Over the years, I've had many a book on the subject of roses, but this is one you'll want to keep forever. In Roses in the Garden (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2025), author and photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo takes you on a personal journey from her childhood in Vietnam to 11 of the world's most famous rose gardens. As she says in the introduction, "Much has been written about this ancient flower -- 2,500 years ago Confucius counted hundreds of books on the subject in the emperor's library -- but the rose continues to seduce, and I can't resist its siren call. From Asia to America, the protean rose comes in various guises, regal in formal beds, humble in vegetable plots, carefree in meadows, riotous on walls and tree branches....this book offers me a chance to celebrate the rose's enduring beauty and the place it has claimed in gardens all over the world."
The profile of each garden includes numerous photos of singular roses and surrounding landscapes, accompanied by an inspired, beautifully written essay on the history and current status of each. From the Giardino di Ninfa in Italy to the Roseraie de Berty in France, to Sakura Kusabue-no-oka in Japan, Hillside in the UK, and North Sea House in Southampton, NY, you'll encounter roses you know and many others you do not. In the back of the book, there's a selected list of roses featured throughout, a list of rose nurseries in Europe and the United States, and a selection of books that rose lovers may find useful.
You may want to book a stay at Lismore Castle, in County Waterford, Ireland, home to the oldest continually cultivated gardens in Ireland. And you can learn about the castle's history and its current offerings in Lismore Castle (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2025), by Laura Burlington. The castle belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, whose son, William Burlington and his wife Laura, now have responsibility for the castle.
The castle dates back to 1185, and the gardens to the early 1600s. Visitors can wander through the garden's seven acres, home to some spectacular magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and herbacious borders, as well as a sizeable kitchen garden that supplies many of fruits and vegetables that guests enjoy.
In the book, you'll learn about the fascinating history of this property and landscape, and the many famous visitors, including Fred Astaire and JFK. Laura supplies innuberable recipes that are served to visitors, as well as essays about the gardens, the house, the flowers, and the designers who made the castle what it is today. You won't regret booking a stay the next time you're planning a visit to Ireland.
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