Reviews (6)

A very good book
This book has many great pictures to give the beginners inspirations to pursue this great hobby.

THIS IS THE DEFINITIVE BOOK ON THE ART OF BONSAI
________________________________________________________________________________________________ Classic Bonsai of Japan
An Informative and visually stunning text.This is not just a pretty book.Much can be learned from the subtitles for the bonsai enthusiast and casual browser alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Gardens - General    5. Topiary    6. Bonsai    7. Japan   

Reviews (2)

Tremendously Attractive & Timeless Design Solution
The knot garden, or parterre, can be eye catching, brashly exuberant, romantically nostalgic, or quietly simple and chic. The appeal of the knot garden in timeless and with space often at a premium, a knot garden provides a tremendously attractive design solution.
Formal gardeners TAKE NOTE!
this is an absolutely wonderful book all about the 'old' art of Knot Gardening. You'll definitely want to read this book to find out all about the history of this fascinating form of gardening and how to create one inyour own space!Great photographic examples fill the pages-a definite"must have" for any gardener! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design    2. England    3. English Garden Design And Planting    4. Garden Design    5. Gardening    6. Gardening / Horticulture    7. Gardening/Plants    8. History    9. Knot gardens    10. Techniques    11. Topiary    12. British & Irish history    13. Garden design & planning    14. Gardens (descriptions, history etc)    15. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (2)

Unique, detailed, extrordinary
This book is the best topiary book I have seen.It details Pennsylvania's Longwood Gardens and gives all the trade secrets to their wonderful yearly displays. Unique, detailed, extrordinary
This book is the best topiary book I have seen.It details Pennsylvania's Longwood Gardens and gives all the trade secrets to their wonderful yearly displays.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Topiary    6. Garden design & planning    7. Specialized gardening methods   

Editorial Review

The design possibilities for topiary sculpture are virtually limitless--only the imagination and some basic skills are needed to produce fanciful, exotic, traditional, or wildly individual designs with living plants. This is the book that tells the beginner how to do it. Supplemented by information on appropriate plants, climate zones, international suppliers of plants, and the needed tools, Hendy's book provides the reader with information on how to train plants to grow on wire frames, create inventive wire frames in all manner of shapes and configurations, choose the appropriate tools and materials needed, and help produce stunning topiary designs in weeks, not months or years. It also offers sound advice on the care and maintenance of your living sculptures to keep them green and healthy for years. It is generously illustrated with more than 300 color photographs showing basic steps and techniques, as well as delightful finished products from gardens and homes around the world. Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Introduction to Topiary
I found this book exciting and encouraging to a beginner in the wonderful world of topiary.The ideas cover a wide range of shapes and ideas offering ideas for a quick start as well as more complex projects.Theinstructions are clearly written and easy to follow.The book alsoincludes discussion on the preferable types of plants to use for thevarious shapes and designs presented.I continue to refer to this bookoften as I begin new projects. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Landscape architecture    5. Ornamental climbing plants    6. Ornamental plants    7. Techniques    8. Topiary    9. Topiary work    10. Training    11. Gardening / Topiary   

Reviews (4)

Thoroughly Enjoyable!
I found this book to be absolutely delightful, insightful, and a keeper.A real treasure of information and inspiration!

More than just a dry, step-one-step-two, how-to book.
Featuring interesting historical information, this book includes many backgrounds of formal gardens and topiary, offered as sidebars and archive drawings.There is extensive information on creating forms and shapingtopiary.The illustrator's drawings echo the whimical sentiment oftopiary, while the authors' offering of botanical information help thehobbyist understand the science of what they are doing.I cannot imagineanyone reading this book and not bursting with ideas to make their owngardens come to life.

A Satisfactory Introduction to Topiary
Before reading this book I had no experience with topiary.After readingthis book I felt like I knew a little.I found that the text focuses onthe history of the use of topiary.There were some sections on what plantsto use and there was a LONG section on creating different wire forms.Theillustrations are all hand drawn while I would have prefered to see actualpictures of the plants.This book is probably better for someone who knowsa little about gardening basics instead of someone like me who knowsnothing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Horticulture (Specific Aspects)    5. Landscape architecture    6. Topiary    7. Topiary work    8. Trees    9. Floral crafts    10. Garden design & planning    11. Gardening / Topiary    12. Shrubs & trees   

Subjects:  1. Garden Design    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Topiary    6. Garden design & planning    7. Specialized gardening methods   

Reviews (2)

Useful & Has Depth
David Joyce's book on topiary is well-designed to interest the beginning topiarist, along with those who are more experienced. I've had this book for several years now and I learn something from it every time I refer to it.
Topiary and the Art of Training Plants
As someone who loves the structure of formal gardens and wanting to try to create one on a small scale in my yard, I was very pleased with David Joyce's Topiary and the Art of Training Plants.He assumes his reader hassome knowledge of the basics of growing plants, although he does give verygeneral information on preparing beds for topiary plants.The book hassections on the causes and some solutions for established topiary indecline and how to correct a neglected and overgrown hedge.The bookexplains how to create some shapes in topiary along with step by stepillustrations. Regarding hedges, it tells when and how to train widely usedhedging plants.The book even relates how to grow pleached screens -training trees with flexible branches.There are sections on creating knotgardens, mazes, and climbers used as screens and canopies.The book givesa directory of a selection of plants for topiary and hedges, along withinformation on the hardiness, growth, size, maintenance, propagation andproblems of these plants.It also lists sources to obtain plants andtools.The book is full of color pictures which will inspire plenty ofideas.It will be a great reference as I design and maintain my owntopiary. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. General    5. Ornamental climbing plants    6. Reference    7. Techniques    8. Topiary    9. Topiary work    10. Training    11. Gardening / Topiary    12. Ornamental woody plants -- Training    13. Plants -- Training   

Reviews (2)

Good book for beginners
This is a great beginner's book on how to create topiaries & espaliers. The book is in full color with lots of photos. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. In each section appropriate plant types arediscussed. Disappointing--skimpy, very basic info.
This is the first negative review I've written, and I feel badly about it.I was so anticipating the arrival of this book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Espaliers    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Hedges    6. Knot gardens    7. Landscape Horticulture    8. Plants - General    9. Pruning    10. Reference    11. Topiary    12. Topiary work    13. Garden design & planning    14. Gardening / Reference    15. Gardening: plants   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Gardens - General    5. Topiary    6. Bonsai   

Editorial Review

It is unlikely that the basics of pruning have ever before been assembled so thoroughly or comprehensively than in Lee Reich's Read more

Reviews (1)

"The (fun) Pruning Book"
Not only is The Pruning Book useful for our North Temperate Zone climate, but it is a joy to read. Of course, we all know that before pruning comes planting, which subject the author touches-on in his chapter on fruits and nuts.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Home Gardening    5. Lawns    6. Pruning    7. Techniques    8. Topiary    9. Gardening / Techniques   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. General    5. Topiary    6. Gardening / General    7. Specialized gardening methods   

Reviews (1)

A very well done biography
Maryland has a unique treasure in the form of the Ladew Topiary Gardens.Harvey S. Ladew (1887-1976), originally from New York, came to Maryland looking for more room to fox-hut as Long Island became built up.He bought a farm and laid out 22 acres of very distinctive gardens, including such unusual features as "room" gardens and of course, the extensive, often whimsical topiary.Ladew designed and did a great deal of the actual gardening himself.Wishing to preserve his work, towards the end of his life, he and his friends created a foundation to maintain the gardens.
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Subjects:  1. Baltimore Region    2. Baltimore Region (Md.)    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. General    8. Ladew, Harvey    9. Landscape Design And Planting    10. Maryland    11. Maryland - Local History    12. Naturalists & Gardeners    13. Social life and customs    14. Socialites    15. Topiary    16. Upper class    17. Biography: general    18. Gardens (descriptions, history etc)   

Reviews (1)

A Fabulous Primer in Creating Topiary
This book rates five stars for its thorough and visually appealing discussion of how to create topiary. I was so thrilled when I received it - it was exactly what I wanted. Not only does it cover the different shapesof topiary, but an excellent discussion of the various plants that may beused, their pluses and minuses, the tools to use, techniques - justeverything you would need to know.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Topiary    5. Gardening / Topiary    6. LITERATURE - LIT CLASSICS TRD PB   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Flower Arranging    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Topiary    6. Garden design & planning    7. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Container gardening    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. House Plants & Indoor    6. Indoor gardening    7. Topiary    8. Topiary work    9. Shrubs & trees    10. Specialized gardening methods   

Subjects:  1. Garden Design    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Photo Essays    4. Topiary    5. England    6. Garden design & planning    7. Gardens (descriptions, history etc)    8. Places & peoples: general interest    9. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes    10. Shrubs & trees    11. Britain   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening/Plants    3. Ornamental Plants    4. Topiary   

Subjects:  1. Arboriculture    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. History    5. Topiary    6. Topiary work   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful ideas and pictures. Beautiful book.
The pictures are wonderful and the directions on how to make the different projects are fairly good although they could be a bit more specific on the quantities and types of dried material required. All in all I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning how to make topiaries and pomanders or to get great gift ideas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Flower Arranging    3. Gardening    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Plants    6. Topiary   

Subjects:  1. Gardening / Horticulture    2. Gardening/Plants    3. Landscape Horticulture    4. Topiary    5. Garden design & planning    6. Shrubs & trees    7. Specialized gardening methods