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In Search of Lost Roses
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."
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
9 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Christopher
29 books3 followersTom Christopher is a reporter on garden and the environment.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 13, 2019
‘I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
but no such roses see I in her cheeks…’ Shakespeare Sonnet -130
I fell in love with a old garden rose when I was eight years old and in a fragrant rose garden. It was my grandmother's garden and it was the most beautiful pink. It was a “Centifolia” rose with a long history. My Grandmother called it a “cabbage” rose and she had been tending this rose for almost fifty years before she died. My great auntie Grace dug it up and took it with her to plant in her garden. I thought she was crazy at the time but now I get it. A favorite old proverb about roses: “The rose is a flower of love. The world has acclaimed it for centuries. Pink roses are for love hopeful and expectant. White roses are for love dead or forsaken, but the red roses, ah the red roses are for love triumphant. “
People can get very passionate about roses and that is the subject of this delightful book. These charming, funny stories about people, who will go to great lengths to save old roses, are well told and most gardeners (hopefully) will get the determination to not let these roses fade into extinction. I felt that the mindset to save the roses for future generations is a beautiful one and the author has a great deal of affection for the people who do.
Even if you don't give a fig about roses, their history is fascinating and goes back to the Roman Empire. There is the oldest rose in Europe called “Autumn Damask” aka: Quarte Saisons or Rosa Damascena 'Bifera” and this is a rose we remember from old chintz, hand-painted china and wallpaper. It blooms every six weeks until Autumn. German Catholic poet Angelus Siesius wrote about Autumn Damask “The Rose is without an explanation; She blooms, because She blooms.”
Highly recommend to all rose lovers and gardeners and I give this book four petal stars.
but no such roses see I in her cheeks…’ Shakespeare Sonnet -130
I fell in love with a old garden rose when I was eight years old and in a fragrant rose garden. It was my grandmother's garden and it was the most beautiful pink. It was a “Centifolia” rose with a long history. My Grandmother called it a “cabbage” rose and she had been tending this rose for almost fifty years before she died. My great auntie Grace dug it up and took it with her to plant in her garden. I thought she was crazy at the time but now I get it. A favorite old proverb about roses: “The rose is a flower of love. The world has acclaimed it for centuries. Pink roses are for love hopeful and expectant. White roses are for love dead or forsaken, but the red roses, ah the red roses are for love triumphant. “
People can get very passionate about roses and that is the subject of this delightful book. These charming, funny stories about people, who will go to great lengths to save old roses, are well told and most gardeners (hopefully) will get the determination to not let these roses fade into extinction. I felt that the mindset to save the roses for future generations is a beautiful one and the author has a great deal of affection for the people who do.
Even if you don't give a fig about roses, their history is fascinating and goes back to the Roman Empire. There is the oldest rose in Europe called “Autumn Damask” aka: Quarte Saisons or Rosa Damascena 'Bifera” and this is a rose we remember from old chintz, hand-painted china and wallpaper. It blooms every six weeks until Autumn. German Catholic poet Angelus Siesius wrote about Autumn Damask “The Rose is without an explanation; She blooms, because She blooms.”
Highly recommend to all rose lovers and gardeners and I give this book four petal stars.
August 1, 2020
Is there anything quite so romantic as "lost roses?" Christopher's search for old or heritage roses takes him from New England to England, Virginia to California, and with a long sojourn in Texas. Old roses, many of which have been "lost" to time and change of fashion, are propagated mainly by cuttings which are re-rooted. Thus, true old roses are part of the same bush, having gone through no genetic change (evidently, rose seeds do not produce identical bushes; the only way to combat disease in old roses is by destroying diseased plants and finding clean ones to propagate).
Roses have long been a favorite flower, particularly in Europe, though many European climates are unsuitable for these plants imported from the Middle East and Asia, particularly China. European immigrants to America regularly brought cuttings from their roses at home, and often enjoyed a much happier bush in Arizona, Texas, or California than the yields of Scotland, Germany, or Wales. Rose history is long, thorny, and hard to trace, complicated by instances of status and colonialism.
