Reviews (29)

More than you ever wanted to know...
I'm currently in a Woody Ornamentals class and this is the textbook we were required to buy for the class. I've found this to be not only useful within the class, but outside the class as well, especially while helping my parents to plan their yard. This book has an incredible wealth of knowledge in it's pages, the author clearly has extensive knowledge of the subject. I'm actually looking into buying his interactive DVD. While I don't know how useful the memorization of botanic names will be to me as a landscape architect, I believe the ability to show my clients pictures of specific plants would be immensely useful.

Bang for the buck
For anyone dealing with woody landscape plants this is the bible. Unlike books written by writers, this book is written by a plantsmen and teacher and researcher. Personal experience growing or visiting every species in the book gives it believability beyond all others in its class. The book covers the things that need to be covered - transplant success, pest issues, landscape uses (gosh if this section were read you'd see less houses overwhelmed by giant trees and more living street trees than dead ones). Dirr has his opinions and not everyone will agree with all of them. But at least his come from experience not "reading". If you are upset about the lack of images you can get those elsewhere. This text was never intended to be a key to botanical identification but as the title states it is a manual of woody LANDSCAPE plants. Every landscape architect should be mandated to pass an exam based on this book. They would then be able to use a repetoire of more than 10 trees and perhaps for a change the survival rate of their landscapes over time would rise. I can't say enough about how much this book has meant to me as I restore and plant a college landscape designed by Olmsted. There is nothing better than knowing you've planted the right tree in the right spot and that it will outlive you and your children because of the wise choice.

A must for landscapers!
I love this book! It has every woody plant listed along with other varieties. The extent of information is incredible. A must if you are a designer, landscaper or garden center and nursery owner. It's a book you can't run your business without! A great resource. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Landscape    6. Landscape plants    7. Ornamental woody plants    8. Reference    9. Shrubs    10. United States    11. Landscape gardening    12. Ornamental trees    13. Ornamental shrubs    14. Trees   

Reviews (7)

Nothing compares
I own and operate a nursery using both of these books as a primary resource when purchasing conifers from growers.When customers refer to these books at our library, they comment on how beautiful the many conifers are available.My only wish the book had w/b zone hardiness and growth habit.Buy it.ProGardens, Inc.East Amherst, New York.

Conifers : The Illustrated Encyclopedia (Two Volume Set)
Two world authorities compiled this outstanding conifer book featuring 2347 excellent, sharp photos reproduced beautifully on high quality paper.Each picture was taken at the proper distance to show the tree's outstanding detail.Captions are a sentence or two with location oftenincluded.For detail use a good companion book such as the Manual ofCultivated Conifers by Krussmann.Imperative for landscapers and a joy fortree lovers -- a bargain at the cover price.A quality bookclearly at the top of my list of favorites.

great book to figure out what you have growing in your yard.
pictures are great !!butlacks the necessary info on growing,care,climate zones&changes of sasons on the plants.but i love it for all it'svisual contents ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conifers    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Ornamental conifers    6. Pictorial works    7. Reference    8. Trees    9. Botany & plant sciences    10. Gardening / Trees    11. Horticulture    12. Reference works    13. Shrubs & trees   

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 (3)

Comprehensive
Very complete and up to date information on Arboriculture.Chapters are well organized, highlighting what you need to know. Does a great job of covering the basics, but also gets into details and is fairly technical, without becoming unreadable.A must have reference book for the Landscaper.

Overflowing with information
Arboriculture is a science and art that is made up of many different contributing factors.This book does a very good job of covering them all.Any one of the chapters could be expanded into a book in itself.This thoroughly researched and written book is for the person who wants all of their information in one place.It is a textbook for the technically minded arborist, tree surgeon, tree farmer, or hobbyist.Don't look for this book to be entertaining or philosophical.Instead, buy this book for the knowledge held within.There is a lot to be learned from it.Every single page is filled with facts, figures, methods, and recommendations.You will find yourself reading every page a second or third time in order to catch it all.I refer back to this book on a regular basis, because there is no way I can remember it all.If you have any questions about the management of trees or shrubs, you will likely find it in this book.

