Book Description
Alfred Byrd Graf is probably the most widely traveled plant explorer of the world's tropics and subtropics. Horticulturist, botanist, and professional photographer, he has roamed the earth in the spirit of Von Humboll, Darwin, and David Fairchild earlier in the 19th and 20th centuries, in search of exotic botanicals to add to the enlarging horticulture of the world. Among the honors received by the author are the award of the large Gold Medal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Certificate of Merit of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Distinguished Service Award of the Horticultural Society of New York, a Citation Award of the American Horticultural Society, and the Tercentenary Medalliou of the State of New Jersey. IN 1967 he was invested with the Sarah Champman Francis Medal of the Garden Club of America for outstanding literary achievement. In Pittsburgh, in 1972, Alfred Graf was elected to horticulture's hall of fame, the highest distinction given by the society of American Florists, and in 1978he was awarded the doctor of Science degree.
His most recent publications are TROPICA, Color-ama of Exotic Plants with 7000 photos incl. Plants indoors. Also Hortica (8100 photos), Color Cyclopedia of Garden Flora in all Climates showing Hardiness Zones.
He is the President and founder of Roehrs Company, Book division.
Customer Reviews:
Hortica:color cyclopedia of garden flora in all climates and.......1999-10-09
This's a really amazing manual books for profesional and technical's horticulture!
Book Description
Alfred Byrd Graf is probably the most widely traveled plant explorer of the world's tropics and subtropics. Horticulturist, botanist, and professional photographer, he has roamed the earth in the spirit of Von Humboll, Darwin, and David Fairchild earlier in the 19th and 20th centuries, in search of exotic botanicals to add to the enlarging horticulture of the world. Among the honors received by the author are the award of the large Gold Medal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Certificate of Merit of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Distinguished Service Award of the Horticultural Society of New York, a Citation Award of the American Horticultural Society, and the Tercentenary Medalliou of the State of New Jersey. IN 1967 he was invested with the Sarah Champman Francis Medal of the Garden Club of America for outstanding literary achievement. In Pittsburgh, in 1972, Alfred Graf was elected to horticulture's hall of fame, the highest distinction given by the society of American Florists, and in 1978he was awarded the doctor of Science degree.
His most recent publications are TROPICA, Color-ama of Exotic Plants with 7000 photos incl. Plants indoors. Also Hortica (8100 photos), Color Cyclopedia of Garden Flora in all Climates showing Hardiness Zones.
He is the President and founder of Roehrs Company, Book division.
Customer Reviews:
tropica by alfred byrd graf.......2007-05-07
Beautifully done book with hugh number of plants with a color photos and descriptions
Tropica Color Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants and Trees.......2005-12-13
I own the 5th edition. I glanced through a few pages (after having spent hours on the Internet researching tropical plants for my personal tropical garden) and had to buy it right then and there! I did not want to chance not being able to find it again. It's the best! I can't foresee ever having to wonder what any other tropical plant looks like! I've found plants in this book that I could not identify on the web or through local nurseries. I was not able to put this book down for hours after it's purchase and continue to use it almost daily. Totally worth the $185 price! If I'd lost it on the way home from having just purchased it, I'd be right back trying to buy another!
TROPICA.......2003-04-26
This book is the ultimate,before software,computers and Wal-Mart salespersons... .a book of this magnitude was and is still the Bible of horticulture.Alfred Graf,travels the world to bring the reader an astounding volume of plants both rare and usual,not only color photos but origins as well,which happens to be the best indicator of how a plant will thrive.I've owned this book for over twenty years,even replacing it after it was stolen.What else can I say...oh yeah,...Chrisalidocarpus Lutescens.
Tropica no Nonsense!.......2002-03-13
I recently got the chance to look over a copy of this book , and although I didn't get a chance to read it extensively nor in depth, I got the feeling that this was and is, one book , that no plant loving individuals library, should be with out. It is with out a doubt , a must have if you can get your hands on a copy.
A reader from Colorado.......2000-06-27
This book is execellant for pictures. For information about growing and other details there is little.
Book Description
"Best Garden Color for Florida" is a must-have for Florida gardeners and professionals who love garden color! It is not only loaded with 575 spectacular photos, but also includes reams of easy-to-understand information about use and care of 150 terrific Florida plants. The plant information is complemented with chapters filled with ideas about color for butterflies, sun, shade, salt, and wind.
The book is a result of decades of plant research by the author to determine which plants and planting strategies give the most color for the least amount of care. The author personally grew most of the plants, giving her practical experience with all aspects of the plants' use and maintenance. It is a companion to the best-selling "Easy Gardens for South Florida", which will be adapted to cover the whole state in 2004. No information is repeated in either book. The two work together to give you the best garden color for Florida.
