Nearly forty years ago The Old Shrub Roses (1955) brought to public attention the favorite roses of the early nineteenth century, the intensely scented Damasks, the rich and sombre Gallicas, the Albas with their unique combination of elegance and thriftiness - all ancient races rediscovered with the help of nurserymen and aficionados in the United States. Over the following ten years Graham Thomas did the same for other neglected groups. Shrub Roses of Today (1962) identified the species and hybrids from Japan and North America, from English and Scottish hedgerows and from the mountains of China, full of virtues then unrecognized. It also described the roses of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, the Chinas and hybrid Musks redolent of lace-encrusted tea gowns and weekend house parties of the Golden Age. To complete the picture and indicate alternatives to the garish and formless Floribundas, Climbing Roses Old and New (1965) considered ramblers and climbers of more grace and subtlety like 'Adelaide d'Orleans', ideal for a tall archway, or 'Desprez a fleur jaune' now more than 150 years old but still incomparable in covering a large wall with silky blooms and filling the garden with scent twice a year.
