We have a winner! First, I just wanted to express my gratitude to all of you that left such lovely comments. When I set this giveaway down I thought, “Gee it would be nice if I get about 10 comments” so imagine my surprise when close to 30 showed up! I so enjoyed reading your responses and thank you for sharing your favorite rose. 🙂
And now, for the winner (selected randomly through random.org)…. Juliette!
Juliette wrote: “I would love a chance to win this! The rose I like most in my garden right now is Queen Of Sweden by DA. voila! juju”
Juliette, thank you for sharing. ‘Queen of Sweden’ is on my (very long) wishlist! I will be messaging you soon for your address and I hope you like extra goodies in your package….hee hee.
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I think it’s safe to say that all of us rose gardeners are feeling pretty bummed that Vintage Gardens is closing it’s doors. (Thank heavens, though, for the work the Friends of Vintage Roses are doing to preserve the collection.)
I have used their site time and again as a learning tool (not to mention have found some of my favorite roses from their collection like ‘Georges Vibert’ and “Arcata Pink Globe”.) Besides their website, The Vintage Gardens Book of Roses by Gregg Lowery and Phillip Robinson is an invaluable resource for the rose lover. No, really, I can’t even describe how much useful information is packed into this wonderful book (and stunning photos.) That’s why I ordered an extra one so I could give it away to one of you lucky ducks!
If you would like to throw your hat in the ring for a chance to win, leave me a comment here so I know you stopped by. This contest is open to EVERYONE regardless of where you live in the world. If you’re feeling up for it, your comment could include your favorite rose. That kind of information is always appreciated by fellow rosarians! 🙂
I’ll leave the giveaway open until next week sometime and then randomly choose a winner. Best of luck!!
Ooooh I love books, and roses, a book about roses is perfection! 🙂 I would love to provide a favorite rose but I simply can not pick just one!
Sign me up! 🙂
My favorite rose… not sure I could pick just one. Any that is in full, fragrant bloom is my favorite at that moment.
Choosing a favorite rose reminds me of the book “Roses A Celebration: Thirty-three Eminent Gardeners on Their Favorite Rose” edited by Wayne Winterrowd. You should read it if you haven’t already.
I would LOVE to win this!
My favorite rose is whichever one is blooming. I’ve just fallen in love with roses in the last year so I’m still ensconced in the blush of young rose love.
My mom ordered me miniature roses from michiganbulbs.com. I planted them on Friday. This book will make me make sure I do the right thing! In the meantime, I’m reading thru this website.
I’m in!!!! 😀
My fave are all! That I grow! I can’t pick one because they are all my fave 😀
I LOVE roses of all kinds! They’re always so pretty and smell so good! I don’t know much about them, so I don’t know the name of my favorite, but it was one that was two shades of orange. It grew at my friends house as a kid and nostalgia has made it my favorite. I’ve never seen roses like it since then! They were like peaches in color 🙂
I want to win this ! 🙂 I don’t know enough to feel confident saying a favorite but I got an Abraham Darby for valentines day and I am in love.
I forgot to mention my favorite rose! I realize this is probably cliché, but Graham Thomas is my favorite because it is so lovely in every way, of course, but also because it is the rose that first sparked my love of English roses. It still enraptures me every time I see it.
Would love to win the book! I am a novice at rose growing, and I’m sure I could learn a lot from it. I bough my first rose two years ago and it’s called Sheila’s Perfume. I always wanted to have roses from my garden in my home and now I do!
I follow you on Instagram and I love
Your website. I’ve never left a comment anywhere before so this is big ;). I have about 80 roses and my very favorite is Madame Hardy. I live on Vancouver Island, Canada.
I’m jealous of whoever gets this! My favorite rose at the moment is probably the unnamed rose that came with our house. She is a once bloomer that has the most delicate pink-white color, climbs with abandon and never has any problem with bugs or disease. A close second is Albertine! She is a vigourous rambler, a beautiful bloomer, and also has the same name as one of the characters in my favorite book!
