgeous roses are named for.

I had to laugh when I read in the Noisette book that Verdier originally called a Tea-Noisette he was introducing 'Mme la Marechal Niel' without first checking to see if there was such a lady- luckily someone informed him in time that Marechal Niel was a bachelor. Alors, quel faux pas!

Enjoy your book, and please report back if you like it or not. I'd tell you it probably won't take long to arrive, but I'm afraid I'd jinx you if I did.

Thanks,
Virginia

Virginia that is the one. Can you tell I forgot what I ordered. Lol. Shipping g could be as fast as two weeks or up to a month. But $8 vs $90 I can wait!

A friend has leant me her copy of 'Women in my Rose Garden', and it's an interesting read, with lovely photos. So much sadness though, as many are named after women who lived during the French Revolution.

Ingrid, have you tried or considered the found noisettes Pleasant Hill Cemetery and Manchester Guardian Angel? Both can flourish in difficult locations. I had MHC in hot and dry zone 9 in the northwest corner of a walled back yard, where two roses had earlier died, where it grew and flourished, in spite of the southern exposure, hot sun in the afternoon from the west and being at the foot of two walls.

Virginia and nastarana, thank you for your suggestions. Due to the drought and heat which global warming will only exacerbate, I've cut down on the number of roses and have no room for one of these lovelies. I did know about Pleasant Hill Cemetery and Manchester Guardian Angel, having seen one or both on the Vintage site, but frankly neither of them would be my first choice. I had a few beautiful blooms of Mrs. Wood's Lavender Pink Noisette before she succumbed to a hot summer, and something similar would be my ideal. I hope to feed my fondness for the noisettes by seeing pictures here from those people who are lucky enough to grow them well.

Ingrid

My book arrived yesterday. I have just looked through it so far, at the photos, but it does seem like a lovely and interesting book.