Rosa Gallica

Verrier's earlier book, Rosa Rugosa, convinced many gardeners to abandon their hybrid tea roses for the older roses. Her newest book, Rosa Gallica may do the same thing for another type of rose. Promising silken petals in "crimson, purple, mauve, magenta, and intense pink with a few magnificent pale pinks among the ranks," Verrier says that Rosa gallica and their offspring offer tolerence to shade, delicious fragrances, elegant flowers, and leaves that go all the way down to the bottom of the plant. Verrier details the history of the rose and provides a catalog of descriptions and photographs that begins with Abailard and ends with Zoe.