So many roses, so little time! I love the English roses, especially Claire Austin and Pat Austin, but could never pick only one favorite. I would love to have the book to learn even more about these beauties and to add to my wish list!
Banksiae lutea. It’s not hardy in my zone (6a) though I’ve been tempted to give it a go anyway. I read a story once in Thomas Christopher’s In Search of Lost Roses about a yellow Lady Banks at an old Mission in the west and always think of pioneers and the hard, hard life they led when I see one. How precious, to be able to take something so delicate and beautiful into the unknown.
Would love to win this book!
My favorite color is yellow so of course the Golden Oldie is my favorite. It reminds me of my grandparents house and how my grandpa made the most beautiful rose garden outside my grandma’s bedroom window so she would always see her favorite flowers growing.
My favorite rose is Sydonie. I cut her blooms and carry them around with me in a small white vase to smell time and time again. Because of her scent, I forgive her straggly looks and her occasional pouting. Many of my roses are far better than her and I should bestow another with the title of “favorite,” but when she blooms, I love her best.
I have recently fallen in love with ‘Carding Mill’ roses, along with other gorgeous antique rose types. Anything peach, yellow, or pale pink is sure to catch my eye.
I would love a chance to win this!
The rose I like most in my garden right now is Queen Of Sweeden by DA.
voila!
juju
I would really love to own and read this book! I love roses, more than anything and this book would give me a lot of inspiration :))
Although I love all roses, I always have a soft spot for my Impressionist by Heirloom Roses and Glamis Castle by David Austin. I have visited VintageGarden.com and the site had always helped me in the past in understanding a bit more about my old garden roses.
Started researching container rose growing last year which led me to this site and continue to visit quite often. Would love to have additional research material to help me along this path.
It’s so difficult to pick a favorite rose, they’re all my favorites, especially all of the ones in my garden, but I have to say my DA Gertrude Jekyll and my Weeks Roses Easy Does It floribunda hold special places in my heart and I pray they makes it through to bloom again this year! Easy is at the sweeter end of the fragrance spectrum with peach/pink petals. Gertrude, as you know, is at the floral end of the fragrance spectrum and a gorgeous pink!
I am in love with the overflowing abundance of roses in old master paintings. I would love to be able to create that bit of heaven at home!
I grew Angel Face this past spring and loved the smell! I am relatively new to roses except for The Fairy (who is an astounding little work horse for me!) not having had space until recently to grow more. Your blog has been very inspiring!
My favorite is a three way tie between ‘Falling in Love’, ‘Easy Does It’, and ‘Red Moss’.
I have a few different knockouts that we planted a few years ago that I adore … Like a lot of others on here, I don’t know enough varieties to say a favorite. Was surfing the web actually looking for which type to get next!!! Love this site and would be so happy to get this book!!!
My favorite rose so far is the Pink Don Juan–we have him climbing a ladder like his namesake : ) The fragrance is so rapturous-I cant get enough of it, and it just keeps blooming and blooming all season. And down here in San Antonio the seson has already started!
Abraham Darby is a favorite, I love my Ambridge and climbing Eden roses also…it’s hard to pick one favorite!
Hi, I work at Sissinghurst Castle Garden in the UK where there is a large collection of old roses. One of my favourites is Rosa complicata. I love the colour and the simple beauty of this rose. If you like reading about roses and all things about gardening, you may enjoy reading our blog, http/sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/ Helen (gardener)
thanks for the chance.
I’m so sorry that I missed this. It’s really important to be able to see all the opinions about found roses in order to identify them
carefully. I really wish that Fred Boutin would write his book (founder of Sacramento’s
Historic Rose Garden). There are differences of opinion and it’s wonderfully thought provoking. This book is amazing. My favorite roses right now is a mystery rose
that I found that might be Pickering Four
Seasons rose, it’s scent is heavenly.
Had to look up Pickering Four Seasons and that is a stunner. Gosh, I can practically smell the fragrance! Sometimes those mystery roses turn out to be the best ones, don’t they?