About the Author

Stirling Macoboy, who died in 2005, was born in Victoria, Australia. His career in horticulture took him all over the world and he was the author and photographer of more than forty books on gardening. Macoboy came from a long line of gardeners: his great-grandfather, William Stirling, was a professional nurseryman in Australia in the 1840s and '50s; his grandfather was a well-known amateur gardener; and he was a descendant of the Reverend William Mason, author of the 1783 classic The English Garden. Tommy Cairns currently serves as President of the World Federation of Rose Societies for 2003-2006. An authority on all aspects of growing roses, Cairns is a frequent contributor to many rose publications. He was awarded the Klima Medal of the American Rose Society for excellence in rose education in 2000 and the prestigious Dean Hole Medal of the Royal National Rose Society in 2005. The Scottish born Cairns lives in Studio City, California.