[Rose-list] Rose Books/Companion Plants

**"* R* F* <a*@erols.com>**

A book I always enjoy reading in bits and pieces is Thomas Christopher,
In search of lost roses. Summit Books, 1989. No pictures, but the
stories, both of old roses, and the people here and abroad who search
for them!

elle wrote:
> 
> carleen asks:\snip
> > How about the rest of you rose lovers, what are your
> >favorite rose books ?

	Growing your own wedding decorations sounds great fun--having something
for the wedding that's hand done always makes things better.

> The roses I am growing are mostly for y daughters wedding next year.  I'm
> going to try and to the table decorations from my garden.
> I am really interested in the Rose/clematis topic, that sounds like a
> lovely idea and one I would like to incorporate.

	Not just clematis (I don't know how portable the blooms would be). I
have put in some lavender as well. With a year's growth, you could have
quite a bit for the wedding. I've been to one wedding where the church
floor was strewn with it. I also have perennial geraniums in with some
"French" roses, and this spring I put in a few delphiniums and
grysophilia with my David Austin section. I also found some abandoned
boxwoods in the back of my new house, and moved them in, for contrast.
On the one hand, the front now has very little grass to mow (which was
part of the plan, I *hate* mowing lawns), but on the other hand, the
neighbors have never seen anything like it, and I occasionally hear
mutterings, from people who haven't seen the spring bloom, about the
County "authorities" being called. Ah, Suburbia. When I retire, it shall
be to my five acre plot, with a very small house.  

	We've had some talk in the past about "companion plants" for roses.
Maybe, now, with spring planting season here, we could discuss that some
more-- What is everybody else putting along with their roses? But I
think that the idea about growing roses in borders goes beyond that.
Rather than the roses being the central focus, with a supporting cast of
plants, the rose becomes part of an ensemble effort and could get lost
in the crowd.

	My father liked nothing but roses in his beds: he thought it was
healthier for the roses. His sister's garden, on the other hand, went in
for the overgrown, jumbled look. Both had their beauty.

>Anthony Franks
Takoma Park, Md.

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