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In Search of Lost Roses

by Thomas Christopher

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A history and field guide to America’s rediscovered old roses

$25.89 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A history and field guide to America’s rediscovered old roses

Thomas Christopher traces the survival of heritage roses that fell from favor after hybrid teas became dominant in the nineteenth century. The book connects the histories of varieties such as damask and other older roses with the people who seek them out in neglected gardens, abandoned properties, and graveyards. These searches treat roses not simply as ornamental plants but as living links to gardening traditions, migration, and local memory. Alongside the plants’ journey to America, Christopher foregrounds the informal network of collectors who identify, preserve, and share roses whose names and origins may have been lost.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Gardeners interested in heirloom and historic rose varieties
  • Plant-history readers interested in how cultivated flowers travel and endure
  • Readers curious about amateur collectors and preservation efforts

Themes

Heirloom rosesPlant historyGarden preservationBotanical collectingLocal memory

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Once upon a time-before the 1860s-people loved old roses like "Pearl of Gold," "Marchionesse of Lorne," or "Autumn Damask." Then along came the hybrid tea roses, which were easier to arrange, more dramatic, and longer-blooming, and the old roses were all but forgotten. Now the lovely, subtle-hued, richly perfumed old roses are making a comeback, thanks to the efforts of a stubborn band of eccentric characters who rescued them from back alleys, ramshackle cottages, and overgrown graveyards across the country. Thomas Christopher tells us the fascinating stories of the old roses-how they were created and made their way to America-and the unforgettable people who "rustle" them from abandoned lots and secret gardens today, revelling in the mystery of an "unknown yellow."
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