Rose Reader

A Rose For You

Founder Mike Shoup founded the An- tique Rose Emporium in histor- ic Independence, Texas in 1983 and is considered a key figure in the international renaissance of antique roses. A passionate proponent of the gardening life- style, he has appeared on over 100 panels, educating rosarians and the general public alike about the history and practice of growing roses. Before founding the Antique Rose Emporium Mike started a nursery, focusing on common woody ornamentals for land- scape and retail clients. Mar- ket saturation, however, forced him to seek a niche product in order to stay competitive. His epiphany came when he realized that the strongest, easiest, most beautiful plants were already growing in cemeteries and along quiet roads around him, namely, old roses that had survived de- cades of weather and neglect. He immediately became a “rose rustler”—a rosarian that saves and propagates the tenacious old roses thriving among the over- looked corners of the landscape. Shoup holds a Masters of Ag- riculture in Horticulture from Texas A&M University. He is the author of Landscaping With Antique Roses (1986), Roses in the Southern Garden (2000) and Empress of the Garden (2012). The Antique Rose Emporium has been featured in almost 200 press outlets, including The Smithsonian , The New York Times , Southern Living , Garden & Gun , and National Geographic . Shoup lives just down the road from the Emporium with his wife and partner, Jean Shoup.

T he perceived value of a rose differs from one person to another. Roses are loved and appreciated for various reasons which makes the question of “What makes the perfect rose?” a very subjective question.Most likely it pro- duces fragrant, showy blossoms spring through fall. Perhaps it lacks thorns or has attractive features in the fall and winter. It’d be nice if the perfect rose came in multiple sizes, including climbing. And surely it must thrive in all kinds of weather, all while never succumbing to disease. Could it prune and train itself as well? Such a rose, of course, doesn’t exist … yet. Recent innovations in rose breeding have made many of these traits avail- able in one plant.The emergence of Knockout® roses, for example, has given gardeners a carefree, blackspot-resistant rose with great flower power proving to be a great stepping stone to making roses more desirable . Our mission is to expand on this versatility in all kinds of roses.There is a rose for everyone. At the Antique Rose Emporium we continue to share our favorite roses and breed tomorrow’s favorites with a rose for you in mind. Whether you are

a connoisseur adding to your collection or a busy home- owner looking for an easy- care shrub, we believe we have “a rose for you!” What- ever the quality: cut flowers, naturalizing along fences, thornlessness or intense fra- grance, we know you will find your “perfect” rose among these offerings. “Our greatest aspiration de- pends on both the past and future—not only in saving and celebrating antique roses, but in helping each person find and develop their own personal relationship with a rose, through fragrance and color with joy.”

Please understand that we’re trying to be more environmentally conscious…. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint we are going DIGITAL, elimi- nating our paper, printing and mailing waste but embracing the cyber and digital abilities to quickly provide meaningful, relevant and on target infor- mation. Our catalog is downloadable and other pertinent information can be readily found on our website, www.AntiqueRoseEmporium.com. ©2020 The Antique Rose Emporium

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