Landscape Plants for Eastern North America: Exclusive of Florida and the Immediate Gulf Coast, 2nd Edition

Book Description

"Fill[s] a significant void in the literature on ornamental plant usage.... [The book] is a valuable text and reference work for advanced students, professional plantsmen, and landscape architects and is a welcome addition to the literature." —American Society of Horticultural Science

"This is not only a textbook but a valuable reference work for anyone involved with landscape plants." —American Horticulturalist

Here is the definitive one-stop survey of more than 1500 woody ornamental plants and 2500 cultivars of eastern North America for students and professionals in landscape architecture and design, horticulture, and urban forestry. Written by an esteemed authority in the field, this book includes:

Greatly expanded coverage of plant species, including significantly increased attention to commercial cultivars
Sensible cross-referencing for plant selection based on more than two dozen design criteria, with lists arranged according to such vital factors as size, hardiness, and environmental requirements
Hundreds of crisp textural diagrams portraying each primary species at 15 and 40 years in relation to average human height
More than 400 photographs depicting plants of exceptional visual interest
Maps and graphs, including a full-color map of hardiness zones, offering invaluable visual summaries of major design considerations
Succinct explorations of problems and maintenance issues for each species, diminishing the complications of choosing among high- and low-maintenance plants
An index listing plants by their scientific and common names

Now in its second edition, this book remains the core reference on landscape design in eastern North America—intelligently organized for maximum planning efficiency. Enhanced with up-to-date coverage of additional shrubs, trees, and their cultivars, as well as expanded listings of plants classified by characteristics, Landscape Plants for Eastern North America continues to provide all the information necessary for landscape designing in the region.

This complete guide provides a concise description of each plant species' function, adaptability, seasonal interest, growth rate, common problems, maintenance, cultivars, and related species, along with more than 1000 high-quality scale drawings and hundreds of photographs. And Dr. Flint's book goes beyond many works on landscape plants because of its unique focus on the landscape design process: with cross-referencing in more than two dozen categories based on such design criteria as size, site requirements, and soil prerequisites, readers will easily be able to determine which plants are appropriate to their needs.

Throughout the book, a variety of illustrations provide quick reference on a range of important considerations. A full-color map represents the hardiness zones of the eastern region, and bar graphs indicate such adaptability considerations as light, wind, soil moisture, and pH requirements. For each primary species, a seasonal clock furnishes a straightforward visual delineation of the duration and intensity of color throughout the year.

Encompassing plant life from herbaceous ground covers to large trees, this is a most comprehensive, easy-to-use resource for anyone involved in landscaping in eastern North America.

Customer Reviews:

Eastern North America landscape plants.......2007-04-07

Excellent resource for gardeners referencing plants in Eastern North America. I love it.

Invaluable reference for the landscape professional.......2000-08-26

As a landscape designer, I use this book almost daily as a complement to Michael Dirr's texts. The line drawings of each plant in youth and maturity provide a better idea of its habit than most pictures ever could. The "Problems and Maintenance" section has helped me avoid many potentially inferior plants, and the "Adaptability" information gives a nuanced understanding of wind tolerance, pH, light and water requirements. Finally, the "Seasonal Interest" symbol provides a finely tuned assessment of the plant's attractiveness throughout the year: I use it to find plants with year-around interest. This is a book for professionals who have to live, and die, by their plant recommendations.

Average customer rating:

Tasha Tudor's Garden - Beautiful book!
Inspiration for Gardeners
a beautiful woman
Surprise
a journey to the past

Tasha Tudor's Garden
Tovah Martin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

THE PRIVATE WORLD OF TASHA TUDOR [first print] 1st Ed.
Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts
The Tasha Tudor Cookbook: Recipes and Reminiscences from Corgi Cottage
Forever Christmas
A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays

ASIN: 0395436095

Book Description

Tasha Tudor's poignant art has fascinated adults and children for decades. Her nineteenth-century New England lifestyle is legendary. Gardeners are especially intrigued by the profusion of antique flowers -- spectacular poppies, six-foot foxgloves, and intoxicating peonies -- in the cottage gardens surrounding her hand-hewn house. Until now we've only caught glimpses of Tasha Tudor's landscape. In this gorgeous book, two of her friends, the garden writer Tovah Martin and the photographer Richard Brown, take us into the magical garden and then behind the scenes. As we revel in the bedlam of Johnny-jump-ups and cinnamon pinks, the intricacy of the formal peony garden, and the volumptuousness of her heirloom roses, we also learn Tasha's gardening secrets. How does she coax forth her finicky camellia blossoms in the dead of a Vermont winter? How does she train that fantastic topiary to model for her artwork? How can she keep her crown imperials from tumbling in the winds? Tasha's garden reflects a wealth of family lore, perfected through the years and years of working the soil. We may be dazzled by the beauty of the garden, but we come away from this book with practical ideas about improving our own plots of land. "Paradise on earth" is how Tasha describes her garden, and along with the flowers and the vegetables that provide her food, her paradise is filled with an enchanting menagerie -- corgies, Nubian goats, cats, chickens, fantail doves, and forty or more exotic finches, cockatiels, canaries, nightingales, and parrots, which inhabit her collection of antique cages. Tasha's beautiful watercolors and her enchanting anecdotes color this sublimely beautiful book.

Customer Reviews:

Tasha Tudor's Garden - Beautiful book!.......2007-07-24

I received this book several years ago as a birthday gift. It has beautiful pictures of Tasha Tudor's garden and flowers. I bought it this year for my friends 60th birthday gift. She loves it!

Inspiration for Gardeners.......2007-01-04

This is a wonderful book featuring the garden of children's book author and illustrator Tasha Tudor. Not a gardening how-to book but rather a photographic tour of the garden. It does show that a garden can be at its most charming when not rigidly landscaped but grown in a more naturalistic way. A must for all Tasha Tudor fans bookshelves.

a beautiful woman.......2006-07-24

I have loved Tasha Tudor's illustrations in books like "The Tasha Tudor Book of Fairy Tales", "The Secret Garden" and "A Little Princess" since childhood. I didn't know anything about Tasha Tudor as a person, and then one Christmas my mother gave me this book. Wow! Mrs. Tudor has lived a remarkable life and she is an amazing person. She has chosen to create a home for herself that seems to exist in a century past. Her son built a rustic house for her, and she has surrounded it with extensive farm buildings, cottage gardens, fruits, berries, chickens, goats and dogs. She dresses in layers of vintage clothing and eats off of china that has been in her family for generations. I just love this woman, and her lifestyle. This is a beautiful book.

Surprise.......2005-02-08

I purchased this book years ago... at a bookstore and paid the full price. Had I known about Amazon.com....I could have saved money. Then I could have more books! I strongly recommend this book for all gardeners to add to their home library. Enjoy!

a journey to the past.......2003-01-19

Looking at Tasha Tudor's Garden is like taking a journey to another century, surrounded by beauty and peace. Tasha herself wears 19th century clothes, including petticoats, shawls, and head kerchiefs and lives in an antique-appearing house, going about her life with what seems to be a minimal of technology. The photographs that capture her seeing to the goats in the barn in winter, carrying a basket of hand-pulled weeds in summer, arranging lillies, tulips, peonies and old roses in her lovely old house, and seeing the cottage gardens in bloom are absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes gardeners just need inspiration, and this book is perfect for this. Enjoy.

Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start

Average customer rating:

a huge help for one new to gardening
Decent book, lousy photos
No Juice
Love This Book
perennial combos

Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start
C. Colston Burrell
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Perennial All-Stars: The 150 Best Perennials for Great-Looking, Trouble-Free Gardens
The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs
Creating Beds and Borders: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides)
The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials: 10th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Edition

