The Rose: The History of the World's Favourite Flower Told Through 40 Extraordinary Roses

From the first recorded reference to a rose over 7,000 years ago, these extraordinary flowers have captivated botanists, artists, poets, perfumers and gardeners. A symbol of love and patriotism, a scent and flavour synonymous with the East, and the jewel in the crown of ornamental gardens, roses in all their forms bear a special meaning that spans centuries and crosses oceans.Extraordinary botanical illustrations and extracts from classic texts held in the Royal Horticultural society's world-famous Lindley Library, such as Redouté's Les Roses, Henry Andrew's Roses, Mary Lawrence's Selection of Roses and Victor Paquet's Choix des Plus Belles Roses, complete this authoritative celebration.