Book Description
A gorgeous celebration of the shade garden-featuring nearly 300 perennials, annuals, bulbs, ferns, ornamental grasses, and climbing plants that will thrive without direct sunlight. A shaded garden can be a soothing sanctuary that even the most dedicated sun worshipper can welcome on a hot summer day. But how do you get plants to grow in a spot where trees and shrubs hide the sun? In this stunning volume, garden expert Larry Hodgson shows how to create a lush and lovely garden filled with plants that will flourish in the shade. "I can think of no better book than Making the Most of Shade by Larry Hodgson. One the stars of the gardening scene in Quebec, Hodgson has been a popular freelance garden writer for years. His book features more than 200 top-performance shade plants and gives very practical growing tips as well as Hodgson's personal observations of each plant. -- The Vancouver Sun Hodgsons new book Making the Most of Shade is a fine example of good research coupled with lots of hands-on experienceit is a wonderful book. -- The Gazette Books such as this should be required reading before hitting the garden stores. -- The Province "Not only does this guidebook tell you how to grow in the shade, it profiles the plants you'll need, when to plant them, bloom colour, bloom duration, height and soil preference. It can also turn any amateur into an old pro with plant pronunciations (quick, how do you say euonymus? -- yew-ON-i-mus)." -- Ottawa Citizen Hodgsons book is indeed a wondrous guide to designing and maintaining a shade garden, with suggestions on what to plant if a shady nook is what you desire. -- Toronto Sun
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring book for the beginner shade gardener.......2007-07-22
As someone who lives in an urban area I had little choice in the amount of shade in my garden. I've found Hodgson's book to be an exciting read with lots of inspiring photos, plans, and useful tidbits. I did have a few disappointments with this book but they were pretty minor.
The small, close-up photos in the plant index are great for showing detail, but are not so great at giving the reader an idea of what the whole plant looks like, how it sits, whether it is compact or expansive, etc. As a beginning gardener I had to look elsewhere for more "in context" photos of the plants.
A chapter on shrubs for shade would also have been helpful.
These gripes aside, I've found this book to be a great help in designing my urban shade garden and would recommend to any beginner gardener looking for inspiration.
gardening newbie loves this book.......2007-07-15
I'm in the middle of landscaping our very shady yard & this book has been indispensible! We have lived here nearly 7 years & have done little exterior work except add rock. We didn't know where to begin! Wanting to sell next year has spurred us into action & I'm grateful for the advice in Hodgson's book.
Plants for shaded gardens.......2007-06-15
A thoroughly detailed informed book for each plant mentioned in the book. Well worth buying.
Each feature goes into depth about the plant. The author knows his plants.Excellent purchase.
Great book!.......2007-06-14
I'm not a gardener, but I need to learn about growing things in shady places. This book is wonderful, easy to read, pretty to look at, and simple enough for an uninformed person. At the same time, it has lots of good info that even an experienced gardener could learn.
I can hardly wait to get out into the dirt!
I love this book!!.......2007-04-05
This is the best book I ever bought. I'm a shade lover, due to easy care and most of all...hostas. Until I read Larrys comments on shade, I thought I was the only one who wished my entire yard was shade, and that I may be a lazy gardener. Not anymore! This book is packed full of great ideas for shade gardens, and lots of tips. Theres also plants biographies of those that do well in shade, and he continually reminds you that many "sun" plants do well in light shade. I enjoyed the section on starting a new garden from scratch. His sense of humor is great and its easy to read and well organized. This is a MUST HAVE for those that enjoy shade gardening, and for those who think shade is their enemy. You'll have a new respect for shade after reading this book.
Book Description
The author of Secrets of Plant Propagation returns with this revised edition of his book Pruning Simplified. This edition contains more than 300 step-by-step illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Pruning Made Easy.......2007-09-29
An excellent guide for pruning everything in the garden. Diagrams are clear and easy to follow. After looking at more that 20 books on pruning, Pruning Made Easy was my choice and I am very satisfied.
Pictures are worth one thousand words!.......2007-02-27
I like this book so much - this is the third copy I have purchased this year! (I keep giving my copy away to family members who desperately need it.) The black line drawings are what keep bring me back to this one book for all of our pruning needs. We have berry bushes (some wild and some we planted ourselves), flowering shrubs, fruit trees, a bonzi tree, a dogwood, grape vines, 3 old Oaks trees and 2 young Walnut trees. This ONE BOOK has helped us to care for each of them according to their needs and age. It has helped turn my brown thumb into green.
PRUNING.......2007-01-09
This book was very helpful for the gardener with lots of trees and shrubs
Highly Recommended.......2006-09-03
If you're looking for a good basic book on pruning this is it. I purchased the Ortho book on Pruning and it was a terribe. I went to the library and rented several books on pruning and this was by far the best.
O.K.......2004-12-15
I was somewhat disappointed when this book came. I was expecting a detailed description on pruning individual types of trees. For example, I wanted a book that I could look crepe myrtle up in the index go to that page and have a detailed description on how and when to prune. Crepe Myrtle is not even in the index. I am going to buy the Southern Living Gardening book now.
Book Description
This comprehensive guide addresses one of the most common problems for gardeners. Shade Gardening has over 250 color photographs of the 350 best trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, bulbs, ground covers, vines, ferns, and grasses for shaded areas. Articles cover the basics of growing plants in the shade as well as such subjects as city gardens, flowers, foliage plants, pests and diseases, and lawns.
Customer Reviews:
Gardening.......2005-08-25
Provides lots of interesting gardening information if you are planting only trees and shrubs. Book does not detail anything for vegetable gardeners. Title should be changed to include the word "Forestry" rather than the broad term 'gardening".
Very helpful handbook.......2005-02-07
This is a great reference for those gardening in shade. It is organized in a logical format and can be easily used. The photos are nice and the information helpful as plants are considered for a shade garden. While it may not be adequate for those gardening in the deep south, it is very well suited to zones 5,6, and 7.
A must have.......2002-06-22
This wonderful little book (thick, but only 4.27" wide) is an absolute necessity for anyone who wishes to do some gardening in a shady area. In fact, this book is really three books rolled into one. The first section looks at shade and shade gardening, it is straightforward and highly informative. The second section is entitled The Color Plates, and gives a long list of shade-loving plants, including a very nice color picture, and a highly informative description. The third section goes hand-in-hand with the second, and gives more in-depth information.
This book is really great, a must have for those of us who wish to do some gardening in a shady area. I highly recommend this book to all gardeners!
Great idea book with pictures of shade lovers.......2001-03-22
The Taylor's Guides are very reliable sources for gardening information and great pictures, and the Shade Gardening Guide is one of the best. Shade gardening is difficult for many reasons. There are not that many very showy flowers for seasons other than Spring, and there are many types of shade. The descriptions are very specific and helpful: light shade, dappled shade, "the more shade, the less moisture is needed," and so on. The soil and shade descriptions for each plant are excellent and detailed.
Although the plants are listed alphabetically for the cultural requirements, the pictures are listed by groups: trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, summer bulbs, ground covers, vines, grasses, and ferns. I would recommend that people using the book for plant selection read the "Encyclopedia of Plants" part as well as the brief but good descriptions with the color pictures.
Keep in mind too that the flowering times are primarily for New England (zone 5). Furthur South you may get earlier and more flowers. For example, Ceratostigma is listed as an Autumn bloomer, while in PA, it blooms from July through October. So you get more than the book suggests. Not bad. Anyone with shade should experiment with the plants in this book. As a gardening professional, I see so many great and underused plants listed and described in this book.
Not a good resource for Southern gardeners.......2000-09-09
Having recently purchased a condo in Houston with a north-facing porch, I eagerly awaited delivery of this book. However, I was quickly disappointed. This book should be titled "Shade Gardening in the North," since virtually all of the plants listed are for Zones 5 and lower...not much help for my Zone 9 garden. It did contain a couple of pages of information for shade gardening in the South (which they consider to be North Carolina!), but I was really looking for specific information on the types of shade plants I could plant here. This would have been a great book if I lived in Ohio, but not so good for us Texans.
Amazon.com
Shade can be a gardener's curse or delight, depending on how it's managed. Even a heavy grove of mature trees needn't have bare ground beneath; they can be surrounded with any number of shade-loving foliage, grasses, or grasslike ground covers, including galax, dichondra, ivy, vinca, wintergreen, maidenhair fern... the list of possibilities is a long one. Druse himself gardens in the shadow of a Brooklyn brownstone, so his advice is by no means limited to gardeners with woodland acreage. This book also successfully punctures the myth that a shady flower garden must be colored in greens and subtle pastels: a parade of brilliant camellias, columbines, clematis, and primula proves that a shade gardener's crayon box is as varied as any, and the well-organized Druse sorts the herbaceous perennials by color in an addendum at the back of the book.
Book Description
Ken Druse's Natural Garden Guides:
Award-winning gardening expert Ken Druse offers a personal selection of 80 ideal plants for the natural gardener, drawn from his best-selling classic
The Natural Shade Garden.
This companion guide is illustrated throughout with 130 of Druse's spectacular color photo-graphs. All-new descriptions discuss the origins of each plant, supply the pronunciation of their Latin names, and offer information on their ultimate size, time of bloom, light and soil requirements, cold hardiness, and special interest, such as colorful berries or butterfly attraction.
Here, too, is indispensable advice for using these plants with companions to create striking designs. Each section has an original introduction presenting valuable techniques for making your own natural garden. An appendix gives mail-order sources.
In
80 Great Natural Shade Garden Plants Ken Druse selects the best plants for natural gardening in the shade: Ornamental Shrubs ¸ Perennials for Flowers ¸ Perennials for Foliage ¸ Ground Covers and Vines ¸ The Best Hostas ¸ The Best Ferns
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful Pictures, mind-numbing text.......2005-07-07
If you like pretty pictures, then this book is for you. I bought it in conjunction with "The Complete Shade Gardener", which is black and white, to be a sort of color companion. The section of the book titled Plants and Plantings goes through the author's favorite plants for shade (which very well may be all of them) and gives a text description that does very little to give you any real understanding of the plant-not what it looks like, or how to grow it. Perhaps worst of all, the pictures in this section don't seem to correspond to the text of what the author is describing at all, so you are forced to thumb ahead or behind to see a picture of the plant the author is talking about at the time. This makes it very hard to read as you are always thumbing through the pages to find a picture of the flower the author is talking about.
The first 60 pages deal with inspiration and design, and are much easier to understand, as well as being laid out better than the next 100. The last part of the book, which presents individual garden examples also seems to be better organized and well written, although I haven't read it through yet.
Since about 2/5 of this book was enjoyable, I am giving it 2 stars. The middle section has all the monotony of a plant encyclopedia with half the information, and none of the organization. The strengths of the book stand out as the beautifully photographed plates, and the pleasant tone of the author, which still manages to be witty and friendly even during the monotonous middle section.
Beautiful Shade Garden book.......2005-03-20
We have a shady, sloped yard in Texas which is highly unusual for this part of Texas. This means we usually can't grow many of the plants that most people in our community do. So, my husband and I went to the bookstore and found this book. There were others on shade gardening, but this had the best photography. The publisher obviously used high-quality printing techniques on this book to get the vivid color. So, this makes just a beautiful book to look at. I used to feel a little disappointed that our yard was so shaded (except that it's cooler in the hot Texas sun than others!), but when I saw this book I realized we could make it into quite a gem.
I will admit that I am a novice gardener, but I found this book inspiring with lots of ideas for plants that we could use in the shade. I am not sorry that I spent $40 on this book!
A must have book for every gardener.......2004-11-10
Ken Druse delivers a great perspective on shade gardening, providing an understanding of different types of shade and the plants that are successful. The wonderful photography makes this book a joy to peek into successful gardens and plant combinations. The text is for moderately experienced gardeners, but flows well and is well organized.
As mentioned by several others, Druse too often suggests invasive plants such as ivy, porcelain berry, and purple loosestrife, so a word of caution is in order. I would like to see Druse taking a leadership role in awareness of these problem plants.
On the whole, this is another terrific book from Ken Druse and I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a shady garden on a warm summer day.
inspiring and practical.......2002-02-07
If you have a shady garden space, this book will make you feel like the luckiest gardener in the world. Ken Druse structured the book around the organization of natural woodland plants: understory, middle layer, and overstory. (Note that this is not the right book for you if you are looking to create a formal shady garden.) The beautiful photographs, both closeup and scenic, and the detailed yet readable text make this book a success on two fronts. There is enough practical advice to take you from designing your shade garden to keeping it healthy and beautiful through the seasons and years. There is even a resource list to help with ordering your plants. Did I mention how amazing the photographs are? This is my favorite garden book so far, and I am accumulating quite a little collection.
Partial shade, dappled shade, and deep shade are all addressed with beautiful pictures of plants and gardens and with descriptive, practical text.
Not for the beginner...........2001-04-14
THE NATURAL SHADE GARDENER by Ken Druse is a beautiful book even if the photos are slightly "touched up." I have to laugh at the oxymoronic title, however. There is nothing natural about shade gardening, and this is not the WILD GARDEN William Robinson wrote about where drifts of plants are allowed to form naturally. I can tell from Druse's photos someone has been working very hard. Nature's version of vegetation in shade is quite different. Plants in nature tend to run to riot. If you don't think so, take a walk in the "real" woods. In nature, the toughest plant wins.
For example, Druse says English Ivy is a good ground cover in shade. Well, it is. English Ivy will grow in shade---and grow and grow and grow. Recently, a group of local volunteers in our area pulled English Ivy from the trees in a local nature preserve. The stuff kills. Another vine Druse recommends without a warning is Porcelain-berry which is becoming a major problem in along the east coast. Are you old enough to remember the introduction of the new wonder vine Kudzu??
On the other hand, Druse says Tradescantia, a native of Virginia brought to England where it was hybridized at Kew Gardens is a pest. Well, it is a prolific plant if you reintroduce it in a Zone 7 garden, but it can be controlled without a great deal of effort, unlike Lysimachia clethroides (White Gooseneck Loosestrife) which Druse recommends without warning that it will take over if you invite it into your garden. Allen Lacey and other garden writers have ID'd Gooseneck Loosestrife as a "thug in the garden" and I can tell you from personal experience they are absolutely correct (of course I had to find out for myself!!).
I tend to agree with the reviewer from Maplewood NJ below who says THE NATURAL SHADE GARDEN by Ken Druse is not for the beginner. This book is for advanced gardeners who can "take what they need and leave the rest." Shade gardening is something you take up after you've mastered other less complicated types of gardening. Of course, if you're stuck with shade you'll have to start somewhere.
I have been using George Shenk's book THE COMPLETE SHADE GARDENER for years. It's not as colorful, and contains those annotated lists of plants which some do not like, however, Shenk's plant classifications are not exhaustive so you won't be overwhelmed, and the trees, shrubs, etc. are classified by their behavior--i.e. what will work in which circumstances. Like many gardeners I once planted a Maple tree in my yard. Shenk's book contains a listing of shade trees and from it I discovered Maple trees are shallow rooted and not at all friendly toward other plants. I also discovered the Black Walnut can be a killer. In the nick of time had the Maple tree removed and planted a Persian Walnut instead. I've been able to grow Crepe Myrtles, Viburnums, Nandina, and a host of other plants under the Walnut, though I sometimes have to water in August. Some of us don't want to end our gardening experience in order to have a shady patio in July.
Book Description
This classic and indispensable reference for shade gardening is now back in print. Long considered required reading for those with difficult low-light areas, it covers the basics literally from the ground up, leading the gardener through the creation of his or her own shady retreat. Part One concerns the art and science of a shade garden, from preparing the soil, to pruning, to considering different "shades of shade" (does your favorite bed lie in dappled shade or high shade?). Part Two, which details information on growing the plant, is neatly arranged in sections according to the type of plant. These descriptions are casual, to the point, and often humorous. The sago palm, for example, "will put you in touch with paleobotany." Selected photographs and line drawings both illustrate and inspire.
Book Description
Woodland plants add magic to any garden, with lush carpets of color, foliage at the middle level, and majestic height. Contrary to myth, large spaces and special soil are not required. Drawing on her own experience running a thriving woodland nursery, the author provides seasoned advice on the unique challenges of woodland gardening, including managing light levels, choosing the right plant for the right place, and achieving the well-balanced soil structure that is often key to growing a variety of woodland plants. Extensive planting suggestions will endow gardeners at all levels of experience with the confidence to experiment, and the extensive plant directory will inspire all gardeners to bring woodland plants into the garden for year-round pleasure.