ASIN: 0875968066

Book Description

Perennial combinations are the building blocks of beautiful, successful gardens. Choosing perennials that look great and grow well together is a skill that can take years to develop, but with this book, you're guaranteed to make perfect plant choices right from the start. In Perennial Combinations, expert plantsman, C. Colston Burrell hand-selects 120 of the best perennial combinations for homeowners, then offers his expert advice on how to grow and use the combinations to create great gardens.Each combination is featured in a stunning color photograph accompanied by a numbered photo key and plant list, so it's easy to find and buy exactly the right plants to re-create the combination in your own garden. Each combination features just two to six plants, so they're perfect for even the smallest garden space. You can plant each combination just as it appears in the book, or for a bigger color splash, just repeat the combination or mix it with others that are suited to the same conditions. You'll find combinations for stunning bloom from spring through fall; combinations especially suited to challenging sites like heavy clay soil or seaside gardens; and combinations just for fun, like fragrant combinations and combinations that attract butterflies.C. Colston Burrell has lived and gardened in different climates across America, so he's made sure this book is useful to gardeners from California to Maine. He's also a professional garden designer, and he's applied his talents to create 22 original garden designs that feature the book's individual combinations. Plus every page includes his personal gardening wisdom, so you'll not only know which perennials to plant together, you'll know how to maintain those perennials so your garden will look beautiful year after year.

Customer Reviews:

a huge help for one new to gardening.......2007-09-21

Being pretty new to perennials but having read many books I was having sort of a writers block when it came to WHAT to put in my new garden.

I knew all about HOW but with so many choices I was overwhelmed!

This book has a good number of templates to give you a jump start and many outstanding photos of combinations of flowers that work together. In fact this has some of the best photos I have ever seen in a garden book.

It also covers difficult situations like what works in Heavy Clay and wet sites an so forth.

My plan was a butterfly garden and they had the perfect template for a 12x8 garden.

Excellent book for beginners or people that are looking for new combinations!! My fav book so far. (out of the 30 I have looked at).

Decent book, lousy photos.......2007-04-25

One of the drawbacks of buying gardening books online is that you can't see the photos. If I had thumbed through this book I don't think I would have purchased it. Not that it doesn't have a lot of good information and ideas. It's just that the photos are, for the most part, awful. The color is garish and over-saturated and the images actually look blurry. Also, many of the plant combo photos are very close up, which doesn't help when you are trying to figure out how to place your perennials when planting. For me, a good gardening book has to not only give useful information and how-tos (which this book does for the most part), but it has to inspire with lovely photos! And that is where this book fails.

No Juice.......2007-03-29

This book was (is) a big disappointment, containing as it does nothing new regarding perennnial combining that isn't covered in at least a dozen or more recent and more interesting books, not to mention the classics. This is perennial combining 202 with no spark of imagination in the pairings that can make a garden jump for joy. The photography is so ordinary and the color is extremly garish. Is that due to the Digital Imaging Specialists Dale Mack and Jane Ramsey or what? I can find no photographic credits (except for the cover) which is probably just as well. Obviously in a book this size (351 pages), from someone who is as accomplished as Mr. Burrell, there is useful information to be gleaned but I already have books that serve that purpose. If I had seen this in a book store, having thumbed through it for a few moments, I would never have bought it. However, if you are just beginning your library of perennial books this one may be useful to you.

Love This Book.......2007-03-22

Although I have a plethora of gardening books, this one stands out as one of my favorites. It shows a picture example on every page. It has planting diagrams (garden plans) so you can duplicate what you see and it gives a lot of information about the plants. It's the best of both worlds - you can use the information and get creative, or follow the plans and duplicate what you see. Either way, you'll have a great garden!
Although I've been gardening for a good many years, it's nice to have a reference as to how things will look together, instead of my usual "plant it here and hope for the best" approach! I'm tired of moving my plants every year.
I bought my book over the winter and it's a great "dream" book. Now I can't wait till I can get out there and put it all to good use!

perennial combos.......2007-02-16

This is a wonderful guide to planning and developing a perennial garden. The author gives examples for numerous planting condition,such as shade, sand, clay. I can't wait for spring!

Ortho's All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams

Average customer rating:

Great Ideas
Fairly detailed
Ortho's Building Ponds
Great Teaching Tool
GREAT STARTER

Ortho's All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams
Ortho
Manufacturer: Ortho
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide
Smart Guide: Ponds & Fountains: Step-by-Step Projects (Smart Guide)
Complete Guide to Water Gardens: Ponds, Fountains, Waterfalls, Streams
Sunset Garden Pools: Fountains & Waterfalls
The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden

ASIN: 0897214730
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Book Description

A practical, easy-to-understand guide to adding both still (ponds) and moving (waterfalls and streams) water features to any garden.

