Romance of the roses
There’s no shame in admitting you’re better suited for arm- chair rose cultivation than the real deal. For those who know they prefer the romance of the rose to the reality, Molly and Don Glentzer have assembled “Pink Ladies & Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses.” The slim volume is filled with elegant photos of history’s most storied roses, and the tales that elevated them to near mythic status.THE KINDEST CUT
Pruning made easier
One of the thorny realities of being a rose gardener is that there will be pruning. Fiskars can’t take the blood out of cutting the dead wood from your blooming bushes, but the company’s new Power-Pivot Bypass Pruners can take some of the hand pain away. The tool — available in two sizes — puts the pivot point behind your hand and the cutting action between your two strongest fingers. The position forces a more natural cutting motion, something akin to how it feels to break away buds with your bare hands, the company says. Small opens to cut through 1/2-inch branches, large nips away at canes 5/8-inch thick. Available online, just a click away from detailed rose pruning instructions.
$22.50, Clarkson Potter/Publishers
$15.99-$18.99,