Over time, as floral fashions changed, old roses were out in favor of newly propagated roses. Scent, the trait prized by ancient cultures, was bred out in favor of perpetual bloom. Brighter colors and constant bloom cycles and genetic hardiness overtook the market, rooting out old roses. Yet, old roses have survived, in surprising ways.
Christopher relates his search for lost roses by traveling to sites known for their bounty. An old cemetery in Pennsylvania yielded a special crop, because bushes were planted on graves before ease of lawn maintenance overtook sentimentality in graveyards. Eccentric rose growers, generous with cuttings, abound in New England. The Gold Rush, of all things, brought dozens upon dozens of old roses to the welcoming climate of California, and ghost towns abound with old roses that Christopher found, alongside veteran rose rustlers. My favorite portion was Christopher's trip to Texas. German and Czech immigrants brought roses with them, and the plants found the heat and sunshine delectable. Many of the central/southeast Texas towns Christopher visited are where my immigrant ancestors lived, and I have to wonder if anyone in my family history grew roses; unfortunately, no one in the living generations gardens anything but vegetables.
Unfortunately, Christopher betrays the zeitgeist of his own age, and is wholly uncritical of the role that racism and classism played in the history of roses. The opium trade contributed to rose propagation in England, and while Christopher drops a few anti-imperialist lines, he excuses the plunder in favor of the outcome. He refers to the "Old South" in a lost-cause way, which is regrettable. Frankly, a revised edition could clear up a lot of this mess, since most of it occurs in comments. However, there is a brief moment of redemption when he connects old roses to black women of the generation born after the end of American chattel slavery. He was unable to interview anyone--the few living in that generation declined his requests--but he speculates that formerly enslaved people propagated cuttings from plantations. While these women were kept out of garden clubs and flower shows, they grew some of the most valuable and coveted roses in the world in their own gardens. They valued continuity, and took pride in keeping their gardens identical to their original forms. Meanwhile, most Southern gardeners followed changing fashion and eventually lost their old roses. I wonder if there is any good history, oral or written, of these gardeners who chose connection to the past over changing whims.
In Search of Lost Roses was published over forty years ago. At the time, David Austin's project was new and he was looking for an American distributor. (He chose Texas as the American base for his nursery.) Now, Austin is popular among rosarian hopefuls like myself. Thanks to him, we can get the look and scent of old roses without the difficulties of trespassing and propagating cuttings. Of course, growers of old roses frown upon Austin's English roses, which are bred "in the tradition" of old roses but are not actually old roses. Yet, for someone like me, who will likely move a few times and doesn't have infinite space for experimenting with roses, an Austin rose is a safe bet for deeply scented roses growing in my own yard.
The Heritage Rose Foundation, which was brand-new when Christopher wrote this book, is flourishing today. A search for 'Souvenir de la Malmaison,' named after Empress Josephine's home (and extensive rose garden), yields several links for purchase and a Wikipedia-fueled sidebar. Fortunately, the age of information has only helped the old rose community. I thank Christopher for writing this mostly enjoyable introduction to old roses. I doubt I'll ever fully join the fold, but it's a topic with much scope for the imagination that I hope to explore further.
Close to the end, Christopher mentions a rose named 'Félicité et Perpetué,' and David Austin sells these gorgeous blooms, though not Stateside...perhaps one day I can fulfill all my dreams and have roses named after these female martyrs.
Roses have long been a favorite flower, particularly in Europe, though many European climates are unsuitable for these plants imported from the Middle East and Asia, particularly China. European immigrants to America regularly brought cuttings from their roses at home, and often enjoyed a much happier bush in Arizona, Texas, or California than the yields of Scotland, Germany, or Wales. Rose history is long, thorny, and hard to trace, complicated by instances of status and colonialism.
Over time, as floral fashions changed, old roses were out in favor of newly propagated roses. Scent, the trait prized by ancient cultures, was bred out in favor of perpetual bloom. Brighter colors and constant bloom cycles and genetic hardiness overtook the market, rooting out old roses. Yet, old roses have survived, in surprising ways.
