(16 Jan 1937)  Page(s) 5.  
 
Rock Garden Gems
Few plants have captured the imagination of gardeners so completely in recent years as have the miniature roses. In America, the fascinating little Rosa Rouletti, the tiniest of them all, quickly became the rage, and it will be many years before the supply exceeds the demand. The history of R. Rouletti as fascinating as the plant itself. It has never been found growing wild but was known only in the Swiss village of Mauborget, where it was extensively grown by the peasants in pots, as a window plant. Here it was seen by Dr. Roulet, after whom it was named. When later he and the great Swiss authority on alpine plants, Dr. Henri. Correvon, went back to the village to procure a stock, they found Mauborget destroyed by fire, and not a sign of the precious rose to be seen. They were referred to a woman in a neighbouring village who grew the plant, and from her, they obtained a plant. It was from this that Dr. Correvón was able eventually, to raise hundreds of plants, and launch them upon a grateful gardening public. It appears never to have been found elsewhere.
Rosa pumila, a rather larger plant, but yet so small as not to offend the susceptibilities of any rock gardener, has also had a well-merited popularity, but is now superseded by the lovely little Rosa Lawrenceana Oakington Ruby of similar habit, but with deeper-coloured flowers. Rosa Lawrenceana, the Fairy Rose, is a miniature form of the old China or Monthly Rose, R. indica, and once comprised a popular group, extensively used for window boxes. Unfortunately most of the varieties of this group are now extinct. Recently, however, a fine form was rediscovered in a cottage garden, where it had been growing for 70 years, and has been named Oakington Ruby. In flower it is the finest of all the dwarfs. In other respects it resembles R. pumila, the average height being about 12in., and the semi double flowers open to a rich ruby carmine.