Includes complete, easy-to-follow instructions on designing, establishing, and caring for a variety of eye-pleasing water projects.

More than 220 vivid photographs and illustrations, plus detailed instructions, make this guide a must-have for garden enthusiasts looking to plan and build a water feature.

Expert advice on selecting the right fish and plants for embellishing any backyard aquatic paradise.

Solution-based format inspires homeowners to confidently create water havens in their own yards.

With an additional 32 pages of information, this second edition provides the very best instructions for building ponds, waterfalls, and streams.

Customer Reviews:

Great Ideas.......2006-11-03

The book was great for visualizing what we wanted and to convey that to our landscape architect. It also provided good information regarding care of a pondless waterfall.

Fairly detailed.......2006-03-07

This book isnt overly long and filled with over the top water gardening items most people cant afford. The applications discussed a common and to the point. The

contenet isnt bad for a beginning pond builder but you can gather most information from the book from websites online like pondmegastore or lilypons.

Beginners & Novices go ahead.

Ortho's Building Ponds.......2005-09-07

Gives how to, how much, where and why. Probably the best pond construction book I bought.

Great Teaching Tool.......2005-05-21

Great book to learn about building water gardens. Excellent resource and I would highly recommend it.

GREAT STARTER.......2005-03-16

This book is excellent for the price and with a handyman mentallity you might be able to figure our the blind spots yourself and commence your pond.

Average customer rating:

simply the best book available on bamboo
The Bible of Bamboo Cultivation
Great book
Great book
EXCELLENT BAMBOO BOOK

Bamboo for Gardens
Ted Jordan Meredith
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ornamental Plants | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Hardy Bamboos: Taming the Dragon
The Book of Bamboo: A Comprehensive Guide to This Remarkable Plant, Its Uses, and Its History
Building Bamboo Fences
American Bamboos
How to Build with Bamboo

ASIN: 0881925071

Book Description

Bamboos evoke an exotic atmosphere wherever they are used — unfortunately, they are too often kept out of our gardens for fear of their invasive qualities or lack of hardiness. In truth, these elegant grasses, encompassing both woody and herbaceous forms, can achieve dramatic yet restrained effects in a range of climates. Their uses include both the ornamental, offering striking foliage and culms, and the practical, such as for screening or erosion control, not to mention the culinary treat of bamboo shoots and the structural qualities of the culm wood. Tropical and subtropical bamboos present many possibilities for landscapes in warmer climates, while the hardier species can be grown as far north as Minnesota in the United States and in the cooler climes of England and continental Europe. Bamboo culture has a long and distinguished legacy in East Asia, but much remains to be explored by Western gardeners and landscapers.

Bamboo expert Ted Jordan Meredith provides a thorough and multifaceted treatment of these ancient grasses, covering origins and history, structure and form, cultivation and propagation, landscaping, and taxonomy and identification. He offers insight into selecting the right plant for the right situation, and presents useful advice on the best methods for containing or eradicating potentially invasive forms. The bulk of the book is an encyclopedia of bamboo genera, species, and cultivars. More than 300 bamboos from 40 different genera are described in detail, including information on size, lighting and temperature requirements, native range, physical characteristics, and landscape and other uses. Meredith's excellent color photos and clear line drawings effectively illustrate both the details and broader effects of these exquisite plants.

Customer Reviews:

simply the best book available on bamboo.......2007-07-12

Since I became interested in growing bamboo several years ago, I have reviewed every book I could find on the subject. None compare with Mr. Meredith's book. It is very conprehensive, easy and interesting to read, and the only book one needs on the subject whether he/she is a novice who wants to grow a few plants in the backyard, or a person who has a historical or scientific interest in bamboo. It also has many full color photos and illustrations.

In summary, it is a complete, easy to understand and interesting book on the subject of bamboo. One could not ask for more on the subject.

The Bible of Bamboo Cultivation.......2006-10-23

I am a bamboo grower and member of the Northern California Chapter of the American Bamboo Society. I have praised Meredith's book in two articles for the ABS magazine BAMBOO so I might as well do so here. It is really the bible of bamboo cultivation, answering every question-- well just about! As every bamboo grower knows, problems often arise for which one is unprepared-- for instance this season I found slugs living inside my bamboos and eating them from within! But Ted is available to respond to such questions, although he may not thank me for saying so here-- try contacting him first through his publisher. One thing I really like about him is that he is not, in contrast to some bamboo growers who think they know one's own environment better than one knows it oneself, dogmatic. He is very open-minded and thoughtful, listening carefully to what one says and responding in a balanced fashion. However, I must say that his book is not exactly a good guide to the first-time bamboo grower. There are so many facts that one tends to read it and then forget them until one runs into problems later. It is best kept as a reference book, although I highly recommend looking through his discussion of the various species before one decides to buy a bamboo. This is a book for serious bamboo growers, not people who think of bamboo as a mere hedge around their yard, but those who seek a gorgeous centerpiece to their garden which may eventually grow to be seventy feet tall with stalks which are several inches in diameter.

Great book.......2006-03-27

This is a great book for people considering bamboo gardening. Practical advice and useful information.

Great book.......2005-09-01

This book has great, crisp, clear, modern looking pictures that are excellent. It is a good book for taxonomy and identification, but has almost nothing about construction techniques, projects to make, etc. Definitely worth the price, but if you are looking to make things from bamboo, this is not the book for you.

EXCELLENT BAMBOO BOOK.......2005-05-26

This is an excellent book on bamboo. It is detailed and thorough. It is ten times better than "The Temperate Guide to Growing Bamboos" by Bell, which is just an awful book on the subject. This book is the opposite. Worth every penny and will be a valuable resource for me throughout the years ahead. The author covers just about every aspect of growing bamboo, botony of bamboo and harvesting bamboo. It didn't get 5 stars because it lacks more study on container plants, but where it did lack it more than made up for it in other areas. A great book that is a must have. You should definitely buy this book. If you buy any book on bamboo, you should make this a definite buy. You won't regret it.

The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden

Average customer rating:

The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden
Phillip Swindells
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams (Ortho's All About Gardening)
The Ponder's Bible
How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide
The Complete Guide to Water Gardens, Ponds & Fountains (Complete Guide)
Smart Guide: Ponds & Fountains: Step-by-Step Projects (Smart Guide)

ASIN: 0821227963

Book Description

Water has featured prominently in garden designs for thousands of years. Its appeal to the sensesits visually compelling light and movement and soothing splashing and bubbling soundsstill attracts the imagination of gardeners worldwide. With a wealth of practical ideas and tips on water gardening, this indispensable book helps minimize the problems faced in building and maintaining a water garden, and maximizes the pleasure a well-designed water garden can give. Including design optionsfor every aesthetic, space, and budgetthis guide is not only practical but inspirational.

Creating Beds and Borders: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides)

Average customer rating:

Highly Recommended - Especially for Newbies
A useful collection
A useful collection
Fine Gardening Design Guide to island beds and borders

Creating Beds and Borders: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides)

Manufacturer: Taunton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscaping Your Home: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides)
Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start
The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs
Exploring Garden Style: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides) (Fine Gardening Design Guides)
Designing with Plants: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides) (Fine Gardening Design Guides)

ASIN: 1561584738
Release Date: 2001-01-15

Book Description

Creating Beds and Borders covers everything from layout to plant selection. Aimed at the North American gardener, the information is based on the experiences of 15 top designers who stress experimenting with color, texture, and form; show how to use color to dazzling effect; and promote the idea of leaving some of the design to chance. Lee Anne White is the former editor of Fine Gardening.

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended - Especially for Newbies.......2004-06-09

I admit it, I know nothing about gardening. I just figured out the difference between an annual and a perennial. This book is amazing. It's simple and easy to use. The book is mostly pictures but there's also descriptions of what plants are included in the pictures. You can also learn how to draw bed layouts. If you're new to gardening, pick this one up for some great idea.

A useful collection.......2003-12-06

Beds and borders are the heart of most gardens and finding new ideas for creating and improving them is always a treat. In this book Taunton Press has collected more than twenty of the best articles on the topic from its "Fine Gardening" magazine. They deal with issues such as design strategies, plants, techniques, and there is a special section on problem solving. Each article has a tiny photo and very brief bio of the writer so you get a sense of their background.

The illustrations in these books, as in most Taunton books, are just gorgeous and the individual topics are well chosen. My favourite was "Lacing the Border with Beauty" which showed ways to lighten the border with lacy foliage and delicate flowers. The writer came up with ideas I'm dying to try, along with a list of lacy garden plants.

Each article has a fresh approach, new ideas to solve problems such as a hot climate, wet soil, rocky soil and techniques for choosing and planting shrubs, perennials and annuals.

The pleasure of books of collected articles is that you get a taste of many approaches without having to wade through thousands of words from any one writer, This lightness of touch, together with the careful selection of articles and first class illustrations make this book a delight.

A useful collection.......2003-12-06

Each article has a fresh approach, new ideas to solve problems such as a hot climate, wet soil, rocky soil and techniques for choosing and planting shrubs, perennials and annuals.

Fine Gardening Design Guide to island beds and borders.......2001-05-01

"Creating Beds and Borders" is a volume in the series of 'Fine Gardening' Design Guides issued by the Taunton Press. The book consists of separate articles by various contributors to 'Fine Gardening' magazine. Continuity is supplied by the subject matter, garden beds and borders.

This book's articles are grouped into four sections: (1) Design Strategies; (2) Great Border Plants; (3) Special Techniques; (4) Garden Gallery. It begins with four articles on the design of island beds and borders. Plant selection and placement are the topics covered by the majority of the essays, along with techniques for starting and renovating perennial beds. Gardening in the shade, in bogs, and in Southeastern heat and humidity all receive special attention in section four.

The one topic I felt could have used more coverage was flower bed edging techniques. One of the authors advocated a six inch by six inch trench to separate the bed from its surroundings. Another author, Sydney Eddison wrote an interesting article on "Good Looks Begin at the Edge," but she concentrates on edging plants, rather than on the physical separation of bed and lawn. Perhaps a future volume in the 'Fine Gardening' series will address the challenge of excluding the lawn from the flower bed (information I could certainly use).

Because it discusses a technique we're currently experimenting with, my favorite article in "Creating Beds and Borders" is "Roses Enliven a Border" by Judith C. McKeon. Up until a few years ago, we segregated all of our roses into one bed, away from the other perennials (I don't remember why). However, McKeon advocates growing roses as specimens in a mixed border:

"When shrub roses are grown as graceful specimens in the mixed border, they become part of its architecture, giving structure and a substantial backdrop for perennial companions. Like other ornamental deciduous shrubs, roses enhance the garden with the seasonal interest of their flowers, foliage texture and fruit displays."

I would only disagree with McKeon's recommendation to use the old Alba rose, 'Konigin von Danemark' as part of a mixed border. Our specimen of 'the Queen' is a hefty seven-footer and she is absolutely covered with thorns. Even the thorns have thorns. If you plant one of these royal ladies in your border, you'll never work in there again unless you cover yourself in leather.

'Konigin von Danemark' is a beautiful, raspberry-scented rose that could possibly be used as a deer hedge. For a mixed border, try other McKeon favorites such as 'The Fairy' or 'Gertrude Jekyll'.

Color photographs grace almost every page of "Creating Beds and Borders". It is not organized as a reference book per se, but is a collection of beautifully illustrated and well-written essays for (most particularly) the American gardener.

Country Living Gardener Window Gardens: For Windows, Walls, Decks and Balconies
Average customer rating:
Country Living Gardener Window Gardens: For Windows, Walls, Decks and Balconies
Steve Roberts , and Jane Forster
Manufacturer: Hearst
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Window Boxes: Indoors and Out ; 100 Projects & Planting Ideas for All Four Seasons

ASIN: 1588160718

Book Description

“The book explores the planting of window boxes in both traditional and modern designs, and shows how to plant more than 30 miniature garden projects with easy to follow instructions. A good reference to keep in your library.”—Chicago Sun-Times.

Average customer rating:

basic
Very very basic book
A clear, concise, and informative book

Creating a Butterfly Garden
Marcus Schneck
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Stokes Butterfly Book : The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior
Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book)
Creating a Hummingbird Garden
National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard Wildlife (National Wildlife Federation)
Butterfly Gardening: Creating Summer Magic in Your Garden

ASIN: 0671892460

Book Description

Plan a colorful paradise for butterflies in your garden by planting and maintaining the kinds of flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants that these fluttering beauties will find irresistible. This lovely and practical guide offers a variety of garden plans designed to attract butterflies, and helps you select plants for different stages in their lives, from food plants for caterpillars to nectar plants for adults. As these gorgeous visitors flock to your fragrant garden, you'll enjoy referring to the butterfly identifier included in Creating a Butterfly Garden. From detailed gardening information to fascinating facts on the life cycles of these winged creatures, here is everything you need to know to let a butterfly sanctuary blossom in your backyard.

Customer Reviews:

basic.......2002-08-11

A good starter book but you can find more info by just looking on the web. It does have some good layouts for gardens but my issue was I wanted native plants and they don't tell you in this book if they're native or if they came from asia or elsewhere. I found other references that were far better but this is a start. Its just very basic.

Very very basic book.......2001-08-06

There are much better books on buttrerfly gardening out there than this one - I recommend Butterfly Gardening by the Xerces Society. Its got not only the plants that butterflies like but also the lifecycle of butterflies. Creating A Butterfly Garden is like the hummingbird gardening book by the same author - very very basic with listings of plants and drawings of gardens but little more. You can get what's offered in these books off the internet. I ended up spending a little more to get a decent book that got me further below the surface and have a great butterfly garden going - variety is the key. The more kinds of flowers, the more kinds of butterflies. Its important to recognize that to have butterflies you need to have caterpillars too and they are fun to provide for and watch develop as well

A clear, concise, and informative book.......1999-03-19

This little book clearly describes the life cycle of a butterfly and what a garden needs to attract and retain butterflies. The descriptions of plants are brief but provide enough information for further research should one desire. The plants are organized by season which is very helpful. There is a nice butterfly identification section in the back of the book to round out the enjoyment of a garden. The author even lists some butterfly suppliers for those who want a head start on nature. This book is perfect for successfully planning and implementing a butterfly garden.

Roses Love Garlic: Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers

Average customer rating:

Just as good as the Carrots book
Roses love Garlic
Companion veggie gardening
More about "Other Secrets" than "Companion Planting"
Companion planting at its finest

Roses Love Garlic: Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers
Louise Riotte
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening
Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener
Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling,No Weeding, No Kidding!

ASIN: 1580170285

Book Description

This sequel to Carrots Love Tomatoes lists hundreds of herbs and flowers, with information on how their proximity can maximize the health and yield of vegetables, berry bushes, and fruit and nut trees. This edition features a dozen illustrated garden plans. 178,000 copies in print.

Customer Reviews:

Just as good as the Carrots book.......2007-07-19

Good companion book to Carrots Love Tomatoes. A must have for the gardener whether professional or homegrown.

Roses love Garlic.......2007-07-08

Recently purchased this book and find it very useful, not only from the types of roses but for all the other things that you would never think of doing with them. A nice book for gardeners and anyone interested in roses to have

Companion veggie gardening.......2007-01-10

I originally bought this book over 20 years ago from Rodale press and lost it in one of my many moves. It is an excellent resource for companion and inter-planting of flowers, many of which are edible, with vegetables. I now garden in containers and the concepts in this book lend themselves easily to this kind of gardening.

More about "Other Secrets" than "Companion Planting".......2001-10-19

I was a bit disappointed in this book. There were some references as to what plants complement each other, and what ones are used to repel certain insects, but those references were too few and buried deep within certain textual descriptions of various plants. Many, if not most, plant references did not even have companion planting information. Then there were the chapters referring to cosmetics, fragrances, and skin care that better belonged in a health and beauty aid book. I will be looking for a different book to supply my needs on companion planting--but this time will preview the book at a bookstore or library so I know what I am getting.

Companion planting at its finest.......2000-05-25

Roses Love Garlic is a great book for novice and experienced gardeners alike. For the beginning gardener, chapter 19 offers many sample garden plans for both small and large plots. The more experienced gardeners might enjoy chapters 12 and 13 which provide projects involve dried flowers and the use of natural dyes. My personal favorite is chapter 7, "Companion planting with flowers and herbs." This book is a must own for anyone interested in chemical free gardening.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books