About Stephen
Rosarian Stephen Scanniello is the world-renowned gardener, historian, author, lecturer, designer and consultant for gardens public and private. He currently serves as curator of the internationally acclaimed Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden, and as consultant and rosarian for the Helen S Kaman rose garden of Elizabeth Park Conservancy in West Hartford, CT.
Early in his career through the 1980s and 90s, Stephen earned recognition as the gardener and curator responsible for transforming and bringing international attention to the Cranford Rose Garden of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He has continued independently ever since—inspiring horticultural professionals, amateurs and gardening organizations of every kind with his passion, talent and inestimable knowledge of roses, horticulture and gardens.
Decades in service to creating and maintaining gardens for public spaces and private clients throughout the United States and internationally brought him in 2015 to assume the position of Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden Curator at New York Botantical Garden.
He serves as consultant to the Elizabeth Park Conservancy in West Hartford, Connecticut, where he has directed ongoing restoration of the Helen S Kamen Rose Garden, a national landmark that is also the oldest public rose garden in America.
His frequent lectures offer visual tours of Stephen’s many gardening adventures for the love of roses, while classes and workshops provide lessons in planting, pruning and maintaining roses for gardeners of all ages and levels of experience.
He serves as a judge for international rose trials, including the prestigious Concours International de Roses Nouvelles de Bagatelle, held annually in Paris, France.
Stephen has authored or co-authored five books:
Roses of America (1990, Holt) and Climbing Roses (1994, Prentice Hall/Horticulture, now Macmillan), both with Tania Bayard.
Rose Companions (2005, Cool Springs Press) is about selecting the perfect companion plants for your roses.
The American Horticultural Society selected his third book, A Year of Roses (1997, Holt) as one of the Ten Best Books in Horticulture for 1997. An updated edition of this award-winning classic was released in May 2006 (Cool Springs Press).
His latest book, co-authored with Douglas Brenner, A Rose by Any Name (2009, Algonquin), relates the stories behind rose names.
He is currently the president of the Heritage Rose Foundation and a member of the American Rose Society, Dallas Area Historic Rose Society and Central Florida Heritage Rose Society.
Since 2019, Stephen has served on the Advisory Board for Rose Rosette Disease research by Texas A&M and University of Tennessee.
Notable gardens that bear the stamp of Stephen’s creation include Heritage Rose Garden at Elizabeth Park; Ruth’s Rose Garden on the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida; the restored rose garden at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Garden and Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts; and the Heritage Rose District of New York City, encompassing historic sites throughout Harlem in Manhattan.
He is an advisor and member of the board of directors for Remember Me Rose Garden in Stoystown, Pennsylvania, dedicated to the heroes aboard United Flight 93, who bravely sacrificed their lives on 9/11 preventing a terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In recognition of Stephen’s lifelong dedication and countless contributions to American gardens and gardening, he was awarded the prestigious Jane Righter Rose Medal from the Garden Club of America in 2013 and was named an honorary member of The Garden Club of America in 2015, among the highest accolades conferred by GCA. He is also recipient of a Horticulture Commendation awarded to him by the Garden Club of America Zone 4 in 2008 for his efforts in the preservation of old garden roses.
Stephen was the recipient of the GROW (Great Rosarian of the World) Award for 2009.
In 2015, Stephen was honored by the New York Botanical Garden alongside Dame Julie Andrews for his ongoing work with the preservation and conservation of heritage roses.
He lives and gardens Barnegat, New Jersey.
Popular Quotes:
That is the traditional way. My grandfather who grew roses did it. Is is the traditional way for roses to be treated as special Flowers.
I think for homeowners, it is easy to break tradition and use them as garden plants.
Gardening is supposed to be all about trying. Don’t plant and walk away. Maybe it doesn’t work. Try something else,… Don’t expect the garden to be left on its own. …it required work. That is the fun.
Roses are my favorite flower. I developed a passion for them. And in my own garden, I didn’t want to be fussing with just roses. I enjoyed other plants as well.
