American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses : The Definitive A-Z Guide
This encyclopedia, a beautiful tribute to America's favorite flower, contains information on nearly 2,000 roses from the earliest species to the most modern cultivars. EachA-Zentry, accompanied by a short description and a true-to-color photograph, lists both cultivar name and registered or trademark name, synonym and code names, the classification group to which the rose belongs, its origin and parentage, size and scent, flowering information, mature height and spread, hardiness zone, and awards. Since entries are listed by the name the rose was given when introduced, there are numerous cross-references to point users to the correct entry. For example, thePeacerose is found under its breeder name ofMme. A. Meilland.Eighty-nine roses are highlighted in special entry boxes where the parent plant and its sports (mutations) are shown together. More than 40 feature panels profile nurseries, rose growers, and famous rose gardens from around the world. There are sections on cultivating roses, a glossary, a species index, a directory of rose societies throughout the world, a list of Web sites, and a very short general index.The book is lacking in only a few types of information that would have assisted users. Since most gardeners choose roses by color, a color index would be helpful. Similarly, multiple indexes would aid patrons looking for a particular type of rose, such as a climbing rose or a rose with certain properties, such as fragrance or resistance to disease. Some additional cross-references would help with American names of foreign roses such as New Zealand'sLand of the Long White Cloud(known asFull Sailin the U.S.).These lapses aside, this is an excellent resource about roses. It will delight gardeners whether they wish to find information or merely browse and is highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.RBBCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved