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Book --- 'Tea Roses. Old Roses for Warm Gardens.'

15 years ago

I asked my hubby-Santa for this book from Ashdown... and this is the one of the best rose book I ever read. All the while I was looking & reading the book, I was 'ohhh...", "ahhhh...", *rosy sigh...*... he quietly said "I am a fool - why did I get this book?"

Very beautiful pictures with deeply detailed information for some of Tea roses for Tea rose lovers. I am so glad I got this book.

Anyway, if you have been very good and still waiting for your Santa's visit, this is the one you NEED!

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jerijen

15 years ago

Ingrid, Since the Tea Book has "whet your appetite" for more -- I have a suggestion.

Another book, mostly devoted to warm-climate roses, is Gwen Fagan's remarkable "ROSES AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE."

In a different way, it's even more remarkable than the Tea book, for it is the work of one woman, South African Rosarian Gwen Fagan, supported by her family (and, I believe, self-published).

The book was never widely-distributed -- in part because it was published in 1988, before the end of Apartheid. But if you are enjoying the Tea Book, and feeling a little bit extravagant, you might want to look into "ROSES AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE."

There aren't many sources for it, but if I were looking for one, I'd start with Limberlost Rose Books. (Bob Edberg)
I don't think he currently lists it -- but that doesn't mean Bob can't lay his hands on a copy. ;-)

Jeri

Here is a link that might be useful: Limberlost Rose Books

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Comments (11)

len511
15 years ago
lol, and the book is probably the "cheap" christmas right??
jerijen
15 years ago
It's simply a GREAT book.
We waited, seemed like forever, for a book that really covered Teas -- and we couldn't have dreamed anything better.

Jeri
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Ronda One of my favourite rose books was recommended by Rosebud, a former forum enabler, I'm not sure of the name of the book, it's at home in Oz and overseas so this is guess work ....Landscaping with Roses and I think the author's last name is Cox ???? I like it because it has lots of ideas for how to use roses rather than just describing individual blooms and bushes. The Tea Rose book is very good, it has quite a lot of technical information for the identification of varieties and as Jon said tries to explain some of the common mis-identification of roses. The whole thing about the Duchess being called Countess something or other makes me want to sulk though!!
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Take a look at Golden Fairy Tale. Mine was planted last April and is on multiflora rootstock. It wasn't bothered by blackspot at all all year last year (I don't spray) and appears to be extraordinarily vigorous. It got to about 6 feet tall by August last year, and, being obsessively compulsive, I moved it in this past Februrary right before a snow storm to the back of the bed. It survived my abuse and seems to be recovering nicely and catching up with its neighbors in terms of bush size. Also, the fragrance is sweet and strong. It is a thorny monster. Another rose that is sometimes classified as a HT and has proved itself in terms of blackspot resistance in my garden is another Kordes creation: South Africa. This would be its third season here now, and it only shed about 1/5 of its leaves when it was worst hit by blackspot. The two other HTs I planted last season were Francis Meilland and Firefighter (both of which got rave reviews on this forum). They were not blackspot resistance in their first year here. Currently, FM is a frail one cane wonder and Firefighter has died back to ground. If they survive, I am hoping that they become more resistant once established.
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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
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Re-reading this thread once again. I just thought I'd point out how much difference subtle climate variations can make in the health of roses. I'm not sure exactly where Luxrosa lives, but we are both in the general Bay Area, me in the South Bay. Celine Forestier was on her list of very healthy roses. It is one of my worst for PM, and its spot is going to be given to Bouquet d'Or when that rose arrives. My fingers are crossed that it will do well here. I fell in love with it from Paparoseman's pictures. Of course he lives up in the PNW, a climate completely different from anywhere in the sunny Bay Area. Rosefolly
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ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
15 years ago
I love the book but, greedy me, wish they would have been able to cover even MORE roses. That probably would have made the book prohibitively expensive. It's so extremely well written and researched, a book you want to return to again and again.

Ingrid
cemeteryrose
15 years ago
I let my friend Jennifer borrow my copy of this book because she was moaning as she leafed through it, and I felt that parting her from it would be cruel. She's now bought her own copy, and I have mine back -
Anita
sherryocala
15 years ago
Sounds wonderful but a bit too rich for my blood - and pocketbook.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Two available on Half.com
jerijen
15 years ago
I sure didn't pay that much!

Jeri
gnabonnand
15 years ago
I agree, the Tea rose book is great. I got mine from Ashdowns too, and have really enjoyed it.
Now all we need is a book devoted exclusively to the china roses! I'd buy that one too.

Randy
jerijen
15 years ago
Now all we need is a book devoted exclusively to the china roses! I'd buy that one too. Randy

*** From your lips to God's ears. :-)

Jeri
anntn6b
15 years ago
There's some interesting info about Gwen Fagan here as well as a possible lead to the book at a better price.

(The Tea Rose book is a must have. I just wish that the Chinas had equal interest.)

Here is a link that might be useful: About Gwen Fagan
jerijen
15 years ago
Nope -- The Fagans sold the last copy they had recently.
(I know this, because I know who bought it.)
But I didn't pay that much for my copy,
and I think that Bob Edberg may have an inside track on finding copies.

I would approach him first.
Limberlost Rose Books.
==================

As to Chinas -- I think it might fly best if they were combined with
Noisettes.
Since the Noisettes are "Half-China," the combination would be logical.
If no one else does it, perhaps this group of people should write it.
:-)

Jeri

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