Softcover, 128 pages, Published 2004
Customer Reviews:
The Best Book on Attracting Wildlife.......2007-06-07
When you read this book you know you are receiving good, high quality and accurate advice. David Mizejewski, the author, has sound knowledge and experience which he shares with us. After reading this book and following it's instructions, I was able to have my backyard certified a Wildlife Habitat.
Unlike some other books, this one doesn't give outdated information. Invasive or harm plants are identified and cautioned against. If a plant is invasive, beneficial native alternatives are suggested.
The book is full projects that are actually do-able. And not ones that require several power tools. So, read this book and learn about attracting birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and amphibians to your garden. And go on safari by steeping out the back door.
Wow alot in a small book.......2007-05-08
This book is WONDERFUL!! I took this to the local nursery so I could buy the right flowers, I noticed folks were looking over my shoulder. It's a great book for ALL your birds, butterflies and just remodeling your yard.
Each topic is condensed on one page, just the facts and photos. Each topic has a photo of some sort to help you understand the reading. There were topics that I would not have even looked up, but now I am glad I know more about it!!! The book is in A-Z format and doesn't used alot of
"tech. terms" I don't understand, and that's great!!! It has receipes on making birds treats and some really great ideas on how to even tame a few wildlife birds and such! A MUST FOR ALL NATURE LOVERS!!! JT
Nice overview, but not helpful otherwise.......2005-09-22
This book outlines several topics, one or two pages per topic, such as birdbaths, artificial ponds, etc., various topics that are all relevant, interesting, and just what you want... but it doesn't treat any one topic thoroughly or well enough. Well before I bought this book, I already knew a bit about how to provide habitats to encourage bees (for example). This book only gave a very rough overview of how to create one type of bee environment (how to make tubes to attract mason bees) but didn't even indicate that there are other types of bees (such as bumble bees... honey bees... various other bee species, each of which need their own particular type of home built for them), let alone give guidelines how to attract them. The most important thing, choosing plants that are bird-friendly or bee-friendly or animal-friends, it handles in a very superficial manner. True, it may list a few species of plants, but it hardly gives a comprehensive list. It doesn't say anything about the plants, such as zones, light/shade preference, etc. In summary, if there's anything you want to do, such as choose plants carefully, you'll need to buy another book. Beehouses? Buy another book or scour the internet. Yes, this book will motivate you, will make you feel, how nice it will be to build a butterfly-friendly garden. But it doesn't really give you what you need to do it, besides make you feel good about it. Do you want to build a birdhouse? Scoure the internet or buy another book. The only thing this book is good for, is to tell you the few topics you should start to think about. And that, you can get just by reading the Table of Contents. Oddly, it spends many pages describing home recipes for making bird cakes and patties, out of animal fat and seeds, that you can hang up in your garden -- a sort of Martha Stewart section slipped in the middle of the book there, as though this was the only "specific" information the author had at hand. I would suggest that instead of this, you buy a book that is positively overloaded with info like Degraaf's "Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Attracting Birds" which lists a page per specie various plants -- start there. Then look up bee boxes on the internet. Etc.
Lots of great projects you can do with your kids.............2005-04-25
So you want to turn your big back yard into a wildlife refuge? The place to begin is with the NWF `ATTRACTING BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER BACKYARD WILDLIFE.' This book, part of the `Creative Homeowner Series includes all kinds of nifty ideas for making your yard creature-friendly. You will become interested in ridding yourself of noxious grass the upkeep of which is frustrating, a lot of work, and expensive, and probably a source of pollution in your watershed. The book explains the reason why you also want to rid yourself of invasive exotic plants and add native plantings to your yard. Many `exotics carry disease and many fail to nourish the local fauna that grew up with the native stuff. Birds, for example, find the berries from the native Dogwood much more nutritious than the fruit of the Kousa Dogwood. You want to strive for balance in your yard if you want more bird sightings. If you live far enough out in the hinterland, you may also find other creatures visit your yard (though I live in Arlington VA and my neighbor reports a raccoon is having a fish dinner every night from her pond, and I know I have smelled a skunk on many mornings).
The beautiful photos in this publication will inspire you to plan and plant as well as spread peanut butter on your homemade `energy muffins' filled with cornmeal, peanuts and suet or vegetable shortening. You can decorate a Yule tree for the birds the kids might enjoy and/or build a pond with decorative plants. Or if you don't have room for a pond, try making a puddle or a muddy area (the kids will love this) or a container garden for small spaces. You will need to provide cover, which can also be beautiful (we have Cardinals nesting in a Pyracantha bush out front -- my Conure loves to watch them from his window vantage point). We planted Clematis for the butterflies and trumpet flowers for the hummingbirds, and Echinacea for the Finches. The Chickadee loves seeds on the Crepe Myrtle Bush and the Mockingbird loves the Holly.
This is a great book for learning how to attract wildlife (the kind you want) and grow native flora for your fauna, as well as engage in fun activities with your kids or grandkids.
Featuring 17 great projects along with a wealth of tips.......2004-04-03
Illustrated throughout with enticing color photographs, Attracting Birds, Butterflies, And Other Backyard Wildlife by David Mizejewski (Manager, Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program) is an exceptional and highly recommended homeowner's guide featuring 17 great projects along with a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques to create gardens filled with wildlife sights, sounds, and natural wonders. Featuring advice for obtaining certification for a backyard habitat in the NWF's Backard Wildlife Habitat program, as well as more general suggestions from building amphibian and bee nesting houses, to finding native plants, avoiding West Nile Virus in the water provided for wildlife, butterfly feeders, and so much more, Attracting Birds, Butterflies, And Other Backyard Wildlife is a first-rate informational guide and a welcome addition to personal and community library Wildlife and Gardening reference collections.
Book Description
Intriguing stories of how people have died in Yellowstone warn about the many dangers that exist there and in wild areas in general.
Customer Reviews:
The Park is not Disneyland .......2007-09-13
While we were in Yellowstone, there was a fellow in West Yellowstone who got clamped by a bear, a black bear. This guy will have quite a story to tell for the rest of his life. he got a slight bite from a black bear. He didn't get chomped or gnawed by a grizzly. His bear decided that he wasn't worth more than a taste and then moved on. Lee Whittlesey's message is clear in this book: accidents and foolhardiness do occur in America's first national park. Over 300 people have lost their lives. To use the words of the author: Yellowstone is not Disneyland; the park is raw nature ... and ... it can kill.
In 1981 two buddies from California parked their truck at the Fountain Paint Pot. While the men were looking at the hot springs, the dog belonging to one of them jumped out of the truck and rushed into the Celestine Pool which has a temperature of 202 degrees. The dog began yelping. The two buddies rushed to the edge of the spring. The dog's owner began to go into the pool. A bystander yelled, "Don't go in there!" But in dove the dog's owner. The dog never survived. The owner came out of the pool blinded. "That was a stupid thing that I did, " said the dog's owner. Within a few hours he would succumb to third degree burns over 100% of his body.
In 1975 a "savage" went "hot potting" near the Nez Perce Creek. A "savage" is a park employee. "Hot potting" is taking a dip into one of the park's hot springs. Some of Yellowstone's hot springs have tolerable temperatures. Unfortunately this park employee chose a pool whose temperature was 179 degrees. When his body was found, it had been *cooking* for two days.
Notices around Yellowstone warn against approaching any wildlife. One fellow was attempting to show his buddy how tame the buffalo/bison were. One Saturday morning while feeding his bison, one of them inexplicably became enraged. The bison gored him and tossed him into the air. Then when he came down, it tossed him into the air again. And again.
Do not feed the bears. They don't know when to quit and they get used to picnic baskets and the like. The park has relocated bears who got use to eating picnic baskets and brought in some who don't know the habit. Hikers and campers are encouraged to cover their food so that a bear does not get the scent. By all means, do not put your children on the backs of bears to have their picture taken. One fellow had his wife putting their child on the back of the bear so he could take a picture.
Accidents or bad judgment? Hot springs or animals or water falls or whatever. Yellowstone is a wildland and not just Disneyland
Well Researched and Colorful.......2007-08-23
The author has a long history with Yellowstone National Park, working initially for Yellowstone Park Company as a bus driver and tour guide in the early 1970s. He continues working in the Park today as the Yellowstone National Park historian. He has made the Park his life's work and has a great passion for it. I, too, worked for Yellowstone Park Company as a bus driver and tour guide during the 1970s. Lee describes deaths from many causes during the early days of the Park when it was administered by the United States Army all the way through the present. He gives detailed accounts of deaths that occurred while I worked in the Park although I learned from his book that the circumstances of several of the deaths were a little different from what workers in the Park heard by word of mouth. Everyone wants to hear about the deaths by bears and other large critters, but there have been only a few such instances. Many more people fell to their deaths or made spectacular exits from this life like the French lady who managed to fall over both the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone during my time in the Park. His accounts of the many drowning deaths in the Park and the tales of the few survivors of such incidents were amazing. So many of the people who went boating and canoeing in Lake Yellowstone obviously had no idea how fast a sudden summer afternoon thunderstorm could turn a placid lake into very turbulent waters. And did they have any conception of how cold the water is even at the height of summer (mid 40 degrees)? It is inconceivable to me that anyone could survive as much as twenty or thirty minutes in these frigid waters and live to tell about it. But some did and Lee tells their stories in a very entertaining way. He also describes some of the frivolous litigation brought by survivors of some very foolhardy accident victims. This is a good summer read and good prepartion for anyone planning a wilderness experience in our first national park.
Must read for Parents Visiting Yellowstone with Kids.......2007-08-14
I bought this book called, DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE that EVERY parent should read before taking their kids to this national Park.
Yellowstone is NOT a theme park, and there have been over 300 deaths there that are documented by a former park ranger that have occurred through negligence of visitors. Do not let go of your childs hand for a second in Yellowstone, especially if they are a toddler...they could be inches from death in many places.
I read this entire book with the kids on the way out there during the lonely drive, and they were fascinated. It is amazing how dumb tourists can be, and if this book saves your childs life, you will be glad you read it. It is VERY interesting...
This should be required reading before rangers allow people into YNP.......2007-07-11
Like some of the others reviewing this book, I too worked and lived there in 1999, and saw people do things just as dumb as listed in this book, and they were lucky to have survived. I watched a co-worker (and I've got photos) go and climb Castle Geyser!
As to why I think this well written, well researched, cautionary tale should be required reading (complete with quizes) is that there shouldn't be a lot of the deaths related in this book. If people would just follow the rules and not pet the bison, go hot-potting, try to get closer to the rim of the canyon. climb over barracades, because they got a dose of the reality that is our country's first national park, there may not be enough incidents to fill several more volumes.
Speaking of several volumes, Mr. Whittlesey, if you read your Amazon reviews, is there any chance of a follow up? Possibly a More Death in Yellowstone?
People can be so stupid!.......2007-01-14
I am constantly amazed at how stupid some people can be, and many are noted in this book. I'm fascinated by the subject matter. I enjoyed how the author presented the various cases - similar to Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon. I would recommend this book.
Book Description
Since it was first published in 1997, homeowners, serious gardeners, and professional nursery owners have responded enthusiastically to Deer Proofing Your Yard & Garden: 66,000 copies are in print. In the last seven years, as the deer problem in towns and suburbs has gotten worse, new solutions have presented themselves. To cope with the situation and keep up with the latest in deer control, Rhonda Hart has revised her original book, adding more than 60 pages of new material on how anyone can protect their yard and garden from deer.
As in her first edition, Hart takes a straightforward, just-the-facts approach. She tells homeowners exactly what they want to know: which commercial repellents are effective, how to make homemade deterrents, and how to create a landscape designed to repel deer.
Since the first edition was published, virtually invisible polyethylene deer netting is now widely available and almost 100 percent effective in keeping deer out of the yard. Hart has updated her chapter on fencing to include this and other new products.
Hart has also refined her plant lists to spotlight those that deer rarely touch and also to identify those plants that are less likely to be tasty targets, depending on the time of year and where you live.
The chapter on deer repellents has also been revised to rank commercial and homemade products in terms of their effectiveness and how often a new application is necessary.
This new edition provides anyone who gardens with a wide variety of deer-proofing alternatives so that at the edge of your garden, you really can say, "the buck stops here."
Customer Reviews:
Very Useful reference to coping with deer problems........2005-08-15
I found the book very informative and helpful in coping with dear problems. The deer behavior section was very close to our actual observations on our property in Roche Harbor of the Washington San Juan Islands.
The best book on the topic.......2004-03-24
This is simply an excellent book that tackles a critical wildlife management issue intelligently and without politics and rhetoric. The scope of the book and the author's skill as both a gardener and a keen observer of deer antics is impressive. As a master gardener and garden designer, I use this book in almost all my consultations because the problem is so prevalent, and because Ms. Hart provides some really smart answers to customer's questions. Though I agree with the reviewer who thought the book lacked information on more exotic or esoteric species of plants, the list of deer resistant species is quite extensive in light of the other information provided. There will probably never be an exhaustive list of deer proof plants because of harsh winters and continual clearing of natural habitats to make way for housing and commercial expansion.
Ms. Harts' suggested strategy of using deer repulsive plants around more deer desirable plantings is smart. I was able to grow my beloved tulips surrounded by alliums, whose foliage emerges as the tulips start to bud. Kudos to Ms. Hart.
Information laden and downright funny.......2000-09-07
This book is concise, well-structured and highly informative. It begins with an analysis of how deer think (if you can call it that!), and how they use their senses. The author then uses these insights to derive numerous strategies for avoiding attracting deer and deterring them if they do find your garden. These vary from what I would call defensive (avoid planting things that deer like to eat, using the exhaustive list provided as a guide - there are even some roses that deer apparently dislike!) to highly combative (electric fences, self-activated noises or sprinklers). She also offers numerous ideas for upsetting deers' reliance on their sense of smell, including stringing up highly scented soap bars, and spraying plants with homemade pepper spray or stinky egg mix! There is an edgy humor to the book that makes for a fun read. A very intelligent approach to a very exasperating problem. Buy it.
The bible of deer resistant gardening.......2000-05-14
This book has become the bible of deer resistant gardening for good reason. I have yet to find a more thorough text regarding deer behavior, deer deterrents and, deer resistant fences. If you have a deer problem you should defiantly read this book.
The one chapter that could be improved is the one entitled "Deer-o-Scaping", which discusses landscaping with deer resistant plants. The list of deer resistant plants provided in this chapter is divided into plant categories (i.e., annuals, perennials, etc...) and delineates the zones where each plant grows, as well as the plant's soil and light requirements. While this is certainly more information than I have seen provided in most deer resistant plant lists, it nevertheless assumes the reader knows what the plant looks like and is familiar with its' habit. The novice gardener will need to reference other publications to learn more about the plants in this list before he/she can plan an attractive deer resistant garden. The experienced gardener will undoubtedly wish the deer resistance of more unusual and exotic plants were discussed.
Advice for coping with 'deer' neighbors.......2000-01-03
Being new property & house owners in a suburban area adjacent to a deer wintering yard, this book provided us excellent advice on coping with our local deer population. We are planning a garden from scratch, and the information is very practical. It should help any gardener with deer in their area reduce their cost of resultant damage. The book deals with deer behavioural characteristics, and the likelihood of deer frequenting the property, as well as how to plan a deerproof garden. From plants that are detested by deer, to plants that will guarantee deer company: annual, perennial, shrub & tree choices are listed, including hardiness zone information. A range of strategies for keeping deer out of the garden is also included. The strategies go from fences to foul smelling substances to noise makers, and advice is given on the likelihood of success for each. An excellent tailorable reference book.
Book Description
Despite our reverence for wildlife, many of our most favorite species raise havoc in lawns and gardens from city to suburbia. This book solves backyard problems with squirrels, raccoons, deer, crows, insects and a host of other "pests" who raid backyard bird feeders and garbage cans, nest in chimneys, eat shrubbery, dig holes and tunnels in lawns, and attack garden foliage. George H. Harrison, award-winning nature writer, photographer, book author and consultant in the field of nature and outdoors, provides a natural history of squirrels and other problem critters so that readers can better understand the enemy. Topics covered include squirrels and deer raiding bird feeders, eating shrubbery and carrying Lyme disease; woodpeckers drilling holes in siding and roofs; rabbits destroying young trees, shrubs and other cultivated lawn plants; ticks, yellowjackets, wasps and ants biting, stinging and dominating sugar water feeders meant for hummingbirds; bears; raccoons; and more. Informative tips, devices and methods are explained that will lead to a peaceful coexistence with all animals, great and small.
Customer Reviews:
Squirrel Wars: Not Just Squirrels.......2007-03-09
The book says Squirrel Wars but it's a book about keeping other creatures out of your yard/garden as well. I was hoping it would be more comprehensive but since it gives tips on other creatures, I thought it had more value. Haven't gotten thru the whole book yet...too busy trying to salvage the bulbs that survived the squirrel attacks.
a truly honest and practical guide.......2000-07-10
Finally, someone has published a guide to dealing with my backyard foes. For years, master gardners, nursery workers, etc. have told me there was absolutely nothing I could do to protect my flowerbeds and bird feeders from squirrels, pesky birds and roaming cats. After reading this book, I know what works and what doesn't. This book not only tells me what to do, I now have some good insight into what's going on in the minds of those little critters (I wish more authors would do this). Yeah!!
My only complaint: the title is a little misleading. I got this book so I could deal with squirrels. This book covers many more backyard critters than squirrels such as cats, crows, deer, raccoons, and so on.
Squirrel Wars Too?.......2000-07-08
An invaluable book for any homeowner who's ever had problems with squirrels (enemy number one), rabbits, racoons, skunks, possums, deer, cats, rats, dogs, even birds, etc. Each section is dedicated to solving a problem with your animal of choice. And that's just it. It could have easily been called "skunk wars" or any other "animal wars" mentioned in this book. I guess he chose squirrels because they seem to be the most persistant animals to invade our backyard. They are truly clever. However, there's another "Squirrel Wars" book that deals with squirrels only, written in 1996, and the author's attempt to outwit them from raiding his birdfeeders. It's funny and serious. I highly recommend both Squirrel Wars. Enjoy while learning.
"Must" reading for backyard gardeners & wildlife enthusiasts.......2000-07-03
Many favorite wildlife species wreck havoc on backyard gardens: Squirrel Wars tells how to solve a range of problems, from birds which raid bird feeders and squirrels which are geniuses at food to creatures which nest in chimneys and dig holes in lawns. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks and opossums are covered, with some remedies more effective than others.
Great Book.......2000-06-09
this was a great book, hilarious funny, its very true
Amazon.com
What kind of grass is planted behind your house? What insects burrow in your soil, and what birds eat them? What's happening in that compost pile you're so proud of? This book may well change the view from your patio. A former old-style suburban gardener, Sara Stein writes convincingly of the ecological history of suburbia and the necessity of good stewardship of the land stolen from prairies and forests to make our back yards.
Book Description
Published to rave reviews in 1993, Noah's Garden shows us how our landscape style of neat yards and gardens has devastated suburban ecology, wiping out entire communities of plants and animals by stripping bare their habitats and destroying their food supplies. When Stein realized what her intensive efforts at making a traditional garden had done, she set out to "ungarden." Her book interweaves an account of her efforts with an explanation of the ecology of gardens. Noah's Garden has become the bible of the new environmental gardening movement, and the author is one of its most popular spokespersons.
Customer Reviews:
I laughed and I cried.......2007-07-23
Sara Stein's books are amazing. She manages to lump concrete facts and advice in with lyrical symphonies to the restoration of a safe, secure ecosystem. She also makes me laugh in the process. In one section she discusses the formula for determining what size a meadow has to be, how many herbivores it has to contain, and how many predators. The question is what poundage of predator does the meadow support. Her answer: "You've got me. Don't ask me to weigh owls."
I love it!
The part that made me cry was chapter 10 - Frogs: in Memorium. I remember so well the bullfrogs from my childhood. Sara Stein has written what she did not intend to be the swan song of the frogs, but rather a call to do something about that part of the environment we CAN affect -- our own backyard.
I list this book on my website as an invaluable resource for gardeners of any experience level. Even non-gardeners would benefit from reading NOAH'S GARDEN.
Thank you, Sara.......2006-08-31
I was sorry to hear Ms. Stein died before I had a chance to write a letter thanking her for this book. As a beginning gardner I attended a lecture she gave at a local college. My only criteria for landscaping at the time was to find the most colorful, longest-blooming plants, despite their area of origin. Ms. Stein made me realize how important it is to also provide native plants to benefit the creatures we have displaced with our rampant building. A few years ago I bought a 7.5 acre undeveloped parcel and recently had a small log cabin built on it. I plan to spend the rest of my life restoring the prairies, woodlands and wetlands with the help of this book as well as the sequel, Planting Noah's Garden. I hope Ms. Stein knew she had a great impact on many lives. Thank you, Sara.
Charming memoir .......2006-03-23
This book is a charming memoir that follows the cycle of destruction and restoration of a piece of land in Westchester County. After moving in, the author and her husband set to clearing and "gardening" the land -- only to notice that they had driven away the quail and the frogs by changing their habitat. The author then set herself upon the task of learning about ecosystems and restoring her land. The book is as much about animals as it is about plants -- and really about the complex systems that have arisen in nature for plants and animals to support one another. The author's overarching vision is that of a suburbia with enough habitat (woods/meadows) replacing pieces of individual yards to support the animals that have been displaced by vast expanses of mowed lawns.
Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards.......2004-09-20
This book is absolutely wonderful, it should be required reading for every lawn fanatic out there. An ecological viewpoint presented in an easy to understand and engrossing style. I would recommend this book to everyone. I am giving copies of this book as presents and loaning my copy to friends. This would be the perfect book to donate to your local or school library.
Nice.......2003-02-04
I thought it a good idea to give a guy's opinion and so here it is. This is a "nice" book, with nice sentiment and excellent ideas about how we should live with and not apart from nature. Actually it wouldn't be a bad idea for more men to see nature as a refuge, not a place to wreck havoc with and certainly not a killing field. However, I think few "guys" could get beyond the niceness of it all. It's just too very nice.
Average customer rating:
- Beautiful Photographs Beyond Words
- Not quite the best available
- just plain beautiful
- Stunning
- Perpetual Spring Provides Creative Inspiration!
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Flowers
Robert Mapplethorpe
Manufacturer: Bulfinch Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Mapplethorpe, Robert
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One Hundred Flowers
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Searchings: Secret Landscapes of Flowers, Volume III
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Flowers: Portraits of Intimacy
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The Infinite Rose
ASIN: 082121781X |
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful Photographs Beyond Words.......2005-04-11
This collection of color photographs of flowers by Robert Mapplethorpe is stunning beyond words. Just when you thought that nothing else could be done with the overdone photographing of Calla Lilies, Mapplethorpe graces this book with eleven new shots of them, along with Orchids, Tulips, Poppies and a Rose or two. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Mapplethorpe's work that some of these magnificent color shots are quite phallic in nature.
It is appropriate that the artist selected flowers for some of his last work since he like flowers was here for such a short time. (It is futile to speculate as to how many beautiful books he would have published by now had he lived.)
A short but moving introduction is included by his friend Patti Smith: She ends her comments with lines:
"A flower that grew from years of flowers./By one who caused a modern shudder/and was favored by his mother./It is the wall that conceals all the tears of a relatively young man/with nothing but glory in his grasp and what he would be/grasping is the hand of God drawing him into another garden."
For those who will never afford a Mapplethorpe, this book is a beautiful substitute.
Not quite the best available.......2004-02-07
While the photos are stunning, the presentation is a little rough. While most photos are presented with a blank page opposite there are a few photos that face other photos. This is a little jarring but worse is the two photos that are printed across the facing page. The spine break really detracts from a pair of beautiful photos.
Mapplethorpe was a genius with a camera and this book gives us many reminders of his skill. The publisher, however, lacks the artistic eye that would have prevented the distractions of a few photos that are damaged or badly placed by the layout. Minus a star because it could have been layed out better
just plain beautiful.......2002-05-16
Even though Mapplethorpe is better known for his controversial black and white nude photos, this book demonstrates his careful delicacy with not only the flowers but also the controlled lighting and the subtle colors. I have loved this book since the first time I leafed through it in studio photo class.
Stunning.......2002-02-03
Unbelivable intensity out of such simplicity. Here is Mapplethorpe's ultimate genius, astoundingly powerful from such simple set-ups. The colour, composition, lighting, choice of vases and flowers: All the basics but brilliantly done.
I saw Mapplethorpe's famous exhibition in Philadelphia just before he died,the exhibit that was banned at the Corcoran in D.C., then siezed for a while in Cincinnati. The flower photographs were dye-transfer prints, which made the colour surprisingly intense; some were almost 3' tall. People would stand for a long time in front of those, enraptured, sensing the work on several different levels at once. This book does a good job of bringing that to you. You can look at this book over and over again, put in on a coffe table to start converstaions or, after having not seen it for a while, rediscover it to be awed and inspired anew once again.
The edition I have is a 1990 paperback 12" in height; the pictures are presented one to a spread, so that there is a blank white page accross from the flower, which is a very classy touch, completely the correct way to do it.
Perpetual Spring Provides Creative Inspiration!.......2001-04-15
This book deserves more than five stars. It is the finest set of flower photography that I have seen before, and presents more dimensions of what a flower can mean that I would have thought possible.
I took a course of creativity from author Dan Wakefield a number of years ago. One of the many excellent exercises we did was to take a flower and write as much as we could about what we observed during an hour. At the end of the time, I was bursting with new ideas for all kinds of things. Try it sometime!
Seeing this marvelous book by Robert Mapplethorpe (that would earn a G rating if it were a motion picture) reminded me of that exercise. I had the same feeling as I examined each image, and had a great desire to start taking notes.
The essay, A Final Flower, by Patti Smith helps put these great works in perspective. Mr. Mapplethorpe found it "as easy to hurl beauty as anything else." "He came, in time, to embrace the flower as the embodiment of all the contradictions reveling within [him]." He was inspired by "their sleekness, their fullness, Humble narcissus, Passionate zen." As such, he found flowers to be "worthy conspirators in the courting and development of conflicting emotions."
The images themselves evoke more complicated views than any others of flowers that I have seen. The closest to his style is that which Georgia O'Keeffe used in her painings. But there are more dimensions to these photographs.
For example, a single flower may evoke a part of a human body, but it will also stimulate an impression of a human emotion contained in the flower image separate from the body part. Further, the shadowed background behind the flower will add movement and context that greatly expand the meaning of the overall image. Mr. Mapplethorpe also displays a genius for using varieties of color together to express complicated rhythms that make looking at the images a lot like listening to a drum beating a distinctive tattoo. He also employs juxtaposition (to make one thing appear to be part of something else), allusions to emerging and receding, and contrasts to great effect.
The technical quality of the images is superb. The lighting, detail, and composition of each image are precisely as must have been intended. Each image is an exquisite gem. Although I liked all of the images, some appealed to me more than others. Here are my favorites:
Irises, 1988; Rose, 1989; Orchid, 1977; White Longstem Flower, 1982; Orchids, 1982; Orchid, 1986; Flowers in a Vase, 1985; Orchids, 1987; and Poppy, 1988 (second one). I would like to specially praise the astonishing Calla Lilies (1985-1988) for their amazing beauty and inspiring qualities.
Where else can something simple display so much important meaning and complexity about nature and the viewer? I suggest that you consider looking at leaves, rocks, and feathers as possible additional sources of inspiration. Try your hand at arranging tableaux that use the vocabulary of Mr. Mapplethorpe's work here.
May your heart and mind be suffused with the wonders around you . . . creating a meditation inspired by nature!
Average customer rating:
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Hawaiian Gardens are to Go to, A Treasury of Tropical Plants and Gardens
Clayton Oslund , and
Michele Oslund
Manufacturer: Plant Pics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
-
Tropical Trees of Hawaii
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Flowers and Plants of Hawaii: Pocket Guide Series
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Landscaping With Tropical Plants (Sunset Series)
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Trees of Hawai'i (Kolowalu Books)
ASIN: 0966739906 |
Book Description
A user-friendly guide to public gardens and parks on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
Average customer rating:
- Five stars are simply not enough.
|
The Gardener's Encyclopaedia of New Zealand Native Plants
Valda Paddison
Manufacturer: Godwit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1869620437 |
Book Description
New Zealand's unique and diverse native flora includes hundreds of outstanding garden plants—from imposing specimen trees such a kauri and rimu, through the vast array of shrubs and herbaceous plants with admirable forms, foliage and flowers, to graceful grasses and quirky, mat-forming groundcovers.
The Gardener's Encyclopedia of New Zealand Native Plants brings together for the first time over 1000 species, hybrids, and cultivars in a highly illustrated, user-friendly, encyclopedic volume. Over(Nearly?) 1000 color photographs, arranged according to the plants' attributes and uses in the garden, include examples of landscaping possibilities as well as numerous plant portaits. The accompanying A to Z gives detailed descriptions, cultivation and propagation information. There are also lists of plants with desirable features or for particular situations.
Yvonne Cave's stunning photographs and Valda Paddison's authoritative text combine to make a comprehensive and unique book that will be welcomed by gardeners, horticulture professionals, botanists and conservationists.
Customer Reviews:
Five stars are simply not enough........2003-10-10
I ordered this book and was amazed and enthralled by it from the moment I cracked the cover. What a find. I had no idea New Zealand had such wonderful plants. I wish the section on Alpine Wildflowers was more thorough but it wasn't bad. It could use information on cultivation, hardiness, and availability and the book would be perfect. I want to grow some of these plants so bad it isn't even funny. I fell in love with this book and would never part with it. It will remain a cherished part of my library as it would be with yours. Don't pass up the opportunity to get this one. It is well worth the money.
I am a botanist and work for a nursery. I have an extensive library, mostly on the area where I live but I love plants from all over the world. Especially if the plants can survive my climate. I got some good information and photographs from this book. I am not kidding when I said I was amazed. I fell in love with in in the first few pages.
Book Description
Whether you are planting a yard from scratch or modifying an existing area, LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST will help you select, arrange, and maintain plants and other landscape elements that fulfill wildlife needs. Homeowners, property owners, professional wildlife managers, landscape architects, and garden designers will all find it invaluable
Nearly 100 illustrations of common Pacific Northwest wildlife enhance the text which includes a wealth of information on the following topics:
Wildlife habitat and landscaping basics
Birds, mamals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects likely to be attracted to your property
Specialty gardens for butterflies and hummingbirds
How to plant and maintain woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and waterways
Feeders and nest boxes
Ponds and birdbaths
Potential problems
Wildlife viewing tips
Extensive plant lists
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- Fatal Flaw: A True Story of Malice and Murder in a Small Southern Town
- Fatal Flaw: A True Story of Malice and Murder in a Small Southern Town
- Fire Places: A Practical Design Guide to Fireplaces and Stoves Indoors and Out
- Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
- Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
- Free to Choose: A Personal Statement
- French Country Living
- Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
- Great Houses of the Hudson River
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