Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service
3 total works
By the 1950s, almost exclusively, modern roses (those with one compact bloom at the top of a large stem) were grown for the cut-flower market. The large rounded shrubs and billowy fence climbers known to our grandparents and great-grandparents in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries had been reduced to this rather monotonous single style of plant.
Yet those roses of old still grew, tough and persistent, in farmyards, cemeteries, vacant lots, and abandoned fields. The rediscovery of these antiques and the subsequent movement to conserve them became the mission of "rose rustlers," dedicated rosarians who studied, sought, cut, and cultivated these hardy survivors.
Here, the authors chronicle their own origins, adventures, and discoveries as part of a group dubbed the Texas Rose Rustlers. They present tales of the many efforts that have helped restore lost roses not only to residential gardens, but also to commercial and church landscapes in Texas. Their experiences and friendships with other figures in the heirloom rose world bring an insider's perspective to the lore of "rustling," the art of propagation, and the continued fascination with the world's favorite flower.
Gardeners in Texas and the South face their own special problems with climate and growing seasons, and they need a guide written specifically for the region in order to have the greatest chance of success. William C. Welch's Perennial Garden Color directly fills this need, and for years gardeners have relied on this book to aid their efforts to beautify their outdoor spaces. Now in a new Texas A&M University Press edition, this time-tested classic, dubbed a "masterpiece" by Neil Sperry, is available again.
Lavishly illustrated with more than five hundred breathtaking color photographs, Perennial Garden Color provides detailed information on planting and growing 125 different perennials and their companion plants. Also included are more than a hundred varieties of old garden roses, together with comments on their history and uses.
Welch, a veteran horticulturist and writer, goes beyond detailing individual flowers, however, to emphasize their use in landscape design. He illustrates how to harmonize the color, texture, and shape of perennials, old roses, and companion plants to create an overall effect of grace and elegance. The dozens of photographs of landscape designs offer a wealth of ideas and inspiration.
Focusing special attention on cottage gardens, Welch offers a history of this traditional design and provides the information needed for gardeners to make this style their own.
Written with contagious enthusiasm, Perennial Garden Color is a complete, comprehensive, and authoritative guide to planning and growing a beautiful and colorful garden of perennials in the South.
Heirloom Gardening in the Southis a comprehensive resource that also offers a captivating, personal encounter with two dedicated and passionate gardeners whose love of heritage gardening infuses the work from beginning to end. Anyone who wants to know how to find and grow time-honored and pass-along plants or wants to create and nurture a traditional garden is sure to find this a must-have addition to their home gardening library.
Inside the book:
New essays on naturalizing daffodils, slips and starts, and growing fruit;
A completely updated and expanded heirloom plant encyclopedia; Revised plant lists (bulbs, cemetery plants, etc.)
New material on the creation oftwo of the authors' personal gardens
Building on the popularity of the original edition, this lively, entertaining, and informative new book from two proven experts will be enthusiastically welcomed by gardeners and horticulturists throughout Texas and the South.