"Best Garden Color for Florida" covers all of Florida, with special emphasis on zones 9 through 11. It gives detailed information on annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, and flowering trees.
The book is large-format, hard-cover, reference book with top-quality binding and paper. It is designed to be a useful, long-lasting book that goes with you to the garden center and into your backyard for many years to come. "Best Garden Color for Florida" belongs on the book shelf of every Florida gardener!
Customer Reviews:
Florida gardening.......2007-10-03
This book has wonderful graphics and comments that are very helpful to a new Florida gardner.
Best Garden Color for Florida.......2005-10-21
It is very difficult to find a good reference gardening book for South Florida specially for the Miami area. This book along with her other book "Easy Gardens for South Florida" are a must for anyone trying to garden in South Florida. Great information on all the plants listed in the book.
Coloring a Florida garden........2005-10-11
This very splashy book with big type, excellent large color photos on big pages is a useful guide if you are looking to brighten up your Florida garden. Crawford provides more information about how to care for each plant than is available in most books. The format of two facing pages for each plant with the information arranged in a common format and organization makes it very easy to use.
Her carefully dealing with suggesting companion plantings and showing their combined impact in a garden is extremely useful.
There are some inconsistencies and editing errors for example on pages 122-123 Butterfly Bush, there is extensive comment about it being a better plant for North Florida and very short-lived or unsuccessful in South Florida yet she recommends it for zones 10a to 11.
Obviously her priority in plant choice in this book is color and her criteria of can she get it to perform. From my perspective I question her advocating the use of spray liquid fertilizers on nectar plants without mentioning the negative impact on butterfly catepillars of these chemicals.
I got the book as a gift--and a lovely one it was--but I have not yet become convinced to spring for the companion volume "Easy Gardens for South Florida. There are many ways in which they would make more sense together than they do seperately but I have been waiting for the new edition to come out.
Some of the plants e.g Forsythia Sage which she raves about I and the major nursuries here in Sarasota and Venice have been unable to secure.
Great book!.......2005-06-07
I've lived in Florida for five years and always wanted a lot of color in my garden. Most of my efforts failed, except for annuals which I constantly have to replace. This book introduced me to a whole new group of easy perennials that bloom a lot and last for years! And each plant description has more care information than any other book I've ever seen! This book has changed my garden from drab to gorgeous!
Fabulous for Floridians!.......2005-06-07
This book is geared toward our Florida gardens. I am a South Florida landscaper and use this book constantly on sales calls. It is a super reference book chock full of pertinent info & color photos. It is easy to read and covers all aspects of plant needs from lighting, watering, soil & space requirements, fertilization & even pest cautions. The variety of plants listed by Ms. Crawford are readily available in most local nurseries and do well here in Florida. This is exactly the kind of book we Florida landscapers have been waiting for!
Book Description
Answers to help home decorators make their favorite colors work in any space.
Innovative color ideas that incorporate paints, fabrics, and accessories.
Color basics and how-to techniques for every room in the house boost decorating confidence.
Unique color scheme recipes and color swatches accompany inspirational photos.
Easy-to-navigate chapters are organized by color.
Interior designers and color experts answer questions on common color dilemmas.
Special quiz provides home decorators insight to color personalities.
One-of-a-kind, 16-page insert gives readers take-along color recipes for buying paint, fabric, and accessories.
Book Description
Stretching the imagination with creative color play lies at the heart of this fun-filled, results-oriented guide to producing more striking quilts. A gallery of over seventy lusciously colored quilts illustrates the author's techniques for choosing colors. Sample fabric arrangements make color concepts easy to understand; color scales show the variations of pure hues, tints, shades, and tones and how they affect the mood of a quilt.
Customer Reviews:
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COLORS.......2007-03-08
This product gives us the experience in the use of fabrics and colors in quilts.
I'm a scrapper, not a quilter.......2006-01-24
Regardless, I found the book fascinating. It uses the Ives color wheel, rather than the traditional red/blue/yellow wheel. It is clear and concise in its color theory, spending most of the pages in giving examples of color combinations. It also includes a gallery of gorgeous quilts to increase understanding of what the correct color choice can do for a piece of art.
I used this book as the basis for a scrapbooking class, and held thirty women in thrall. A number of them asked me to repeat the SAME talk, while the rest were ready for more information. This convinces me that the book, though great for quilters I imagine, is wonderful for anybody interested in color and, well, colorplay.
beautiful book .......2005-07-20
This is a lovely book~ Joen Wolfrom begins with her magical color book and progresses to Visual Dance ~ and now she has presented this book on color.. one builds on the next.. all lovely books to learn color from nature and use it in quilts.
