CHAPTER XIII 



MOSS ROSES 



Years ago every garden had its Moss rose bush, its 

 Maiden's Blush, and Common Monthly, associated with 

 Lavender, Lad's Love, and Gilliflowers. It would seem 

 that the Moss rose has gone out of fashion, and that it 

 has been displaced largely by the Hybrid Tea. But 

 there is an old-world charm about its mossy buds that 

 appeals to most of us, and no rose garden seems really 

 complete without it. I would put in a plea for these old 

 roses, and if room can only be found for one, let it be the 

 common pink Moss. 



How did the Moss rose originate ? No one seems to 

 know. The Dutch growers introduced it to this country 

 some three hundred and fifty years ago, and it is gener- 

 ally supposed to be a " sport " from the Cabbage or 

 -Provence rose. This seems very feasible, for I have 

 seen blooms of some Moss roses without the mossy 

 covering, and having the appearance of the old Pro- 

 vence. The Moss roses are very liable to " sport " ; 

 some of them give seed very freely, and many 

 varieties have originated ; no fewer than seventy are 

 •enumerated in the catalogue published by M. Jules 

 -Gravereaux. 



The presence of the curious mossy covering on the 



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