The Old Rose Advisor (Volume 2, 2nd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: From the Author . . .
Review: This is volume one of the new enlarged, updated, improved edition of *The Old Rose Advisor*, the breakthrough work which brought a new level of interest and accuracy to the study of old roses, those fragrant, opulent varieties bred before 1920, many of which are still available to grace the choicest gardens of today. Readers of the globally-acclaimed first edition will know that the book is built on actual statements by those who lived in the times in which these roses were new and the object of intense scrutiny; indeed, many of the descriptions are those supplied by the breeders themselves! This new edition has many additional entries, and has been re-formatted to increase ease of use by the reader. Additionally, new material has been tapped to augment many of the old entries, and continuing research has yielded new information, included here, updating names, attributions, dates, parentages, descriptions, and indeed rose history. Volume One includes chapters on Damask Perpetuals, Chinas, Teas, Bourbons, Hybrid Bourbons, Hybrid Chinas, Hybrid Noisettes, and Hybrid Perpetuals--in each case, the fullest treatment in modern times of each group. The reader will be interested as well in Volume Two, also in release now. Come, join in the elegance and richness of another exciting world of Rosedom!

Rating:
Summary: From the Author . . .
Review: This is volume two of the new enlarged, updated, improved edition of *The Old Rose Advisor*, the breakthrough work which brought a new level of interest and accuracy to the study of old roses, those fragrant, opulent varieties bred before 1920, many of which are still available to grace the choicest gardens of today. Readers of the globally-acclaimed first edition will know that the book is built on actual statements by those who lived in the times in which these roses were new and the object of intense scrutiny; indeed, many of the descriptions are those supplied by the breeders themselves! This new edition has many additional entries, and has been re-formatted to increase ease of use by the reader. Additionally, new material has been tapped to augment many of the old entries, and continuing research has yielded new information, included here, updating names, attributions, dates, parentages, descriptions, and indeed rose history. Volume Two includes chapters on Noisettes and Climbers, old Polyanthas, and old Hybrid Teas--in each case, the fullest treatment in modern times of each group; this volume also includes the updated extraordinarily detailed and helpful ten appendices to both volumes, appendices which help the reader to select and identify old roses. The reader will be interested as well in Volume One, also in release now. Come, join in the elegance and richness of another exciting world of Rosedom!

Rating:
Summary: An Important Work
Review: This monumental piece of research establishes Brent Dickerson as one of the most important rose historians of our time. Dickerson has painstakingly unearthed, translated, and indexed the information from countless antique nursery catalogs, archival notes by hybridizers, and garden journal articles to offer anecdotal, contemporary commentary on thousands of old rose cultivars. It is fascinating to read what the growers of past centuries had to say about the roses which were entering commerce and being introduced to gardens and public collections during their times. Often a rose which, in our own time, proves to be difficult due to some predilection for disease will have that tendency confirmed in the comments of a rose grower (sometimes the hybridizer himself) who was growing the variety as a "new" introduction decades ago. The contemporary descriptions of roses which have vanished from nurseries and the show tables can be invaluable in helping modern rosarians in their quest to identify the plants that "rose rustlers" find in old cemeteries and ruined gardens from the past. Together with Dickerson's more recent book, The Old Rose Adventurer, the entire array of rose varieties introduced prior to 1920 is covered in great depth. These books are a "must" for the serious student of the genus Rosa.

Rating:
Summary: An Important Work
Review: This monumental piece of research establishes Brent Dickerson as one of the most important rose historians of our time. Dickerson has painstakingly unearthed, translated, and indexed the information from countless antique nursery catalogs, archival notes by hybridizers, and garden journal articles to offer anecdotal, contemporary commentary on thousands of old rose cultivars. It is fascinating to read what the growers of past centuries had to say about the roses which were entering commerce and being introduced to gardens and public collections during their times. Often a rose which, in our own time, proves to be difficult due to some predilection for disease will have that tendency confirmed in the comments of a rose grower (sometimes the hybridizer himself) who was growing the variety as a "new" introduction decades ago. The contemporary descriptions of roses which have vanished from nurseries and the show tables can be invaluable in helping modern rosarians in their quest to identify the plants that "rose rustlers" find in old cemeteries and ruined gardens from the past. Together with Dickerson's more recent book, The Old Rose Adventurer, the entire array of rose varieties introduced prior to 1920 is covered in great depth. These books are a "must" for the serious student of the genus Rosa.