A long overdue monograph from the Royal Horticultural Society on Britain's number one favourite flower the rose, rosarian authors Charles and Brigid Quest-Ritson present a stunning profile of this centuries-old plant. Their myriad uses and easy cultivation ensure a place in every garden from hedging, mixed borders, climbers, containers and dedicated planting schemes. Their diverse range spans miniatures suitable for window boxes to towering ramblers, easily scaling trees and buildings alike. And the colour spectrum, bar the elusive blue, ensures a rose to suit all tastes and positions. Damasks, centifolias, noisettes and polyanthas; hybrid teas, floribundas, shrub and ground cover, their shape and form span dainty doubles to blowsy singles, with their petals crinkled, crimped, variegated, blushed and flushed. Scented, often repeat flowering, they are a must for every English garden, thriving in most soils with a modicum of care. Lavishly illustrated and laid out in the same style as the other best-selling RHS encyclopaedias, the book incorporates mini portraits of leading rose breeders and specialists around the world and showcases dedicated rose gardens such as Dorset's Mottisfont Abbey and the Parisian Bagatelle gardens in France. Concluding on easy to understand cultivation details, this is the only book any rose grower needs on their shelves. - Lucy Watson
