Right Rose, Right Place

By Peter Schneider

Storey Publishing, $29.95, 272 pages

Folks worldwide seem to have some form of deep appreciation for the rose, a lovely, often thorny flowering shrub. Yet, not many gardeners are aware that the placement of roses is itself an art, affecting the plant’s growth and blossoming ability. Peter Schneider, a master rose gardener who grows over 1,200 varieties at his home, generously lays out his considerable experience with getting roses to grow abundantly, and does so with tasteful application.

For folks in apartments, or homes with small yards, there is an entire section devoted to container roses as well as miniatures. What book on roses would be complete without an eye-pleasing array of gorgeous photographs? Schneider does not disappoint, including in his book photography from Ian Adams, Paul E. Jerabek and Rosemary Kautzky. Besides helping gardeners choose a type of rose for the right spot, Right Rose, Right Place contains dozens of pages on growing roses in harmony with other plants, feeding, pruning and watering, which this reader found both helpful and practical. A rose book this well compiled makes one long fervently for spring.

Reviewed by Meredith Greene