The Book
Harris wrote the first edition of this book when trees were "trimmed" by the same people who patched asphalt and repaired park benches.It was a breath of rationality in a field that relied mostlyon anecdotal information.Read more

Subjects:  1. Arboriculture    2. Architecture    3. Gardening    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Landscape    6. Landscape Horticulture    7. Ornamental woody plants    8. Trees    9. Gardening / Landscape    10. Horticulture    11. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (2)

Azaleas, Revised and Enlarged Edition by Frfed C. Galle
..........................I located "Azaleas, Revised and Enlarged Edition by Fred C. Galley" through Amazon.com and purchased it. This book is fascinating, it contains more information than I can everuse. It includes for hundreds of azaleas their names, color desriptions,seasons, origins, and more.There are color plates, sketches of petalshapes and petal markings which I had not seen before.When I open thebook, I don't want to put it down.

The Pre-eminent Reference on Azaleas
Fred Galle, is an internationally known azalea expert and past president of the American Horticultural Society (he died7/26/98 at the age of 79). First published in 1985, "Azaleas" is now in its third printingand is still considered the best reference on the subject and was recentlylisted by theAHS as one ofthe 75 Great American Garden Books. This is areference book that no azalea enthusiast should be without. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Azaleas    2. Floriculture    3. Flowers - General    4. Gardening    5. Gardening / Horticulture    6. Gardening/Plants    7. Shrubs   

Reviews (11)

Very Informative
I found this book very informative and comprehensive in answering my questions and concerns with my trees and how to care for and protect them. I highly recommend reading this book to others who have equal concerns and interest in the care of fruit trees.

Get Ready for Spring
If you have found it difficult to move beyond dreaming about a backyard orchard, this book is such a powerhouse of information that you will confidently plant a pair of fruit trees knowing that they will not drown, succumb to drought or disease, and not be defoliated by Japanese beetles.You'll even know how to prune them so that the branches grow outward rather than straight up, thus allowing in the sunlight needed to ripen your fruit.
Great Stuff!
When I ordered The Backyard Orchardist, it came in timely fasion, and was in perfect condition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Fruit    3. Fruits And Orchards    4. Gardening    5. Gardening / Horticulture    6. Gardening/Plants    7. Trees    8. Crop husbandry    9. Fruit & vegetables    10. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (1)

A comprehensive study of diseases and their (mis) diagnosis
This book compiles a GREAT deal of useful information about plantpathology. It covers, as any good work about plant disease should,fertilization, nutritional deficiencies, and environmental factors such asdrought, freezing, lightning, air pollution, water contamination etc.before attempting to fix the problem, the work stresses the causal effectsand ,similarly, the visual pitfalls that may provide evidence of an unseeninsect symptom (galling, nematodes, etc.)The work was written mainlyfor the temperate zone, but using it in my home sub-tropics was aneye-opener!Reccomended reading for Horticulturalists in the upperechelon, or for Pathologists as a reference, and a reminder to look to theoutlying areas for an answer, It's always there! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Forestry    2. Canada    3. Diseases and pests    4. Life Sciences - Horticulture    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Shrubs    7. Technology    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Trees    10. United States    11. Forestry & silviculture: practice & techniques    12. Plant pathology & diseases   

Reviews (16)

Japanese Maples Review
This is an excellent book. J.D. Vertrees did a wonderful job of classifying the various Japanese Maples. The revision and expansion done by Peter Gregory has added to J.D.'s original work.
Newer is Not Always Better
Before you consider purchasing this book, I strongly suggest you try to find the second edition, which, while less comprehensive, is better organized.In addition, a comparison of the two finds that some of the best images in the second edition were not carried over to the third.
Good overview book on maples
I am not sure what I was expecting when I ordered this book but I have mixed feelings about the book. For one, I think the book provides a good overview of Japanese maples.The book covers most of the major cultivars but only in small details.There are plenty of photographs; most show the leaves, which is good if you want to get an idea on what color the tree will have.There are some photographs of the whole trees, which you wish there were more because of just how beautiful they look.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Fullmoon maple    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japan    6. Japanese Gardens - General    7. Japanese maple    8. Maple    9. Trees    10. Gardening / Trees    11. Shrubs & trees    12. Specialized gardening methods   

Reviews (7)

Extremely Informative
This guy knows his posies. Everything I've seen that he has written has been well done and most informative. I'm using his hydrangea book as my bible for beginning to raise these gorgeous things and am finding that he knows varieties, tactics, and possible problems (and solutions)I'd never heard of.

Master gardener
Beautiful photos but disappointed that the name wasn't on the picture-was cumbersome to go between the list of namesand the photos

Incredible!
We live in the same zone as the author... his writing and the unbelievable information has really helped us move our collection of hydrangea forward! It is a great read, and written for those of us who don't have a horticultural degree. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers - General    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Hydrangeas    6. Shrubs    7. United States    8. Gardening / Shrubs    9. Shrubs & trees   

Editorial Review

Don't let the magisterial title of this large volume, part of the Garden Club of America's ongoing series, put you off. The authors have provided a marvelous compendium of alternatives to the hardy perennials of American garden shrubs: rhododendrons, forsythias, and yews. Here are hundreds of lesser-known shrubs (along with the common varieties, of course), each presented with a photograph and a brief, authoritative text. Arranged alphabetically, the book includes a set of appendices categorizing all the cultivars by pest and disease resistance, soil preference, shade tolerance, and several other factors. This is a book that no comprehensive gardening library can be without. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Impressive, lots of useful info not found in other books
I am very impressed with this unique book of over 900 shrubs that will add interest to any garden. The book starts with a glossary of botanical termswith b/w illustrations of the anatomy of leaves, flowers, fruits &conifers.Read more

Subjects:  1. Arboriculture    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Landscape gardening    6. Landscape plants    7. Pictorial works    8. Plants, Ornamental    9. Shrubs    10. Trees    11. Reference works    12. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (36)

Excellent Resource
After spending hours on the internet trying to select new trees for my yard, this book puts it all in one place. I especially appreciate the photos that show not only the leaves, flowers, but also the structure, shape, and size. Many web sites don't give you the complete "picture" of the tree, but just a special feature. This book was recommended to me by a person who wrote a book about tree selection, and it is an excellent resource.

Great Source for Trees and Tree lovers
For any tree lover, or gardener this is a great read.Specifically targeted to those of us in the northern tier, the book is an excellent source for individual species and varieties, within each selection.
If you are from west of the Missippi, you might want another book.
This should be titled Dirr's Hardy Bias for the East.I noticed nearly all of the reviewers hail from east of the Missippi.That may be the reason no one noticed the omissions of many western trees and thinks this book is the best thing since sliced bread.Dirr is a professor at the University of Georgia, and I can suppose that is the main reason for the bias.And the glowing review from the Washington Post must be for the same reason.I live in Florida now, but grew up in Northern California.Let me say the trees of the East and South are indeed beautiful.I like learning about them.In fact many books talk exclusively of eastern and southern trees.But those books state that in the title.This book does not.If it did, I would like it more (although a more systematic order to the trees and shrubs in it would be a lot more user friendly).The Ponderosa pine is the most widespread pine in North America (Sierras and Rockies would be naked without it) but does not find it's way into the book.The Monterey Cypress which groes naturally and in yards along the Pacific Coast is omitted.The Coast Live Oak (not the Southern Live Oak) shades many hillsides and homes on the west coast, and the Interior Live Oak leaves a signature on the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra Nevadas, as does the California Black Oak, Valley Oak, and Blue Oak.Western oak species are markedly different from their Eastern cousins (the western oaks do not grow as straight, but sprawl and twist much more than even the Southern Live Oak).The Western Sycamore is a massive and gnarled cousin to the American Sycamore and London Planetree, but didn't make the cut.There are many others that would've been in the book if Dirr taught at the University of Oregon or maybe Colorado State Univerisity or Berkeley.I don't mind a book on eastern trees and southern trees.They are magnificent and beautiful, but let the reader know what to expect.Westerners, if you are looking to plant or to identify trees in your neighborhood, you should skip this expensive non-comprehensive volume. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Ornamental shrubs    6. Ornamental trees    7. Pictorial works    8. Reference    9. Shrubs    10. Trees    11. United States    12. Gardening / Trees    13. Horticulture    14. Reference works    15. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (4)

Dry as Sawdust& a Paucity of Photos
This 638-pages work, published previously by the American Rose Society (ARS), is THE nitty-gritty dig for serious rose growers, plant science researchers; those involved with academic and industrial settings, horticultural nurseries, botanical gardens, and informed amateur enthusiasts. There are descriptions for more than 25,000 roses along with a sparsely populated (28) group of token photographs. The current edition is list priced at $130.00 and includes a CD.
Book needs more pics; CD needs better search capabilities
I bought this book and CD in the hopes of being able to identify several rose plants that my husband had rescued from the city's bulldozers.It is not designed for an amateur like me who needs pictures and drawings.I am less interested in the parentage of roses than I am in what the terms "semi-double, reverse, exhibition form, cupped" mean.Some roses did not even have the color of the bloom listed.The CD is great if you know the name of the rose you wish to search for, but cumbersome if you do not.Yes, you can search based on characteristics of a rose, but it's not easy.For example, there are no drop-down menus for options on search criteria.A search for a red rose with a "strong" fragrance yielded no results; "intense" fragrance did.When the results are shown, there is no number count on how many roses fit the criteria, and when you select one rose from the results to view, you must re-perform the search to look at another one.It's extremely frustrating.There are pictures of roses on the CD, but the search result listing does not show you which ones have pictures and which do not.Help is limited to FAQ's (with only two questions listed) and an email address.There is no online method for updating the program so there is no hope of this version becoming any better....

The ultimate reference work on roses
If you love roses and if you want to know about the full range of rose varieties that you may encounter at your local nursery or in mail order catalogues, this volume is essential. The expense is justified in part by the CD-ROM, which gives you the ability to search the underlying database at will. I enjoyed the pictures (although they don't match other works like Botannica) as well as the articles on famous European rose gardens. In any work of this magnitude there are bound to be errors (e.g., Meilland's Michelangelo is yellow, not pink), but the overall accuracy is very impressive. If you are only dabbling in rose growing, this encyclopedic work is probably more than you need. But if you are crazy about roses, you will be crazy about this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Flowers - Roses    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Life Sciences - Botany    5. Life Sciences - Horticulture    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Plants - General    8. Science    9. Plant physiology    10. Plant reproduction & propagation    11. Science / Botany    12. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (3)

Color Buffet
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
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!!
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Floriculture    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Maple    7. Pictorial works    8. Reference    9. Regional - General    10. Trees    11. Gardening / Trees    12. Horticulture    13. Reference works    14. Shrubs & trees   

Subjects:  1. Bamboo    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Plants - Grasses    7. Utilization    8. Varieties    9. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    10. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (6)

best shrub identification book
This book is the best manual for the identification of shrubs and shrubby plants. The photographs are in black & white. There are a set of master pages and then sets of pages with flowers, leaves and fruits. All are very descriptive and enable one to identify with only parts of the plant.
great book
I think this book is great.I've been able to id almost every tree/shrub we've got in our woods (I also purchased some of the other books by this author so I can id vines and things too).True the pictures are in black and white but it really isn't a big deal.You're looking at leaf shape and vein designs and things like that - it would be green and white if it were in color.I think its a terrific reference and I'd buy it all over again

Fantastic guide!
I bought both Symonds' Shrub guide and Tree guide.They are both terrific!The Shrub guide has not only shrubs but also vines and ground covers.It has plants that I've been wanting to be able to id for ages butbecause the only book I had found until now were wild flower guides, I wasalways at a loss.This book is fantastic.It has master plant pages a theback so you can look at all the parts of the plants together (I use thiswhen i have an idea of what it might be already and just need to narrow itdown) or you can go to the parts sections in the front of the book and goto "leaves" for example and search that way.Its the bestapproach I've seen and the pictures, although black and white - areterrific.They show great detail and actuall because they're b/w you'renot confused by variations in color.Definitely one one my best books -the one I go to first. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening / Horticulture    2. Gardening/Plants    3. Ground cover plants    4. Identification    5. North America    6. Plants - General    7. Shrubs    8. Trees    9. Gardening / Shrubs   

Reviews (3)

Worth every penny for arborists and homeowners alike
Printed by Oxford University Press, Pirone's Tree Maintenance has the heft and durability to withstand countless consultations.The text is informative beyond measure and very readable.The photography is black-and-white and didn't reproduce all that well, especially for small and detailed items; photos range from 'Fig. 7-15. Brush chipper and dump truck' (oh please...) to a hollowed-out, decayed Silver Maple resting comfortably on what appears to be a four-bedroom Dutch Colonial (illustrating the section on Identifying Hazard Trees).Good section on insects and diseases (with the caveat that the photos aren't that great); excellent tree-specific section.You will learn a lot from this book--it's a must if you want to rely on another source besides the local tree guy with a chainsaw.

Another book on my Horticulture Short List
Pirone's Tree Maintenance (Seventh Edition) is one of about a half dozen books I keep within arms reach.While Parts I and II provide a fantastic amount of information on the care of trees and identifying problem, it is Part III that I use the most.This section lists common insects, diseases, and problems associated with specific tree species.While by no means comprehensive, it is an excellent place to start when trying to figure out what is going on with a tree.
Practical introduction for the novice arborist
This classic text gives a broad introduction to the field of tree management, including common health problems associated with trees and practical advice for solving them. It is an excellent primer for thenovice arborist. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diseases and pests    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Life Sciences - Botany    6. Life Sciences - Horticulture    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Ornamental trees    9. Pest Control In Horticultural Crops    10. Techniques    11. Trees    12. Trees, care of    13. Forestry & silviculture: practice & techniques    14. Gardening / Trees    15. Life Sciences | Botany | Plant Physiology    16. North America    17. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (2)

Well worth it!
This book is on my "short list" of essential references.Species are covered in clear, concise descriptions.This well organized volume makes hunting for similar species as easy as turning a page.The photos?I can't say enough about the clear, photos that make insect identification a good deal easier! This is a much needed and fabulous manual.
When trying to identify a particular problem with growing trees or shrubs knowing what kinds of insects are possible culprits is a major step. This book gives us, in color photos and descriptions, most of the common larvae that can be found feeding on the particular plants. Even Entomology texts often refuse to deal with larvae of insects, keeping only the adults in the keys and descriptions (even though the adults are often not pests!). This guide will be a welcome addition to any plant clinic, grower, or Entomology professor or student's bookshelf. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Arboriculture    3. Diseases and pests    4. General    5. Identification    6. Insect pests    7. Insects & Spiders    8. Nature    9. Ornamental shrubs    10. Ornamental trees    11. Plant Parasitology    12. Science    13. Science/Mathematics    14. Trees    15. United States    16. Insects (entomology)    17. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (8)

Not as thorough as I expected
I was impressed with Dirr's Manuel of Woody Landscape book and really looked forward to this one.I live in Zone 8/B in south Georgia and so many plants labeled to grow in this area do not.Since Dirr is from Georgia I thought this book would be just what the doctor ordered. Well, not exactly.
A necessity for Southeastern US gardners
In this book, our leading expert on woody plants gives brief descriptions and excellent photos of many of those suited for warm climates. As noted by another reviewer, the selection is more complete for the humid Southeast (of the U.S.) than it is for California and other Mediterranean climates. However, I expect that all warm-climate gardeners will find much of value.
Dirrs trees and shrubs for warm climates
I don't know what the above reviewer expected...by way of clarification; bamboos are grasses, and agapanthus are herbaceous perennials NOT shrubs or trees.If you are expecting to find a comprehensive acount of all warm climate plants this is not the book for you (as the title clearly states) Read more

Subjects:  1. Climatic - Temperate    2. Encyclopedias    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Ornamental Plants    7. Ornamental shrubs    8. Ornamental trees    9. Pictorial works    10. Shrubs    11. Sunbelt States    12. Trees    13. Gardening / Trees    14. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (3)

trees and shrub encyclopedia
i have found this bood to be an excellent resource for all types of trees and shrubs.it has both common and scientific plant names and is loaded with pictures and comprehensive descriptions.the cultivation tips have been very useful and i would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Trees and Shrubs
The book has great pictures and covers any plant you could ever think of but is lacking in its content.Do the math, 8,500 trees and shrubs covered in 815 pages.That does not leave much room for a complete description.It is a very attractive book to look at, but is not for the serious landscaper or nurserymen.

great help
The Complete Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs: Descriptions, Cultivation Requirements, Pruning, PlantingRead more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Reference    5. Shrubs    6. Trees    7. Sale Books   

Reviews (8)

Tons of pictures.
This book is full of excellent pictures - woodland landscapes and closeups of individual woodland appropriate plants.The majority of the book has at least one picture on each page = lots of inspiration sources!Chapter Five (pgs 194 to 352) contains info on individual plants listed alphabetically by Latin name.The info contains the author's first hand observations about the plant's likes and dislikes, growth habit and rate and various other tidbits to make sure you place the plant where it will grow the best.

I Could Read It Again and Again!
I actually bought this book for my landscape gardener because I thought it was one of the most beautiful and well-written books on gardening and our natural environment that I have ever read.Others feel that way, too, because the new copy arrived with an award sticker on the front! I would give it 10 stars.

beautiful book
This book has a wealth of information and beautiful photographs for inspiration. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Trees    7. United States    8. Woodland garden plants    9. Woodland gardening    10. Gardening / Garden Design    11. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    12. Shrubs & trees    13. USA