Roses are captivatingly mysterious and whether decorative, culinary or devotional, it seems they have always been a symbol of love. The Ancient Greeks and Romans associated the flower with their respective goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus. Cleopatra was said to have covered her bedroom floor with rose petals to seduce Mark Antony. The rose's great powers of association have continued ever since. Today about 3,000 rose varieties are commercially available in the United Kingdom and over 14,000 worldwide. There are roses for all kinds of gardeners, even those without a garden. And while there will always be a market for novelty roses, the trend towards naturalistic planting makes the wild allure of species roses highly desirable to the modern gardener. This new book explores the rose's rich history and reveals its incredible variety, from riotous ramblers to perfectly pruned standards.

It celebrates the cream of Britain s classic rose gardens, from the scented romance of Mottisfont to the legendary White Garden at Sissinghurst. Who can resist the delicate beauty of its flowers, its exquisite fragrance and its amazing versatility? A rose is, after all, more than just a pretty flower.