Christopher relates his search for lost roses by traveling to sites known for their bounty. An old cemetery in Pennsylvania yielded a special crop, because bushes were planted on graves before ease of lawn maintenance overtook sentimentality in graveyards. Eccentric rose growers, generous with cuttings, abound in New England. The Gold Rush, of all things, brought dozens upon dozens of old roses to the welcoming climate of California, and ghost towns abound with old roses that Christopher found, alongside veteran rose rustlers. My favorite portion was Christopher's trip to Texas. German and Czech immigrants brought roses with them, and the plants found the heat and sunshine delectable. Many of the central/southeast Texas towns Christopher visited are where my immigrant ancestors lived, and I have to wonder if anyone in my family history grew roses; unfortunately, no one in the living generations gardens anything but vegetables.
Unfortunately, Christopher betrays the zeitgeist of his own age, and is wholly uncritical of the role that racism and classism played in the history of roses. The opium trade contributed to rose propagation in England, and while Christopher drops a few anti-imperialist lines, he excuses the plunder in favor of the outcome. He refers to the "Old South" in a lost-cause way, which is regrettable. Frankly, a revised edition could clear up a lot of this mess, since most of it occurs in comments. However, there is a brief moment of redemption when he connects old roses to black women of the generation born after the end of American chattel slavery. He was unable to interview anyone--the few living in that generation declined his requests--but he speculates that formerly enslaved people propagated cuttings from plantations. While these women were kept out of garden clubs and flower shows, they grew some of the most valuable and coveted roses in the world in their own gardens. They valued continuity, and took pride in keeping their gardens identical to their original forms. Meanwhile, most Southern gardeners followed changing fashion and eventually lost their old roses. I wonder if there is any good history, oral or written, of these gardeners who chose connection to the past over changing whims.
In Search of Lost Roses was published over forty years ago. At the time, David Austin's project was new and he was looking for an American distributor. (He chose Texas as the American base for his nursery.) Now, Austin is popular among rosarian hopefuls like myself. Thanks to him, we can get the look and scent of old roses without the difficulties of trespassing and propagating cuttings. Of course, growers of old roses frown upon Austin's English roses, which are bred "in the tradition" of old roses but are not actually old roses. Yet, for someone like me, who will likely move a few times and doesn't have infinite space for experimenting with roses, an Austin rose is a safe bet for deeply scented roses growing in my own yard.
The Heritage Rose Foundation, which was brand-new when Christopher wrote this book, is flourishing today. A search for 'Souvenir de la Malmaison,' named after Empress Josephine's home (and extensive rose garden), yields several links for purchase and a Wikipedia-fueled sidebar. Fortunately, the age of information has only helped the old rose community. I thank Christopher for writing this mostly enjoyable introduction to old roses. I doubt I'll ever fully join the fold, but it's a topic with much scope for the imagination that I hope to explore further.
Close to the end, Christopher mentions a rose named 'Félicité et Perpetué,' and David Austin sells these gorgeous blooms, though not Stateside...perhaps one day I can fulfill all my dreams and have roses named after these female martyrs.
February 12, 2013
I am an amateur gardener and historian. I heard about this book from a friend who shares those two attributes, and oh, my goodness, she was right. A trek through the country looking for old type roses and meeting people and learning history provides much fodder for thought. I was especially interested in how much time was spent in old graveyards, where relatives would plant rose bushes as memorials. They unwittingly provided a treasure trove for future generations. I also was intrigued by the story of "Old Blush," the rose that is pictured in the background of the photos of Lee's surrender at Appomattox. What a wonderful story to read when there is snow on the ground! Thanks, Peggy!
June 13, 2013
The author recounts both his own experience in search of old roses -- roses whose varieties predate the Hybrid Tea rose, which has taken over so thoroughly -- and various chapters of the history of the rose. A far from complete history, but it has some interesting part.
The rediscovery of the true musk rose -- which, BTW, blooms in the fall, not the summer.
The development of cemeteries, and how roses were planted on graves. People looking for old roses often check out old cemeteries, and take samples from the bushes they find there. Identifying them can be -- quite interesting.
