'roses, roses all the way' Browning

While my book addiction covers lots of garden subjects, probably the first and greatest is that of roses and rose literature. Since the late 1960s I have indulged myself in purchasing both roses and books about them. What this means is that now I have a large (too large?) number of books about roses and rose gardens, as well as a large (too large?) number of roses. The question of too muchness arises when contemplating both space and energy. I find that at going-on-77 the energy equation shifts, and I need to downsize tasks. Of course I also need to downsize my library, since all the bookshelves are filled and I have stacks on the floor and in the closet. So - what to keep, what to pitch? I am thinking of doing an individual assessment of each rose book, and giving it a save or delete mark. The roses themselves seem to be doing their own prioritizing. Some are thriving, obviously doing well on what I have to give them. Others fade away, and obviously are on their way out. So - where to start?



I think I will begin with the rose book which probably is the most influential. That has to The Old Shrub Roses, by Graham Stuart Thomas, which started me on my commitment to old roses. This book is distinguished by being signed by Mr. Thomas himself. Although my friend Bill Grant tells me he has letters from Graham Thomas, and other contacts, (perhaps a bit of horticultural or literary bragging?,) I find the signature exciting enough for me. I later acquired his other two books on roses, Shrub Roses of Today and Climbing Roses Old and New, and then the revised compendium, The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book, all of which are valuable, but I treasure most the first.