All are lovely books! And now C T Publishing has taken the colors from this latest book Color Play and made a portable collection of color cards ( like a color wheel ) to carry along with you when you are picking out fabric.. so handy !
Buy any of these books by Joen Wolfrom it will make your color choices so much better, so much easier.
Whilst a tremendously colourful book..........2005-04-15
no novel ways of combining different-coloured fabrics (other than shown in the very few photographs) are presented . The 3-in-1 color cards pack by this author is preferable due to its portability.
Terrific Book!.......2005-02-03
I can't add anything more than was already posted!! It is true "eye-candy" for the Quilter's (Artist's) soul! :o)
5 star worthy
Book Description
Clean, healthful, sparkling water - that's what a backyard swimming pool is all about. Professional pool maintenance crews can keep a swimming pool clean and its water crystal clear, but they cost a small fortune. Yet many pool owners who try the do-it-yourself approach find themselves plagued by a host of troubles. Cloudy water. Algae sprouting on the pool's walls and bottom. Pumps, pipes, and other equipment that corrode and deteriorate at an alarming rate. Funky odors.
That's where WHAT COLOR IS YOUR SWIMMING POOL? steps in. This classic time-tested resource for pool owners is back in a completely rewritten edition and with a new author. Alan E. Sanderfoot has updated the text to spotlight the latest swimming pool technology and has greatly expanded the range of information about hot tubs and spas.
This easy-to-use, easy-to-understand resource teaches pool owners everything they need to know about keeping a pool or spa beautiful and healthful. Sanderfoot starts with basics: water treatment and filtration systems. Then he moves on to the nitty gritty of how to select and care for filters, pumps, motors, and heaters. He explains the best way to clean a pool, how to make minor repairs yourself, and what to look for in pool covers and such pool accessories as automatic water monitors.
You'll find step-by-step directions for winterizing a pool, and for opening it up again in the spring. There is even a chapter on inexpensive things the owner can do to give the pool a face-lift. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR SWIMMING POOL? demonstrates how a little investment of time throughout the swimming pool season can prevent major problems and expenses down the road.
Customer Reviews:
Good advice for pool maintenance.......2007-09-15
This book quickly answered some vexing questions I have had for some time concerning the correction of imbalances in my pool water. It clearly explains what steps are needed to put things right. Good value for money!
Basic but good.......2007-08-16
Middle of the road. I preferred the Ultimate pool guide, but as a newcomer to pools this book also helped me understand a lot.
Layman's Guide.......2005-08-11
This book was written in layman's terms. Everything was explained in easy to follow step by step directions. I feel much more in control of my pool after reading this book. I will definitely keep it around as a reference book.
Good Introduction To Pool And Spa Maintenance.......2005-07-16
I own a home with a large spa in the basement. When I purchased the home, the spa was not filled with water, and since I had no experience maintaining pools or spas, I read this book to give me some general operating tips. Although the book is not written to explain details concerning all complex pool and spa maintenance procedures, it is an excellent introduction for the novice pool or spa owner.
It is true that the author sometimes refers the reader to a trained pool professional, but I think that is appropriate given the range of possible complications. He also recommends getting a periodic professional water analysis (most pool shops will do this free or at very reasonable cost) as the chemical sticks are good for only fairly basic information. One of the strengths of the book is the explanation of the basic applied chemistry involved in pool maintenance.
After reading this book and getting a water analysis, I have been confidently enjoying the hot tub. Overall, I recommend this book for all pool and spa owners, especially novices. People with a lot of experience with pools may desire a more advanced text, but I think this one works great for probably 99 percent of the pool and spa owners out there.
A fine homeowner's guide to maintaining a trouble-free pool.......2004-03-10
This updated third edition provides a fine homeowner's guide to maintaining a trouble-free pool, spa or hot tub. The updated edition has been completely revised and covers everything from water safety and treatment options to solar heating. Spas and hot tubs are also included in this edition, making it an excellent, practical owner's guide.
Book Description
For nearly 50 years, home decorators have turned to Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Bookto transform their houses into warm, personal havens for their families. The tradition continues with this all-new edition. It's your personal guide to the styles, colors, textures, fabrics, wall and window treatments, flooring, lighting, and accessories that define today's interior design. More than 900 photographs, 100 illustrations, and friendly, informative text offer you ideas for every room in the house: the kitchen, living room, family room, dining room, bedrooms, guest room, kids' rooms, baths, home office, and even outdoor areas. A fun, insightful quiz helps you discover your unique style, while a showcase of 12 houses introduces you to a diversity of decorating approaches. In addition, there are useful tips on maximizing storage, arranging rooms, and accomplishing room makeovers. Easy-to-follow descriptions make projects and quick decorating solutions a snap. This updated classic—a dream book, workbook, room-by-room planner, and design primer bound into one volume—is guaranteed to show you how to achieve fresh, affordable style throughout your home.
Customer Reviews:
Love this book! .......2007-09-26
I highly recommend this book! This is by far one of the best decorating books that I have purchased. Lots of iedeas in many decorating styles, all done with class.
It's the same as the 2003 book, with newlywed pages added.......2007-04-22
There are 72 pages added at the front, aimed for newlyweds, with chapters such as "your first home", "your first living room", etc. Then you will find the 432 pages from the BHG New Decorating Book copyrighted in 2003, which was and still is a nice book. But, if you already own the 2003 book, you probably wouldn't need to buy this "newlywed" New Decorating Book.
Not Much New.......2006-11-07
I bought this for my wife. She thinks that the pictures reflect decor that is a bit dated.
Dreadful...Outdated design even for 10 years ago..........2006-06-14
The interior design featured in this book was absolutely horrid. Even though this book is almost 10 years old I find it hard to beleive that garish clashing floral prints and variations of plaid were all the rage in 1997. Judging by the quality of BHG's magazines I expected so much more. Thank goodness I got it used for $1.59...
Inspiring and informative.......2006-05-18
The pictures alone are beautiful and inspriring. You can get so many ideas just from looking at them. Add the text and you have a book full of ideas, advice and suggestions for all styles. It even inlcudes organization tips. I will definitely refer to this often. It's hard to find a book that has both excellent info and pictures - this one's got it all!
Book Description
This photo gallery of the best maples for garden use is a complement both to Maples of the World and to J. D. Vertrees's Japanese Maples, since more than a third of the book is devoted to Acer palmatum, including many new and unusual cultivars. The photographs, taken in locations in seven countries, demonstrate the wonderful diversity of form, color, and size that makes maples so useful in gardens of every kind.
Customer Reviews:
Color Buffet.......2006-07-14
Color choices, complete growth patterns and more information than the casual gardener can cope with make this an excellent reference.
The only book on maples you'll ever need.......2006-05-11
What a refief. After perusing at least twenty books on maple trees, I came across this gem. It is hands-down the most extensively researched book on the subject I've ever come across. There are hundreds of pictures which are extremely useful; many books will give only 4 or 5 pictures for an entire species. It contains an exhausting amount of information that proved invaluable in making my decision about which acer to plant. Once I discovered this book, my research days were over.
Tons of good info./ pics for maples and Japanese maples!!.......2000-11-01
I was looking for a good reference book on maples and Japanese maples, and was seriously considering both this one and Vertrees' book on Japanese maples. However, since this book included both types of maples, I considered it to be the better value. Also, this book has 683 color photos, and one third of the book is dedicated to Japanese maples, while Vertrees has 250 color photos and is dedicated only to Japanese maples. I still may buy Vertrees book as well, but if you are trying to choose between them, I'd go with this one. I spent many pleasurable hours just thumbing through the descriptions and gorgeous photos of maples.
Book Description
Gardeners learn the joy of creating color in the garden with ease
Any gardener can transform a dull perennial patch into a visual paradise with the expert tips in these beautifully illustrated pages. Written by a trained artist, The Gardener's Palette offers inspiration and instruction on "painting" with nature's colors. With a simple introduction to the color wheel and basic color theory, green thumbs learn to use harmonies and contrasts in the garden as an artist does on canvas. More than 300 glorious color photographsmany in close-up detailshowcase brilliant uses of color in gardens both real and impressionistic, including masterpieces by Monet and van Gogh.
This accessible guide offers chapters on container gardens, explaining how to experiment to create simple and complex color schemes by arranging and rearranging plant pots. Sections on background colorsneglected in other booksexplore the visual roles of greens, grays, and whites in the garden. There are even suggestions on using pots, fabrics, and other outdoor decorating materials to enhance nature's hues. This handsome volume makes a wonderful gift for anyone striving to achieve color confidence in the garden.
Customer Reviews:
Best book going.......2005-01-28
What a treat--a book about color in the garden that doesn't get bogged down on the differences between cadmium yellow dark and cadmium yellow medium. This is a highly readable book that both experienced and beginning gardeners will find useful and informative. With apologies to James Bond, no one has done it better.
a good starting point.......2003-08-24
If you don't know much about color theory and want some ideas on how to make color combinations work in the garden, this is a good starting point. I didn't learn a lot, but I found the photographs useful as they helped confirm that some of the ideas I have for my own garden should work out.
One topic I haven't seen covered in other books was the impact of house color on urban gardens. Most books seems to assume you have acres of space to work in with a woodland in the background. I have a typical city lot with a 10-15 foot wide border surrounding the house. Thus the background looking from the street or yard is almost always the house, and the background looking from the house is usually another house. The photographs in Eddison's book make it clear just how important the house color is to the overall impression of your borders and beds.
Another nice touch is the way Eddison relates color schemes to works of art (in particular of J.M.W. Turner and the Impressionists). I hadn't really thought of looking at paintings to come up with compelling color schemes for the garden, but I will now!
Book Description
In The Harmonious Garden, Catherine Ziegler describes fail-safe design methods. Even novice gardeners can compose plant arrangements that successfully incorporate color, form, and texture. The first section presents 149 integrated compositions. Ziegler fully describes the plants in each arrangement: Latin name, quantity and size, environment, and USDA zones. Full-color photographs illustrate each composition, and the author discusses the key principles underlying each harmonious design. The second section offers more detailed information with suggestions for successful design combinations.
Customer Reviews:
Even more information that the title suggests.......2003-03-24
In addition to more than 140 attractive combinations, with color photos and drawings to illustrate exactly what makes up the plantings in each photo, this book contains a load of practical and insightful observations. It's a treasure for UK, European, and US gardeners with its careful and accurate attention to zones; it's an inspiration to gardeners everywhere because of the education it offers about what underlies this author's ideas about combining plants.
Each planting combination has a photo and annotated drawing, as well as three to six or so paragraphs which are loaded with tremendously valuable data points. How much space might the combination be expected to occupy? What foliar changes occur as the plant occurs? What is unique about the combination's color, form, texture? Do any of the plants re-seed? What compatible plantings would extend the season of interest? When in the season was the photo taken?
There is a separate section with details about specific plants included in the combinations. Three appendices (bloom options by exposure, season, and color [which increases the value of this book far beyond the combinations it suggests]); foliar options; an extensive cross-reference between common and botanic names) add much more value. Finally and typically for publications of Timber Press, a fine index makes the book easy to use over and over.
There are less expensive books about planting combinations, but no book that I know of that offers broader and deeper information to help gardeners find their own beautiful planting harmonies. One good thing about this book's price point is that you can be virtually assured that few novice gardeners own it; thus, it would be an excellent and much appreciated gift.
Basic principles of color and form.......1999-09-20
Generally, an excellent reference. The author methodically and analytically (if you appreciate that sort of thing) takes the reader through combinations of color and form and explains why the combinations work. The author's taste in color is subtle, however, and you will not be shown high contrast or exciting color combinations. The same restraint applies in the author's use of form. There are appendices that discuss various plants and combinations, although not in depth.
Books:
- How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide
- Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
- Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arrangement
- Insects That Feed on Trees and Shrubs (Comstock Book)
- Jerry Baker's Backyard Problem Solver: 2,168 Natural Solutions for Growing Great Grass, Super Shrubs, Bright Bulbs, Perfect Perennials, Amazing Annuals, Vibrant Vegetables, Terrific Trees, and Much, Much More!
- Jerry Baker's Backyard Problem Solver: 2,168 Natural Solutions for Growing Great Grass, Super Shrubs, Bright Bulbs, Perfect Perennials, Amazing Annuals, Vibrant Vegetables, Terrific Trees, and Much, Much More!
- Jerry Baker's Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series)
- Landscaping with Native Plants of Michigan
- Linnea in Monet's Garden (Linnea Books)
- Making the Most of Shade: How to Plan, Plant, and Grow a Fabulous Garden that Lightens up the Shadows
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details that Bring a Home to Life
- Cinema of Interruptions: Action Genres in Contemporary Indian Cinema
- Death at Dartmoor
- International Building Code 2003
- Physik
- Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible
- Cost Management: Strategies for Business Decisions with PowerWeb Package
- Fun and Games: A Text on Game Theory
- The Judgment of Caesar: A Novel of Ancient Rome
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Tropica: Color Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants and Trees for Warm-Region Horticulture in Cool Climate the Summer Garden or Sheltered Indoors
Tropical Plants for Home and Garden
Tropical Flowering Plants: A Guide to Identification and Cultivation
An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms
Tropical Garden Design
