Fully illustrated, the charm of his English Roses comes across on every page, even if the reader has to imagine their scent. The Irish Garden Like its highly-respected companion in the series, Old Roses, this title draws the most useful information fr

David Austin's first collection of poetry is the tale of The Breathing Earth: not a metaphor, but a living entity, an ecosystem that is the root of every story. Often drawing on his own life experiences in these personal tales, here is the philosophical, meditative poetry at the heart of the English tradition. David Austin is the author of a number of books in his capacity as the most distinguished breeder of roses and founder of the UK's largest and most prestigious rose-grower, but in The Breathing Earth we find a book unlike any of his other work: the account of a career and a life spent in contemplation of the natural world and human behaviour.

In this age of instant communication and biotechnology on this ever-smaller planet, what kinds of problems have we created for ourselves? How do we tackle them in a world where the accustomed methods used by nation-states may be reaching their natural limits?

This book showcases the range of 14 roses for weddings and special events that David Austin has been perfecting since the 1990s, providing the chance to sample some of the many magic moods that these exceptional cut roses are capable of creating.--INSIDE FLAP.