Roses in ancient Rome, where a farmer could do quite well with "coronary flowers" -- flowers used to make crowns at banquets. Roses were one of the best, and they prized them most for the smell -- unlike modern roses!
How an archaeologist found the oldest roses known to be used in a funeral ceremony -- ancient Egyptian. Recognizably a rose still in use for that purpose.
How Empress Josephine took to horticulture as Napoleon got bored with her, and part of that was the roses. (They get mentioned in her obituary.) She collected as many strains as she could which had a big impact on European rose breeding. Particularly since her husband brought back yellow roses from the Middle East. Most strains of yellow roses are descended from those yellow roes.
Roses from China. The Tea roses were brought by the tea trade -- but they were called "tea" because they smelled of tea. (The author had actually smelled one of the original, authentic rose and says -- Oolong.) Many of which were taken out with the same tact and sensitivity as they got their hands on tea and silkworms. And they were, of course, renamed by their "discoverers."
Roses in California. The gold rush territory is a mother lode of old roses. Carefully brought by the women and cherished there. The first man to collect them was able to actually speak to the settlers who planted them in some cases. Nowadays, there is much more fun in figuring out what they are.
My rose experience is limited to checking out the local rose garden in the public park -- some years. It was still a fascinating book, full of stuff.
The rediscovery of the true musk rose -- which, BTW, blooms in the fall, not the summer.
The development of cemeteries, and how roses were planted on graves. People looking for old roses often check out old cemeteries, and take samples from the bushes they find there. Identifying them can be -- quite interesting.
Roses in ancient Rome, where a farmer could do quite well with "coronary flowers" -- flowers used to make crowns at banquets. Roses were one of the best, and they prized them most for the smell -- unlike modern roses!
How an archaeologist found the oldest roses known to be used in a funeral ceremony -- ancient Egyptian. Recognizably a rose still in use for that purpose.
How Empress Josephine took to horticulture as Napoleon got bored with her, and part of that was the roses. (They get mentioned in her obituary.) She collected as many strains as she could which had a big impact on European rose breeding. Particularly since her husband brought back yellow roses from the Middle East. Most strains of yellow roses are descended from those yellow roes.
Roses from China. The Tea roses were brought by the tea trade -- but they were called "tea" because they smelled of tea. (The author had actually smelled one of the original, authentic rose and says -- Oolong.) Many of which were taken out with the same tact and sensitivity as they got their hands on tea and silkworms. And they were, of course, renamed by their "discoverers."
Roses in California. The gold rush territory is a mother lode of old roses. Carefully brought by the women and cherished there. The first man to collect them was able to actually speak to the settlers who planted them in some cases. Nowadays, there is much more fun in figuring out what they are.
My rose experience is limited to checking out the local rose garden in the public park -- some years. It was still a fascinating book, full of stuff.
May 27, 2013
This was actually a re read; I first came across this book in the late 1980's, a time in which a dear friend and I had spent a bit over a decade stumbling through a major rose addiction, novice and enthusiastic gardeners that we were.
It still holds up, and is as good as a thriller for the rose obsessed, full of wit and adventure and random encounters.
It still holds up, and is as good as a thriller for the rose obsessed, full of wit and adventure and random encounters.
July 26, 2012
For the adventurous gardener! This book is the tale of rose rustlers and historians. Read only if you are ready to strap on your pruners and ride the trail of old cemetaries and abandoned farmhouses. I LOVED this book so much that I read it twice...so far! Non-Fiction and lots of fun!
November 30, 2014
An interesting nonfiction read for those curious about the history of roses.
June 5, 2023
A lovely book. Mr Christopher treats the reader to everything you wanted to know about roses but didn't know what to ask. I loved his accounts of the people he knew and met and their stories. My favorite chapter is " Rose Rustling" an account of a group of people in Texas who spend time together in a caravan going to places where they find lost or old roses. How cool! His tour of the California gold country is fascinating. Some of this book is over my head but I still loved the book. Who wouldn't like to find a lost rose, so I can experience it vicariously through this book without doing the work!
May 26, 2019
I forgot how much I liked this book. If you like roses and like history, it is quite a fun read.
November 16, 2019
A lovely, readable book about old roses and the people who serve them.
