Warm Tea?

摘要

There was a time when rose connoisseurs grew Tea roses. Not Hybrid Teas, which are everywhere these days, but the distinctive, different-from-most-other kinds that were once called Tea-Scented China roses. I use the word 'connoisseur' deliberately, because when Teas were introduced to England in the late eighteenth century, only those with greenhouses and conservatories were able to grow a full range of them. Some varieties are very shy of cold weather, and most cannot stand a persistent, hard frost.They do well in southern parts of England or in sheltered areas. Now that there is renewed interest in them -- a wonderful book, Tea Roses: Old Roses for Warm Gardens (Rosenberg Publishing), written by six ladies from Western Australia has just been published -- a new generation of rosarians may want to introduce them to their gardens ... in warmer areas, of course.