Roses in the Garden: Ngoc Minh Ngo’s Poetic Floral Masterpiece

Rizzoli’s recent publication, Roses in the Garden by photographer and author Ngoc Minh Ngo, offers more than glossy imagery and an elegant narrative — it’s an invitation to let the wild in, to tend with heart and to see roses as keepers of time.

I must confess to approaching Roses in the Garden with measured curiosity. Could any tome truly render the rose, ‘Queen of Fowers’, with centuries of poetic weight worthy of such acclaim? Yet, Ngoc Minh Ngo achieves something rare. This is not merely a coffee table compendium of pretty petals, but a meditative journey through places- and history, where roses speak of memory, romance, even grief and the slow passage of time.

The book takes readers to eleven of the world’s most evocative gardens — from the mythic ruins of Ninfa outside Rome to the serene roseclad spaces of Sakura in Japan via Morocco, Spain, England and beyond. Each location is more than scenery — it becomes a living narrative and Ngo’s lens and prose conspire to capture the melancholy and delight of roses scrambling over ancient walls, or draping themselves over fountains as if in slow dance.

Would-be gardeners, don’t be intimidated — hers is not a prescriptive text, but a promise. The roses are not presented as flawless jewels to be tamed, but as wild, generous spirits that thrive when we simply let them — climbing, tumbling, insinuating themselves into the landscape. I, for one, find that deeply encouraging.

The photographs are exquisite — light, colour and form coalesce into images that feel almost alive. The sensory wealth is intoxicating, not least because her words remind us that roses carry more than scent, but history, longing, fleeting beauty. 

There is a romanticism here that resonates with my own belief in gardening as solace, as storytelling, as connection with things larger than ourselves. In the era of tidy, controlled gardens, Roses in the Garden invites us instead to fall in love with imperfection — with spontaneity, with the rose as a living thread that binds us to the gardens (and the people) we love. In short, Roses in the Garden deserves pride of place on your shelf — and perhaps, even a spot in your heart.

Roses in the Garden

by Ngoc Minh Ngo, Instagram: @minh_ngoc

Published by Rizzoli.

Available online at amazon.co.za. 

Credits

Text by Heidi Bertish

Photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo

This article was originally published in the House & Garden September/October issue