May 3, 2021
Interesting stories of the recovery of old roses as well as their own special histories told in an easy and entertaining style.
December 9, 2022
Insightful read. Can get a bit boring at times (this book took me almost a year to finish), but it was a cute read all around. 7/10, would recommend to those who want to read something different
October 31, 2025
An excellent book of its ilk.
June 28, 2016
*** 5 Stars = An enduring classic to be read by all; 4 Stars = I LOVE IT! You gotta read it!; 3 Stars = A great book for a specific interest/type of reader/very casual read; 1 or 2 Stars = no comment***
This book is a very, very, very detailed account of hunting for old roses and the history of how the vintage roses came to be rediscovered, re-cultivated, and so popular among rose enthusiasts now. I grew up with parents who always had rose gardens and so I went into this read with some understanding of roses. They are a tricky, wonderful flower to grow and I chose this book because I am interested in them.
I really ended up skimming through a lot of this book because it entailed lists upon lists of complicated rose genealogies and the morphing of rose names and the people who have historically been behind the rose cultivation scene since very early times.
I loved learning about some of the places 'rose hunters' go looking for these original bushes, mainly cemeteries!, but I am sure by this time even those have been picked over. It's a complicated and obsessive hobby.
This book was so well-researched but would only be recommended to someone who is 100% involved with antique roses.
This book is a very, very, very detailed account of hunting for old roses and the history of how the vintage roses came to be rediscovered, re-cultivated, and so popular among rose enthusiasts now. I grew up with parents who always had rose gardens and so I went into this read with some understanding of roses. They are a tricky, wonderful flower to grow and I chose this book because I am interested in them.
I really ended up skimming through a lot of this book because it entailed lists upon lists of complicated rose genealogies and the morphing of rose names and the people who have historically been behind the rose cultivation scene since very early times.
I loved learning about some of the places 'rose hunters' go looking for these original bushes, mainly cemeteries!, but I am sure by this time even those have been picked over. It's a complicated and obsessive hobby.
This book was so well-researched but would only be recommended to someone who is 100% involved with antique roses.
February 8, 2010
I thought this a thoroughly fascinating book on Christopher's quest to find the old roses that fell out of fashion and were almost lost when the new-fangled hybrid tea roses were introduced in the late nineteenth century. Christopher tells of the history of old roses, from the Romans' love of them to the Empress Josephine's fabulous collection at Malmaison, and of the rose enthusiasts who are trying to bring them back, collecting them ("rustling" them, in Texas) wherever they can find them. There are no photographs or illustrations (other than small pen-and-ink drawings at chapter headings), but Christopher describes the roses so vividly that this isn't at all a drawback. Obviously I've become somewhat of a rose freak and would find almost any rose book worthwhile, but I think even a non-rosarian would find this wonderful book engrossing.
June 8, 2011
A nice little book, but I had to keep stopping because i just couldn't handle reading the word "rose" one more time. I'm a florist, so you can bet my customers who ask about garden roses are going to be getting an earful in the future, but overall I found the pacing just slightly draggy. Still a good book and worthwhile if you're genuinely interested in rose history, but perhaps not so much for the less ddicated.
Currently reading
May 5, 2012Unfortunately, Mr. Christopher injects far too much of his own prejudice and opinions of other cultures into this book about roses and the people who grow them. As a southerner, I read his descriptions of southern rose growers and their accents with gritted teeth. He seems to have an opinion on every group. I just read the passage in which he calls the monks who preserved Western Civilization "semiliterate critics."
June 4, 2008
A fascinating look into the history of old roses, many of which had stopped being commercially cultivated when the modern roses were introduced.
March 14, 2011
Beautiful book with fascinating info on old roses. And lovely descriptions.
February 7, 2013
I have read this little book many times. I finally found the hardcover version last year
I am a seed saver & heirloom vegetable researcher ... wish I were a "rose rustler"
I am a seed saver & heirloom vegetable researcher ... wish I were a "rose rustler"
November 18, 2017
This is an an adventure story, this is an historical narrative. This is a great book and a must read if you have any interest in roses. I loved it
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews