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Tracy DiSabato-Aust's Well-Designed Mixed Garden provides sound direction for plant lovers looking to free their garden from the doldrums and fashion a rich tapestry of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vines, grasses, and bulbs. Encyclopedic in scope yet unfailingly attentive to essential details, The Well-Designed Mixed Garden effectively summarizes an array of basic garden design considerations and fundamentals. There are particularly useful chapters on color theory and on drawing up a plan, with precise instructions on what size plants to purchase and how to space them. As with her highly regarded Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting & Pruning Techniques, DiSabato-Aust delves eagerly into plant maintenance, a topic too many garden writers overlook. Though many examples are from the author's own garden or other American Midwest locations, they're largely applicable to other plant hardiness zones. Of particular appeal are a nicely photographed section on attractive plant combinations and a series of handy appendixes for plant selection. Beginners may be overwhelmed by this book's wealth of information, but its comprehensiveness renders it all the more valuable for seasoned gardeners seeking greater practical know-how and a surer grasp of the art of gardening. --Jennifer Wyatt
Book Description
The Well-Designed Mixed Garden is a design book with a difference. Written for gardeners who are passionate about plants of all kinds (hence the "mixed garden" of the title), it reflects decades of professional experience and artistic innovation. As with her bestselling book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, master designer and plantswoman Tracy DiSabato-Aust provides not only inspiration but also scrupulously organized information on design and connoisseur plants — all from original research dating back to her degree work in horticulture.
Her new offering is a master class of design fundamentals, with an emphasis on often-neglected topics, such as site evaluation, color theory, and planning for maintenance. It is also a gallery of detailed design plans that show how ideas are put onto paper and then translated into three dimensions. Lessons learned in its first two parts are strengthened in an "Encyclopedia of Plant Combinations"; each entry notes the design considerations at play and provides tips on how to keep the combination looking its best. And the lifetime care needs and unique design characteristics of featured plants are summarized in the useful charts and lists that conclude the book. The result is a nearly foolproof guide to every aspect of designing superior gardens with superior plants. With more than 250 color photos and illustrations, this book is as much a feast for the eyes as it will be a trusted reference for the library shelf.
Customer Reviews:
A Flower Gardener's Companion.......2007-09-03
Comprehensive and very user friendly. A book every home flower gardner would want to have.
OK, but not as good as I thought it would be.......2007-05-16
I've heard other gardeners talk about Tracy's books and what an inspiration they are, so I bought "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden" expecting to learn some GREAT ideas for my gardens. It has some good information on principles of design and how to work with color, texture, and so on. But I was disappointed at how weak and uninspiring the section is on plant combinations. She calls it an "encyclopedia of plant combinations," and the section is full of photos of flowers and plants she thinks are winning combinations. The combinations mostly have no real visual appeal, the photos (in that section) are plain, and it's a wasted section of the book. I think there was only one of these combinations that actually looked beautiful. Most of these photos were from her own garden, and perhaps she let her personal affection for her own gardens cloud her judgment on what to include.
I like the rest of the book, however, and her examples of garden designs in other parts of the book have good photos and design layout drawings that are quite useful.
Useful no matter what your garden needs.......2007-05-13
This book is so helpful in figuring out how to mix flowers and plants in border-type gardens. It details color combinations and tells what flowers go well together. It provides pictures of various gardens in different season to provide an idea of how the landscape will look in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Very good information and easy to understand.......2007-02-05
This is the first book I would recomend to anyone! Ms. Disabato-Aust compiles a vast amount of quality information in one book, and she explains abstract concepts in a way that regular people who aren't master gardeners can understand. She also includes insights from her vast experience; it's not a dry recitation seen in other sources. She explains when and why to break the generally-accepted guidelines.
I've been a hard-core gardener for about three years, and I've already gleaned some of the information from other sources. But I had to read a lot of different books and articles to get it, and it was often contradictory. The book not only ties it all together in a cohesive manner, but gives very detailed examples.
I particularly enjoyed the section on combinations, where Ms. Disabato-Aust explains why certain things work together in a converational tone. Far from being a preening dilletante, the author's manner is friendly and warm.
I only had two complaints, and they are possibly unique to me. As you might expect, the "example" gardens shown used Ms. Disabato-Aust's style of gardening. It's wonderful, but I have a different style, and would have appreciated seeing the gardening principles illustrated using different styles. Second, I garden in North Florida. A fair number of the plants that look so beautiful in her Ohio garden wouldn't make it in North Florida.
Destined to be a classic garden reference........2006-03-24
I'm a master gardener from Illinois,and have heard Tracy Disabato-Aust on a number of occasions. Her book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden has long been our bible for perennials. In this new book, she makes accessible for all gardeners the depth of her experience and research in incorporating many kinds of plants in a mixed border. The book is worth buying for the appendices alone: plants by design and maintenance characteristics as well as common/scientific name cross-references. A must-have garden reference book!
Book Description
More than ten years in the making,
Perennials is the most comprehensive guide to these popular plants available. Compiled by Martyn Rix and Roger Phillips,
Perennials includes complete descriptions and photographs for over 2,500 types of perennials. Every variety is described and illustrated with a color photograph.
Perennials also includes:
growing tips and propagation
origins
plant combinations and flowering times for every phase of the growing season
natural planting associations
combinations for borders, island beds, meadow gardens
sedges and grasses, hostas, ferns
further reading, sources and gardens to visit around the world
With a wide variety of old favorites and an exciting selection of rarities,
Perennials is an indispensable and inspiring reference for color and variety for all sites and soil conditions.
Customer Reviews:
Encyclopedic reference book.......2002-03-21
This book is an exhaustive encyclopedia of perennial plants grouped into three sections by their blooming time - spring, summer and autumn. It has beautiful pictures of each plant, with a number of varieties of each type included and pictured. I do not think, however, that it is a book for those who are new to gardening or who want to learn more about gardening with perennials. The plants are listed by their Latin names only, with no reference whatsoever to their common names. It therefore makes the book quite useless for someone who wants to look up or identify a plant and is not familiar with the Latin name. Basically, this lovely book is more of a dictionary or encyclopedia of plants, rather than a gardening guide or how-to. And although beautiful to look through, and a good and thorough reference for those well versed in perennials, it is not helpful as a gardening book for someone who is looking for more gardening and plant guidance.
Book Description
A simple, straightforward guide packed with a wide array of information, illustrations, and photographs covering all aspects of perennials.
Teaches homeowners to successfully select, plant, and care for the right perennials for their climate and property.
Vivid photographs inspire readers to fill their own yards with attractive perennials that beautify the landscape and add value to their property.
Customer Reviews:
Great concept, but not enough book.......2007-07-26
This book is great if you are lounging by a pool or the beach and want to read something that won't get ruined, but there just wasn't enough of the book there... Not enough variety of perennials. I love the concept of a waterproof book, but it just lacked more information that would have made it a better buy.
Average customer rating:
- Very disappointing...
- Not a great reference book
- Excellent explanation and examples of mature plantings
- Excellent writing and pictures of ornamental grasses
- The most complete book you could buy for ornamental grasses.
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Gardening with Grasses
Michael King , and
Piet Oudolf
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
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Similar Items:
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Planting the Natural Garden
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Dream Plants for the Natural Garden
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Designing with Plants
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Grasses: Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design
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Planting Design: Gardens in Time and Space
ASIN: 0881924113 |
Book Description
Ornamental grasses are among the most versatile and sophisticated of garden plants. Planted as single specimens in beds or on the terrace in a container, grasses are striking focal points. Smaller forms bring rhythm and diversity to mixed borders, and clumping forms richly carpet the ground. This beautifully illustrated book by two imaginative garden designers will provide equal measures of information and inspiration.
Customer Reviews:
Very disappointing..........2000-08-26
I must say, I am astonished that this book has recieved the positive reviews that it has. I bought this book with the intent of gaining knowledge in the area of designing with grasses. I read it from start to finish and found that the entire text consisted of rambling, repetative, generalizations that were devoid of any substantial content. I was completely shocked that the authors would dare publish such wishy-washy material.
In addition, many of the photos are out of focus and the corresponding descriptions are often incomplete. The descriptions of specific grasses are very brief and many very popular grasses are not included at all.
I have never been more disappointed with a book purchase of any kind on any topic.
Not a great reference book.......1999-12-26
I'm writing this review to balance out all of the 'great' reviews this book has received. The book is okay, but it is not a great reference book. It has several faults:
First, the book is suppose to be about grasses, yet 25% of the text discusses garden flowers.
Second, many of the photos are cluttered or blurred. There were few species specific photos that displayed a single clear crisp grass variety.
Third, the book rambles and takes the long way to discribe a simple observation. Some readers will enjoy this style, but it's not for me. I want something that gets to the point.
Fourth, the species reference (called 'Selected Plant Catalogue'), is sparse and dated. For example, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam' is covered in just three words, 'outstanding variegated form'. Gee ... somehow I was expecting more information. There is not one photo of Overdam in the entire book. Likewise, there is no photo of Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'. These are two very popular grasses to have been leftout.
On the positive side, there are some neat winter photographs of grasses, and the book contains some useful information (but it is difficult to find it when you need it).
This is the kind of book that you're suppose to sit and read from cover to cover. A pleasure reading book. Not what I do with garden books, I read them rather like an encyclopedia - and this is not a good choice for a reference book.
Excellent explanation and examples of mature plantings.......1999-11-11
We are a Landscape Design/Build firm specilizing in using ornamental grasses in our design concepts. We have found this book to be an excellent sales tool to show clients how the mature grasses will look in their L/S design. The text is extremely informative and gives a good basic knowledge of grasses to the novice. The photos are stunning.
Excellent writing and pictures of ornamental grasses.......1998-11-30
This book covers all the different types of ornamental grasses; from choosing cultivars to the many ways they can be used in your garden. The best book I have seen in this area!
The most complete book you could buy for ornamental grasses........1998-06-12
An excellent text on the subject of ornamental grasses. The authors acknowledge that ornamental grasses are only a part of the landscape, and they address the other types of plants that work well with them.
They approach the subject from a landscape design frame of reference, how to work grasses into your garden. This information is usually only available through your own trial and error. King and Oudolf take out the guesswork. What puts this book a step above all others about the same subject is that it informs its readers how to plant in combination with other perennial flowers. The 161 color photos and very thorough coverage of ornamental grasses and their companions make this the most complete package you could buy for incorporating these graceful, ornamental features into your design.
Book Description
In association with Jackson & Perkins, Rose Companions is the first book devoted expressly to the exciting variety of plants that can be grown with roses in the garden. No longer must roses be considered appropriate only for the rose garden. Instead, today's roses offer an impressive array of characteristics that make them ideal plants for many landscape uses, including form, color, and fragrance. And the number of plants that make perfect partners for roses is astounding, including:
- Perennials
- Annuals
- Bulbs
- Shrubs
- Vines
Rose Companions will give gardeners of all levels the information they need to create a beautiful landscape, whether they already have an established garden and want to add roses and other plants to it, or if they are growing roses and want to enhance them with companion plants, or if they are starting from scratch and have always dreamed of a garden lush with flowers-including roses.
Customer Reviews:
A Must for the Rose Gardener's Library.......2005-12-09
The author's rose experience gives the knowledgeable rosarian broader understanding and the novice rich new territory to discover. Roses become assets for gardens rather than specimens separated from the whole. If I had this book when I first began my rose adventures it would have been a constant source of help and inspiration.
good guide to integrating roses.......2005-07-01
This is an excellent guide to integrating roses into a garden with other plants instead of keeping them in a separate location in a bare, mulched rose bed. Well written text and good pictures.
Shame on the publisher, though, for such poor copyediting! Next time pay a good copyeditor or proofreader and spare yourself the embarrassment of roses "baring their hips" (bearing, perhaps?) and "while your nose is ravaging the blooms" (really? RAVAGING?) and miscellaneous omitted words.
Book Description
“The award-winning gardening author and perennials expert addresses plant selection, use and placement, color and foliage effects, and ground cover options.”—Library Journal. “Offering sound guidelines on siting and sample garden plans...features advice on how to use versatile plants in the garden. A chapter on color, providing time-tested combinations that work well in common zones, is also included.”—American Nurseryman.
Book Description
Gardening with Native Wild Flowers
The authors introduce the reader to the landscape possiblities of plants frequently overlooked, or those wrongly considered to be common and therefore unintersting. Gardeners from just east of the Great Plains to the Atlantic will find detailed information on which plants to use and how to use them. There are extensive plant lists for both shady and sunny garden spots and for boggy sites, as well as chapters on native groundcovers; ferns and fern allies; and grasses, sedges, and rushes. These are complemented by over 200 color photographs to create a beautiful and handy guide.
Book Description
In
The Art of Perennial Garding Patrick Lima shares the secrets and strategies he has gleaned from gardening in Ontario's Burce Peninsula, bringing a seasoned, pragmatic perspective to his latest work. Beautifully illustrated, inspiring and often humorous, this book is infused with that staple of good gardening: the promise of what is possible. The author offers hundreds of solutions and options for the perennial garden, suggesting plant combinations for every phase of the growing season. Whether you're cajoling a tiny backyard plot into beauty or facing a landscape of intimidating proportions, Lima has much to teach both the novice and the seasoned gardener about the creative act of garden-making.
Customer Reviews:
one of my favorites.......2001-08-22
i originally borrowed this book from the library and wound up re-borrowing it so much that i decided to buy it (a rarity for me). since then, i keep it in my satchel which is always in reach. i am currently designing and installing a new garden, and many of the combinations i will use are from this book.
the author's comments and experiences are instructive, humorous and well written. indeed, i would not mind reading any writing he might produce.
ONE OF THE BEST GARDENING DESIGN BOOKS!.......1999-11-17
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This book took me from color to design to planning borders so that something is in bloom all the time. The photographs provided identification of plants and I have found myself returning to them again and again to study the author's compositions. I also shared his views on gardening's place in one's life. Highly recommend.
Written with humor and clarity. EXCELLENT........1999-10-21
Patrick Lima is without question my favorite garden writer. He is knowledgable and witty, and really offers comprehensive material for gardening with perennials in a zone 4 region. I can't recommend this book highly enough. John's photos are spectacular.
An excellent gardening book!.......1999-03-16
Patrick Lima and John Scanlan once again have produced a lovely and informative book for gardeners. I am writing from zone 2, where gardening is a challenge! I found many useful ideas, and practical "how-to's". I have read it from cover to cover, and wait eagerly for the snow to melt, so I can try some of their ideas. Buy this book, it is money well spent!
Book Description
Clematis are among the more versatile and diverse plants for any garden; few flowers can fill so many garden niches, from specimen plants to dwarf perennials, or container selections to multistory vines. Wherever they are found, their blooms never fail to induce rapture and awe. The carefully chosen clematis can't be equaled when planted in the right situation and pruned in the right way, but horticultural horrors can ensue when beginners (or experts) overreach and force plants where they do not belong. Linda Beutler provides instructions for newcomers and master gardeners alike on plant selection, cultivation, and design, and debunks a few myths along the way. With a distinct nod to the wonderful traditions for growing clematis in the British Isles and Europe, she may be the first author to provide a distinctly American perspective on the subject. Filled with 115 beautiful photographs and the incalculable wisdom of hard-won experience, Gardening with Clematis will be required reading for all adventurous gardeners.
Customer Reviews:
big disappointmnet.......2005-04-08
I had great hopes for this book; hope that it would be the first REAL book about clematis for the North American grower. Don't bother. The author's style is too casual and cavalier. There isn't even one really new cultivar. She should have stayed with photography. By the way, I have a HUGE clematis garden. Trust me. I own every book ever written about clematis!!
twining for clematis .......2004-09-21
This is a great book for the beginner and the experienced I couldn't put it down the information was practical. You can tell this is written by someone that actually grows these. The photos are great I longed for more of them. The chapters are nice you don't have to wade through the text to find what you are looking for. I liked the chapters on pairing the clematis with other plants that act as the support. This was inspired I get really tired of clematis on the trellis routine. I think every gardener that has grown or wants to grow clematis would benifit from this book. I sure did.
Book Description
Perennials are the rulers of the garden, blooming consistently each year with vibrant color--if they're properly maintained. Now, from Horticulture magazine, comes the authoritative guide to growing the yearly beauties. Readers will discover: * A range of perennials, along with instructions on how to grow them
* How to successfully cultivate perennials in special conditions, such as ground that's too wet or too dry
* 300+ illustrations to inspire any gardener-beginner or experienced
Published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the venerable Horticulture magazine, this book will be a must-have for any gardener for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Some duplication but still a very good garden book.......2007-02-11
I am an intermediate gardener. See my review of "Gardening in the Shade", also by the editors of Horticulture Magazine: I'm a little disappointed that the editors re-used the exact articles on 'Soaring Cimicifugas' and 'Within the woodland' in this book as they did in their shade book. You'd think with all those articles they must have they could have avoided blatant repetition. That said, and despite the apparent thinness of the volume, I really like this book. I am just getting interested in several of their featured plants,asters, baptisias, pulmonarias, cranesbills, helenium, salvia, hellebores, penstemon and more. they also have sections on 'coping with dry shade', etc. I'm giving this book 5 stars, because despite the repetition, this book actually has better photo ideas than the shade book, it shows the plants in garden settings which gives ideas for companion plants and that is what really kicks the garden into full gear. I will grow most of these plants from seed, including arisaema. They have a nice 2 page article and sidebar on starting arisaema. Let's face it, it's great to have all the best articles in one book!
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