Customer Reviews:
Good book for beginners.......2007-09-30
This book gives an introduction to gardening with woodland plants. I can recommend it for gardeners who want to initiate on this.
I have many years of gardening with woodland plants and found the book of little use.
Drawbacks.......2007-09-22
After examining a library copy, I decided not to purchase this title. In addition to the drawbacks noted by another reviewer (British emphasis and sparse photographs), the book lacks zone information and a common name index.
Excellent Design Ideas Combined with Plant Profiles and Photographs: Check with Your Nursery for Local Versions That Winter Well.......2007-08-01
If you live in Somerset, England, this book will be an irreplaceable guide to improving your woodland . . . or creating one from scratch. Ms. Junker is from Somerset, and her perspective is heavily dependent on those growing conditions. If you live someplace that's much colder, you'll need to check on the plants that interest you to see if they survive the winters in your area. To help with that, Ms. Junker provides a list of places where you can see woodland plants in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as nurseries that have display gardens to demonstrate woodland plant concepts. The gardens and nurseries may not be right next door, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the trip.
The book opens with Ms. Junker's concepts for a woodland garden, taking it from the perspective of not having a tree canopy through to already having one. She favors thinking of your woodland garden in three layers: the canopy of tall trees, intermediate plants (like rhododendrons), and flowering plants that will do well on the woodland floor (especially bulbs and ferns). She talks helpfully about how to deal with spaces of all sizes and degrees of being wooded.
I found the book very helpful since our property is heavily wooded with many intermediate layer flowering plants. But we haven't done much with the ground layer, so the book's ideas were intriguing to me. In addition, she drew my attention to ornamental tall and intermediate trees and plants that could provide some interesting variety in our woodland.
To me, the photographs helped the most. I could identify flowering plants by name that I've seen do well in our area. Combined with her information, I have the basis for many interesting experiments.
The book's main drawback is that plant directory (the bulk of the book) is not as fully illustrated as I would have liked. I suspect that the solution is to look up the formal botanical names on the Internet to find photographs that illustrate what's being described.
Ms. Junker has obviously forgotten more about woodland gardens than I'll ever know. It's great to be able to draw on her experience and ideas.
Nice work, Ms. Junker!
Book Description
Finding an array of unique and diverse plants for shade might seem like a daunting task, with limited options available to the gardener. Shade perennial expert W. George Schmid dispels this perception in his new encyclopedia. This companionable reference provides information on more than 7000 species and cultivars in 184 genera, from Acanthus to Woodwardia — some new to horticulture, others unjustly overlooked, but all beautifully suited to the shade garden.
Schmid has behind him a half century of practical gardening experience, horticultural education, and extensive travel observing shade perennials in their native habitats; readers are therefore treated to both useful growing tips and his personal associations with the plants. The expert text is rounded out with 500 stunning color photographs, many taken by the author himself.
Customer Reviews:
I Thank Toos God, for Geroge's book!!!.......2006-08-18
In this volume Schmid has unselfishly shared his most intimate feeling and knowledge about the art of gardening. He has put a life time of intense gardening knowledge between the covers of this wonderful book. Every page is filled with gardening insights,understanding and details. Yes I paid for it, but it is so dam well written that, I can only consider as to have been some kind of a gift. It is much more then encyclopedia or a how to book, sure he gives a lot of how tos, but now you can know, why tos as well. A profession writer could easily make five or even ten books out of this one, just by adding some random garden minutia, but Geroge is not in to making a fast book(buck) he is into gardening. Now I can be an artful gardener toos :)
TRULY IS an ENCYCLOPEDIA!.......2006-04-27
From the man who is the original expert on the subject, a fantastic resource for all who garden in the shade. Very user friendly with seven thousand species and cultivars, useful to the novice as well as the expert. Thankfully the shade craze caught on perhaps with the publication of Schmid's first book, "The Genus Hosta." The book starts with practical tips on the "bones of the garden" trees and soil and covers briefly many other subjects before getting into the plants that are appropriate for shade. I own many books on shade gardening, including books devoted exclusively to the subjects of ferns, ivies, mosses, etc. I find that this is the book that I keep right there with my other two favorites, Dirr's on trees and of course "The Genus Hosta".
A wealth of information.......2004-07-03
Although I've been a shade gardener for many years, this book contains many shade perennials that I had never heard of. I liked that almost all the pictures appear to be of mature specimens, so you can see what the plant will look like. (My pet peeve is when gardening books show baby plants! What good is that?) There are sometimes many pictures of one plant: one picture will show a close-up of the flower, one picture will be a distance picture. The descriptions tell growing information, zone, size, and possible gardening problems. I was pleased with this book and am glad that I purchased it. I have been barely able to put it down, even though I have read several other shade gardening books. Thank you, Mr. Schmid, for a fantastic, wonderful resource. I enthusiastically recommend this book to any shade gardener.
Great for Shade.......2004-02-29
I am still reading this book. There are many words of wisdom and there is a lot to digest. This book will be used often. It may not have an answer for all shade problems but it gives great information for what to do in the ground layer of a shady garden. The plant descriptions are detailed and the cultural information is extensive and complete. Add to that colf hardiness and heat tolerance as well as propagation, diseases, and anything else you must know, this volume give the nitty-gritty on many shade perennials, herbaceous as well as evergreen. This is a good book for starting and experienced gardeners. The starters may have to take time to get to know how to use the book. The photos are outstanding, albeit gathered in a bunch in the center sections, but bold printed names point to the illustrations. I'll use this book often and enjoy the many stories presented along with the plant information.
made for the shade.......2004-02-01
This includes all of the classics, a bunch of new herbaceous shade perennials, many, many wildflowers, and hundreds of ferns, both old and new for the shady garden.
It covers herbaceous perennials only, as the title implies, but there are thousands of them. A few are missing, but that is a good thing. They are weedy and shouldn't be planted anyway.
I liked the personal stories and connection of the author with each of the genera, and the attention paid to culture, diseases, propagation and heat and cold hardiness.
As in any encyclopedia, the plants are arranged by genus name and within the genus by species and cultivar names, alphabetically. For the plants illustrated in color, the names are in bold letters. You must know the Latin names of plants, but a huge index lists all of common names and tells you what the Latin name for it is. It also gives cross references for synonyms, different scientific names that have been given to the same plant. It takes a while to get the gist of it, but it is worth the time.
A book that will give great shade gardening information for many years to come. It should be in every serious shade gardeners library.
Book Description
Rich with descriptions and illustrations of more than 1000 readily available species and cultivars that will enliven and thrive in your shade garden. The easy-to-read format, illustrated with more than 300 photographs, makes this the perfect handy reference. You will find definitions of shade intensities; information about plant cultivation, maintenance, and pests and diseases; as well as lists of plants for specific landscape uses. Also included is a list of specialty nursery sources that carry shade perennials.
Customer Reviews:
Shade gardens don't have to be boring!.......2005-09-03
As a professional gardener, I've found Schmid's Shade Perennials the perfect quick reference and idea book for tiny city yards. As most residents of large cities and boroughs can tell you, lighting can be a real difficulty. It's much better to think in terms of contrasts and textures and Shade Perennials provides many choices for those wondering just how to rennovate their gloomy yard. My two complaints: I felt that the pictures were only so-so and there aren't picture examples of all the plants listed. In fact, there are only 2-3 small photos per page, yet generally about 5-6 listings for species. In that regard, it could be more comprehensive. I've found it slightly better than Taylor's Guide to Shade Gardening, simply because it has more photos and when it comes to garden design, I'm reliant on visual stimulus. All-in-all, a useful guide and to help get you out of the hosta rut.
More than one thousand readily available shade perennials.......2005-06-10
In Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials, botanist, horticulturalist, landscape architect, and gardener W. George Schmid draws upon his immense expertise and experience to provide a thoroughly "user friendly", profusely illustrated guide to more than one thousand readily available shade perennials along with their individual growing conditions including definitions of shade intensities, basic information on cultivation, maintenance of shade perennials, dealing with their pests and diseases, as well invaluable lists of plants for specific landscape uses. The handy size of Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials makes it the ideal take-along reference guide for non-specialist general readers wanting to "do it yourself" with respect to landscaping and gardening their properties, while at the same time, Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials is an ideal reference for personal, academic, community, and professional library horticultural and gardening reference collections. If you want to have a shade garden that will maximize plant diversity and esthetics, then you need George Schmid's Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials!
Book Description
Extensive, colorful encyclopedia makes choosing plants a pleasure.
Customer Reviews:
Shade Gardening Made Easy.......2007-01-09
This is a simple, basic book that provides the fundamentals of shade gardening. So many gardeners have trouble because they are try to have a full sun type plant garden in a shady area. Plants just will not grow. This book solves the problem in defining just what shade is and the different degrees of shade. Then gives a very good listing with photographs of good shade plants.
Everything I have ever wanted to know about Shade Gardening!.......2005-04-25
Open the door to possibilities, garden design, and learning the secrets to a beautiful shade garden in your own back yard. Learn about soil classification, drainage, climates, soil testing for ph, and developing good soil. Many improvements to your garden and solutions to your garden problems can be found in this book. How to care for your shade gardens, from fertilizing and learning about other nutrients needs. Is my garden in Light shade to full shade, and what makes the difference anyway? How do I measure the light? The most important part the plant selections are wonderful. You get so much information and so easy to find. This book is a must for any shade gardener.
Book Description
Both the Taylor's Guides to individual plant groups and the Taylor's Weekend Guides on basic techniques and popular gardening styles are highly acclaimed and well established. We now enthusiastically add a quick-reference series for readers who don't have the time or the experience to do their own research. Taylor's 50 Best books highlight the most attractive foolproof plants and include detailed information that every gardener needs in order to grow them. Color photos, full-color drawings, and growing tips make each plant entry useful and complete. Six books introduce the series and cover the most popular plants for backyard gardeners: perennials for sun, perennials for shade, herbs and edible flowers, roses, shrubs, and trees.
Customer Reviews:
Great garden book.......2007-06-27
Since much of my yard is shaded, and we still love flowers, this book is just what the Dr. ordered. Have planted several plants described in this book and they are healthy and doing well.
Info Too Sparse.......2006-02-28
I was disappointed in the too-brief description of the plants. Not enough info. Perhaps typically Taylor's but I expected more.
Great book for shade gardeners.......2005-09-02
I bought this book to help a friend who built her dream house on a wooded lot find plants and flowers that would bloom and grow. We were thrilled to find that all the plants listed would grow in our climate area (Pennsylvania). The book provides a good selection of plants without overwhelming a novice with too many choices and hard-to-find or tricky plants. We were very pleased to be able to find plants that would fit some of her problem areas (under trees, wet spots, etc.) and fit her requirements of providing her with real bloom without having to plant annuals every year.
Taylor's 50 Best Perennials for Shade:Essy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens (Taylor's 50 Best.......2005-08-15
Excellent book for the price!
it is what it says .... and a bit more.......2002-05-03
Subtitled 'Easy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens', this book is a pithy reference for gardeners in urban and suburban areas who are trying to fill shady spots with attractive blooms and foliage. I've had the book for a year and got good results this year using plants I chose, based on this author's advice, last year.
The book starts with a short chapter on the basics: soil, hardiness zones, mulching, planting, watering and pests -- one paragraph each. Each of fifty plants then gets one-and-a-half pages (and the print is big) -- a photo, a paragraph of introduction to the plant followed by how and where to grow instructions, a mention of varieties, and a chart that gives zone hardiness, bloom time, light, height and interest. Also of value are sidebars on a wide variety of topics, e.g. planting under trees, winter protection, wildflowers from seeds, propagating by division, woodland planting, coordinating strong color, controlling slugs. These sidebars are made more valuable by their inclusion in the index. There is also a glossary and a hardiness zone map.
This is an enjoyable and informative book, but if you are a neophyte you might also want to get a companion book that covers basics more thoroughly, and if you are a truly devoted gardener you might want to get a book that devotes more time to each species and/or discusses more plants.
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Books Index
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General
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The Complete Shade Gardener
Taylor's 50 Best Perennials for Shade: Easy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens (Taylor's 50 Best)
Taylor's Guide to Shade Gardening: More Than 350 Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers That Thrive Under Difficult Conditions, Illustrated with Color Photographs and Detailed Drawings (Taylor's Gardening Guides)
Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start
The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas
