Editorial Review

Collecting contributions from 100 distinguishedhorticulturists, the handsome and lavishly illustrated Read more

Reviews (58)

The absolute must-have plant bible
I've been coveting this book at a gardening friend's house for several months and just received my own copy as a gift.It's got everything: Every plant and variety imaginable, color photos, tips and techniques, heat and temperature maps... The latter are specific to the U.S., but international buyers would likely still find the plant and tree information exhaustive and very useful.This is the ultimate reference book, with the added bonus of being glossy and beautiful enough to leave out on the coffee table.

I prefer Sunset's Western Garden Book for SoCal gardening
I've had this book for almost 3 yrs, and used it as reference while planting a large from-scratch, drought tolerant garden in Southern California.
Gardening info by Committee

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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Plants, Ornamental    7. Reference    8. Gardening / Reference   

Reviews (6)

A Gardener's Must-have
If you just want to indulge yourself in fabulous photos of every flowering plant imaginable, this book is for you.If you have problem garden spots, this book has special sections to take the guesswork out of planting.If your creativity needs a little nudge in designing a particular type of garden, again, this book contains marvelous options and suggestions, all zone-specific.It's an absolute must for gardeners and beauty-lovers alike!

Incredible reference
Some other reviewers that own this book are right when giving this book high marks. I am a landscape contractor and can attest to the rich information and pictures inside. Although, I wouldn't recomend this bk for the beginning gardener. It has a 'common names' index by which to cross ref backwards with but, if common names are all you are familiar with, this bk may be a bit much to find what you want.However, this bk will tell you if thie plant is evergreen,semievergreen, deciduous, its habit, bloom time, hardiness zones,Hight & Spread, Light & some moisture requirements, etc.The bk is alphabetized with the genus/ Latin names for a reason. These Latin names are how all plants are traced from their origin and habit, regardless of hybridizing or crossing.A Plant may have several common names regionally or for marketing purposes, but will always have the Latin name to trace its' origin. This is why you will see alot of bks with Latin names intead of common names. This bk is a must for landscapers and horticulturists.This is one of the best reference sources I've seen.

Okay Reference
I bought this book primarily because of the review by: W. Oliver "scudder" which mentions the "Plant Selector" feature. It would be a great help if it were accurate. I was particularly interested in being able to cross-reference plants by acid-loving and deer-resistant features. I know that deer will eat anything if hungry; however, many sources from garden centers to university bulletins (and my own experience) note that hostas and tulips are deer candy. Both of these plants are listed deer resistant. Additionally, hollies are also listed as deer resistant. This fall, deer turned my new 8' holly into a topiary! Other than the "Plant Selector" feature, I'm not sure why I need this book along with the A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. To anyone else considering buying the package, I would recommend you don't do it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Flowers - General    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Ornamental Plants    7. Pictorial works    8. Plants, Ornamental    9. Reference    10. Gardening / Flowers / General   

Editorial Review

Much has changed in the role and use of ornamental grasses over the past 100 years. Whereas turn-of-the-century gardeners had perhaps a dozen perennial grasses to choose from, today's gardeners have hundreds. Ornamental grasses now embody a huge array of textures, forms, sizes, colors, flowering times, and cultural adaptations. Read more

Reviews (5)

Masterful, Encyclopedic Guide Full of Helpful Photos
Rick Darke's book is typical of his work. It is extremely well written, a detailed, very thorough guide to ornamental grasses, full of helpful pictures as well as information on growing and maintaining grasses. This book should be a classic for decades to come.

Absolutely Fantastic
This is such a wonderful informational book... AND ... a gorgeous coffee table book. It is terrific from beginning to end! If you like or are interested in, or even thinking about Ornamental Grasses ... then THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! I can't imagine anyone who has an interest in Ornamental Grasses NOT LOVING THIS BOOK, and would be delighted they purchased it. My only concern is that it is going to look dog-earred from my reading it over and over and over again ... which frankly takes away from its beauty on our coffee table.

Buy 2 copies...
This book is structured, written, photographed and edited with parallel purpose and effect: communication of the author's respect and regard for the book's subject and for its readers. Mr. Darke sets out to inform and does so with enconomy but in full course; when he instructs, he teaches the novice and gives pause to the critic; when he photographs he shows his passion and inspires with the nature and wonder of his subjects. The book is encyclopedic, yet its prose is always to the point with the agreeable dryness of a good, well-bodied wine. Credible, trustworthy, enlightening. This is the best gardening book I have ever read. Negatives? Only one: Mr. Darke's standards are unimpeachable; those of the book's typographer and designer, however, are not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. General    6. Grasses    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Ornamental grasses    9. Pictorial works    10. Plants - Grasses    11. Reference    12. Gardening / Flowers / Perennials    13. Gardening: plants   

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Japanese maple    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Trees    9. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    10. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (1)

An excellent reference on native perennials
This A-Z encyclopedia features over 600 species of native plants for the American gardener. All of the plants included here are perennials which are available to purchase in nurseries and mail-order catalogs. This was the author's major criteria for inclusion and some popular plants were omitted because they are not easily obtainable in the trade.
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Subjects:  1. Flowering Plants (Angiospermae)    2. Flowers - Annuals    3. Flowers - Perennials    4. Gardening    5. Gardening / Horticulture    6. Gardening/Plants    7. Home Gardening    8. Native plant gardening    9. Native plants for cultivation    10. North America    11. Ornamental Plants    12. Plants - General    13. Reference    14. Botany & plant sciences    15. Gardening / Flowers / Perennials    16. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (2)

Wow! A COMPLETE textbook on Carnivorous Plants...
As a child I was fascinated by these plants, and found relatively little reading on the subject, barely able to keep Sarracenia alive. When Adrian Slack's "Carnivorous Plants" came out around 1980 or so, I devoured it! A UK text, this book became my "Bible" and opened a world of even more exotic species that I had not been aware of. As well, it was the first book to include gorgeous full color prints (though only a limited few panels) of these species. Over the years, of course, more books have been published, but all of them have been somewhat lacking.
A Masterpiece
This book is special.I'm familiar with most of the books on carnivorous plants (see my Listmania list; there are PLENTY of great ones), but this new one blew my mind. This is the rare book that can captivate (perhaps the wrong word in this context) readers of all ages and all levels of expertise.Imagine that your favorite National Geographic article has been expanded into a first-rate book, complete with phenomenal pictures, engaging science writing, environmental awareness, humor, and a sense of adventure.Rice's book explores the habitat, science, history, popular culture and mass murder that make Carnivorous plants so fascinating.
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Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    7. Gardening: plants   

Subjects:  1. Construction - Roofing    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Green roofs (Gardening)    7. Ground cover plants    8. Home Gardening    9. Landscape plants    10. Ornamental Plants    11. Gardening / Garden Design    12. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (14)

Beautiful reference
The photographic plates are indeed very beautiful but having the descriptions in another section of the book does make for an inconvenient flipping from the front of the book that has the photographs to the back of the book with the textual information.
APALMLOVERS BOOK
This book is one of the most complete books you'll find on the many types of palms.

An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms
Superb! Clear information, very well organized for all types of readers, and with many great pictures. This book is a must if you appreciate palms--even if you don't, it's lovely for your coffee table. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Life Sciences - Horticulture    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Palms    7. Reference    8. Science    9. Trees    10. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    11. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (42)

Not your average gardening book
This is not another book of pretty pictures of flowers. The book takes you from start (preparing the soil), to caring for your plants (pruning tips), to finish (dividing mature plants).

Excellent, practical advice for novices and more
I've been gardening for 4 years and I learned a few really useful things from Tracy's book; enough to keep it on my list of "most wanted" gardening books.There is a great deal of information on preparing beds, soil amendment, planting and some creative pruning ideas.I think of this book the same way I think of Jaques Pepin's "La Technique" when it comes to cooking.It's a basic, a classic, and it should be on your shelf, or better yet in front of you.

Great for the non-professional
This is a book that I give to all my new perennial clients.It is well written and easy to understand.Tracy cuts my extra
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Subjects:  1. Flowers - Perennials    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Perennials    7. Techniques    8. Gardening / Flowers / Perennials    9. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (2)

Truly the Best Book of its Kind
I own a lot of gardening books and this is one of my all time favorites.I return to it almost every season.It's rare that a book with pretty pictures delivers on the substance and this one really does.Williams gives you a great framework for how to look at your garden, offers tons of beautiful examples and gives you lots of practical tips.Plus she realy has great taste which is unique and special as opposed to generic good taste which a lot of garden tomes support.I finally visited her garden when it was open to the public and it was even better than the book!She's extremely talented.

Best of the garden design books
When I first moved into my new house (it was my first house) I read several books on garden design that would give me some kind of orientation about what to do with my back yard.It was a mess.Ms. William's bookstood out (and still does) as the book that was most helpful and inspiringat the same time.It is beautifully written and well organized, and takesyou through all aspects and stages of garden design, from principle toexecution. Threaded throughout the book is a philosophy of restraint that Ihave learned is so important for the garden or any other designer who aimsat the achievement of quiet beauty in his/her environment.Ms. William'sbook (accompanied with the beautiful prose of Nancy Drew, writer on gardenlife) is certainly a must have for anyone starting out in garen design, andthe photographs make the book worth having for any garden enthusiast.Iwas shocked to see that no one had given it a five star rating till now! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Garden Design    2. Garden structures    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Gardens    7. Landscape Horticulture    8. Ornamental Plants    9. Plants, Ornamental    10. Styles    11. Garden design & planning    12. Gardening / Garden Design   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. General    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Plants - Cacti/Succulents    7. Gardening / General    8. Succulents & cacti   

Reviews (3)

A bamboo collector "must have"
The stunning full color images are worth the price of this book alone! If you love bamboo, you will love this book.

Hardy Bamboos... a Worthy Library Addition
As a relatively ignorant gardener on the topic of bamboos, I was looking for a good book for gardeners (opposed to scientists) on the topic of bamboos to possibly incorporate into my temperate garden (Central PA, USDA Zone 6).Comparing this book to 'Bamboo for Gardens' (A highly recommended book based off of other customer reviews as well as several online bamboo nurseries), I found this book to be a much better read for the temperate gardener than the former.
Simply the best Bamboo Book so far....
I began studying and growing bamboos in 1992.Back then there was virtually no books on bamboo which were up-to-date, comprehensive, and interesting from the point of view of a plantsman or garden designer.After a hiatus of 7 years living without bamboos and not seeking books on them, I have returned!And just in time!!
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Subjects:  1. Bamboo    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Plants - Grasses    7. Gardening / Ornamental Plants   

Reviews (13)

EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR YOUR LIBRARY
I grow and collect orchids strictly as a hobby.I first purchased this particular work at the time of it's publication and have been using it ever since.The photographs are wonderful and I have found that the 300 + orchids covered in this book are truely that...covered and covered quite well.The author's text, as to discriptions and "how to grow," are extremely useful.The grower/collector must realize though, that as the title of the book states, this covers more than 300 orchids.Needless to say, there are many, many more out there and If one wishes to own just one book that lists all of them, then be aware this one does not.That being said, I have yet to find a book that does list all of the hundreds and hundreds of varities and thousands of hybrids.I shoud think that this would be an impossible undertaking as each year these numbers increase many fold.I personally own several dozen books on the subject and am constantly adding to them. This is a good book, one that should be added to the many others you will no doubt purchase if you pursue this wonderful hobby.I recommend this one highly.

Not very practical
Depending on what you're looking for, this book is not for everyone, definitely not for the beginners. There're very little instructions on how to cultivate orchids. I find the binding of the book awkward. The pictures are of great quality though.

The best Orchid book around
If you just got your first Orchid and want to learn how to care for it or you've been collecting for years, this is a "MUST HAVE" book. I have many Orchid books and none come close to this one for readability and useful information. The photos are also wonderful. The person I bought many of my Orchids from carries this book in her back pocket and despite being incredibly knowledgeable, refers to it several times ever day. You can't go wrong buying this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flower gardening    2. Flowers - Orchids    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Orchid culture    6. Orchids    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Gardening / Flowers / Orchids    9. House plants   

Reviews (1)

Ball Perennial Manual is worthwhile reading
Ball Perennial Manual, Jim Nau author..This large gardening book is a very whorthwhile addition to any northern gardeners library. Mr. Nau gives information on selecting, planting, nurturing, and propogating many of the common (and some not so common) plants. Especially helpful is the winter survival tips found at the end of each plant section.The Ball Perennial Manual has tips for any gardener, new and old gardeners will save time and money by reading this very informative manual. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Floriculture    2. Flowers - Perennials    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Life Sciences - Horticulture    8. Ornamental Plants    9. Perennials    10. Horticulture   

Reviews (1)

This would make a nice gift for the gardener
This book has some beautiful close up photographs of seedheads.If you are looking for different ideas or ways to extend the life of your flowers, take a look at "Seedheads in the Garden." I plan to plant a few of the flowers next season, just to have their unique seedheads.This is a book many gardeners may not have seen yet, but will be glad to get for a Christmas gift this year. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Home Gardening    7. Landscape    8. Native plants for cultivation    9. Ornamental Plants    10. Seedheads    11. Seeds    12. Gardening / Garden Design    13. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (28)

A beautiful guide to tropical gardening
I received this book from a friend who knew I was in the middle of a yard restoration.I picked it up late in the evening the day I received it, then couldn't put it down.I was up until 2:30 A.M., entranced by the beautiful photos that not only made me want to slide inside the scenery,but it makes me think I can grow things like this. I can't wait to get started.I have always loved tropical plants, but as a home gardener I never seem to find the time to do the research.Bob Riffle did the work for me.
lov'n Tropicals
I have been tropical gardening for almost 20 years here in the Midwest. I am always trying new things and combinations. It was great to finally get the book. What a treasure of information. I used it to do a 50 banana display last year in my garden. The pictures were so rich that I wanted to grow all of them.This book is great for the intermediate gardener. You have to have some idea of what your doing to get the most out of this book. I liked that all the plants were together not seperated so if I didn't know it was a shrub or a tree I could find it.The cheat sheet at the start of each genus entry was great it made scanning the book for something easier. All in All a great book

Better Suited to scholars than Casual Gardeners
I received the Encyclopedia and found it to be just that.The pictures are all clustered on a few pages in the center of the book while the first and last parts are dedicated to an encyclopedia britannica style listing of the plants without pictures.The plants are alphabetical so it's great if you want to know more about a plant and know it's latin name.If you're looking to flip through a book and pick out the ones you like, this isn't the book for you.I'd recommend Hardy Palms and Palm-Like Plants.It's cheaper, and the plants are grouped together by typs along with pictures and descriptions of each.It may not be as thorough, but it's more helpful for those of us who don't know what we're doing yet. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Landscape    6. Landscape Horticulture    7. Landscape plants    8. Ornamental Plants    9. Reference    10. Tropical plants    11. United States    12. Gardening / Ornamental Plants   

Reviews (7)

The Joy of... or HYI?
The other reviews, both positive and negative, seem to be on the mark. I think the words, "The Joy of" should have preceded the title. I was personally looking for a little more of the "How to" in this book about gardening. '...not much about lichens. It was both funny and long winded at times. It was beautiful but not as informative as I would have liked. This makes a great, compact sized, coffee table book but not a very good HYI text book.

Would be a better book if the author could get over himself
I read this book from cover to cover and while it does have some great information the author is far too long winded and can't seem to stay on track. He seems to have an ego far larger than the minute moss he writes about and it really ruined the book for me.
Esoteric, beautiful, reverent book for moss & lichen lovers
This is a beautiful book, and I treasure it.I've shared it with several others who value the green mosses and lichens of the outdoors and they were also impressed.It is high quality paper, every picture (abundant) is in color.The descriptions are thorough.It is a treasured book of mine, one of my favorites for information and for pleasure.The joy of moss and worts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. General    5. Horticulture (Specific Aspects)    6. Moss gardening    7. Mosses    8. Ornamental Plants    9. Plants - General    10. Gardening / Reference    11. Gardening: plants    12. Specialized gardening methods   

Reviews (1)

Quality photography enhances this practical reference guide.
Grasses by freelance gardening writer Nancy J. Ondra is a beautiful and practical guide to raising ornamental grasses in one's garden. Filled cover to cover with excellent color photographs by life-long gardener and gardening photographer Saxon Holt of aesthetic and splendid grasses, the profusely illustrated text presents the reader with a wide choice of colored grasses to best accentuate the beauty of one's garden and how to best select choice plants for wet, dry, hot, or shady sites. Highly recommended for personal and professional gardening, horticultural and landscaping reference collections, even non-gardeners will appreciate the dazzling, coffee-table book quality photography of this singularly elegant yet practical guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Landscape    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Plants - Grasses    7. Gardening / Landscape    8. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (10)

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THIS WORK
I can start with the old line "I I had only one book on cacti....."Well, this would certainly be the one.I spend a great amount of time traveling and photographing flowering and interesting plants, cactus being among them.I also collect this type of plant.I have found this work to be almost absolutely necessary for identification purposes and it certainly enhances by hobby of collecting and attempting to raise.As one reviewer points out, this is not a simple book of pretty plants.This is the real thing.There is absolutely a wealth of information here.I never travel area where cacti grow without it.The text is quite readable.There are indeed many, many wonderful color plates.It makes by hobby much more interesting and enjoyable.Recommend this one highly.

Simply the Best
Where do you start with a book of this magnitude? (well I had to borrow a review copy from an editor friend of mine, unfortunately he wanted it back). The author a Senior Research Botanist spent most of his lifetime amassing the information that forms this book and then sadly died only two weeks after publication. This is a book for the serious hobbyist. If you are looking for nice photographs of plants in pots, this is probably not the book for you. Having said that there are enough photographs in this book to satisfy even the most avid plant spotter (1016 colour plates.) "Is this plant an Acanthocalycium or an Echinopsis?" This book will give you the answer. In one form or another the book covers most of the Cactaceae family. It is certainly one of the first books to use the nomenclature of the IOS Consensus group. This is a big book 776 pages, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested" Francis Bacon 1561-1625. This book certainly falls into the latter category and it is a great shame that the author is not with us to take the acclaim he surely deserved, but what a legacy he has left. I would love to own this book and it will be one of the first things I order from Amazon after I've sorted everyone elses Christmas presents out.

Excellent reference for those avid in the hobby of cacti
This book is a comprehensive reference of cacti. It contains desciptions of most all the species within each genus. It also has a fairly a good section in the front of the book about the origins and botany of cacti. There are pictures for about half of the listings, though because this is more of reference books they are relatively small. Also very helpful, each listing has the previous or other accepted botanical names for each species. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cactus    2. Gardening    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Life Sciences - Botany    5. Pictorial works    6. Plants - Cacti/Succulents    7. Plants - General    8. Science    9. Techniques    10. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    11. Succulents & cacti   

Reviews (1)

Written By A Pro
This 178 page book is one of the best I have seen so far. It is published by a web based educational company that has a broad educational scope.It is slightly textbookish but not at all difficult for anyone who is serious about having more than a magazine article knowledge about pruning. Pruning is presented as a horticultural science not as someone's idea of what might be best. The book is well organized and about as comprehensive as a 178 page book could be.It is a serious little book.For example, on page 61 there are 24 tree drawings showing different limb configurations and the required pruning cuts to develop a dominant leader.You can learn a lot from that one page. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Ornamental Plants    5. Ornamental trees    6. Pruning    7. Techniques    8. Trees    9. Trees in cities    10. Flowers    11. Horticulture    12. Science / Horticulture