The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs

Amazon.com

Tracy DiSabato-Aust's Well-Designed Mixed Garden provides sound direction for plant lovers looking to free their garden from the doldrums and fashion a rich tapestry of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vines, grasses, and bulbs. Encyclopedic in scope yet unfailingly attentive to essential details, The Well-Designed Mixed Garden effectively summarizes an array of basic garden design considerations and fundamentals. There are particularly useful chapters on color theory and on drawing up a plan, with precise instructions on what size plants to purchase and how to space them. As with her highly regarded Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting & Pruning Techniques, DiSabato-Aust delves eagerly into plant maintenance, a topic too many garden writers overlook. Though many examples are from the author's own garden or other American Midwest locations, they're largely applicable to other plant hardiness zones. Of particular appeal are a nicely photographed section on attractive plant combinations and a series of handy appendixes for plant selection. Beginners may be overwhelmed by this book's wealth of information, but its comprehensiveness renders it all the more valuable for seasoned gardeners seeking greater practical know-how and a surer grasp of the art of gardening. --Jennifer Wyatt

Book Description

The Well-Designed Mixed Garden is a design book with a difference. Written for gardeners who are passionate about plants of all kinds (hence the "mixed garden" of the title), it reflects decades of professional experience and artistic innovation. As with her bestselling book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, master designer and plantswoman Tracy DiSabato-Aust provides not only inspiration but also scrupulously organized information on design and connoisseur plants — all from original research dating back to her degree work in horticulture.

Her new offering is a master class of design fundamentals, with an emphasis on often-neglected topics, such as site evaluation, color theory, and planning for maintenance. It is also a gallery of detailed design plans that show how ideas are put onto paper and then translated into three dimensions. Lessons learned in its first two parts are strengthened in an "Encyclopedia of Plant Combinations"; each entry notes the design considerations at play and provides tips on how to keep the combination looking its best. And the lifetime care needs and unique design characteristics of featured plants are summarized in the useful charts and lists that conclude the book. The result is a nearly foolproof guide to every aspect of designing superior gardens with superior plants. With more than 250 color photos and illustrations, this book is as much a feast for the eyes as it will be a trusted reference for the library shelf.

Customer Reviews:

A Flower Gardener's Companion.......2007-09-03

Comprehensive and very user friendly. A book every home flower gardner would want to have.

OK, but not as good as I thought it would be.......2007-05-16

I've heard other gardeners talk about Tracy's books and what an inspiration they are, so I bought "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden" expecting to learn some GREAT ideas for my gardens. It has some good information on principles of design and how to work with color, texture, and so on. But I was disappointed at how weak and uninspiring the section is on plant combinations. She calls it an "encyclopedia of plant combinations," and the section is full of photos of flowers and plants she thinks are winning combinations. The combinations mostly have no real visual appeal, the photos (in that section) are plain, and it's a wasted section of the book. I think there was only one of these combinations that actually looked beautiful. Most of these photos were from her own garden, and perhaps she let her personal affection for her own gardens cloud her judgment on what to include.

I like the rest of the book, however, and her examples of garden designs in other parts of the book have good photos and design layout drawings that are quite useful.

Useful no matter what your garden needs.......2007-05-13

This book is so helpful in figuring out how to mix flowers and plants in border-type gardens. It details color combinations and tells what flowers go well together. It provides pictures of various gardens in different season to provide an idea of how the landscape will look in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Very good information and easy to understand.......2007-02-05

This is the first book I would recomend to anyone! Ms. Disabato-Aust compiles a vast amount of quality information in one book, and she explains abstract concepts in a way that regular people who aren't master gardeners can understand. She also includes insights from her vast experience; it's not a dry recitation seen in other sources. She explains when and why to break the generally-accepted guidelines.

I've been a hard-core gardener for about three years, and I've already gleaned some of the information from other sources. But I had to read a lot of different books and articles to get it, and it was often contradictory. The book not only ties it all together in a cohesive manner, but gives very detailed examples.

I particularly enjoyed the section on combinations, where Ms. Disabato-Aust explains why certain things work together in a converational tone. Far from being a preening dilletante, the author's manner is friendly and warm.

I only had two complaints, and they are possibly unique to me. As you might expect, the "example" gardens shown used Ms. Disabato-Aust's style of gardening. It's wonderful, but I have a different style, and would have appreciated seeing the gardening principles illustrated using different styles. Second, I garden in North Florida. A fair number of the plants that look so beautiful in her Ohio garden wouldn't make it in North Florida.

Destined to be a classic garden reference........2006-03-24

I'm a master gardener from Illinois,and have heard Tracy Disabato-Aust on a number of occasions. Her book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden has long been our bible for perennials. In this new book, she makes accessible for all gardeners the depth of her experience and research in incorporating many kinds of plants in a mixed border. The book is worth buying for the appendices alone: plants by design and maintenance characteristics as well as common/scientific name cross-references. A must-have garden reference book!

Classic Bulbs: Hidden Treasures for the Modern Garden

Average customer rating:

Classic Bulbs: Hidden Treasures for the Modern Garden
Katherine Whiteside
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0394587278
Release Date: 1991-12-08

Average customer rating:

Pictures are great

The Random House Book of Bulbs
Roger Phillips
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ornamental Plants | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Random House Book of Perennials: Early Perennials (Pan Garden Plants Series) (Pan Garden Plants Series)
Random House Book of Perennials Volume 2: Late Perennials (Pan Garden Plants Series) (Pan Garden Plants Series)
The Random House Book of Summer Annuals
The Random House Book of Trees of North America and Europe: A Photographic Guide to More Than 500 Trees (Random House Book of ... (Garden Plants))
The Random House Book of Herbs

ASIN: 0679727566
Release Date: 1989-10-21

Book Description

Describes over 1,000 bulbs and bulblike plants from all over the world. Arranged in the calendar order in which they flower. Text and illustrations guide gardeners on how to plant and grow bulbs.

Customer Reviews:

Pictures are great.......2007-07-13

It there are times when you want a picture for clarity or identification, this book and series are great. It is always nice to see beautiful photos, but this book is more.

Average customer rating:

super product, very satisfied
Daylily book review
The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies
Book called "The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies"
New edition needed.

The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies
Ted L. Petit , and John P. Peat
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Gardening | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

The Daylily: A Guide for Gardeners
Daylilies: The Perfect Perennial
Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia
The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas
The Gardener's Iris Book

ASIN: 0881924881

Book Description

A vast array of daylily hybrids has been developed from only a small group of species in Hemerocallis. Hundreds of new daylilies are introduced each year, and no other book describes and illustrates so many of the hybrids in one place. The parent species are also included, but the focus is on the amazing developments that have been achieved through hybridization.

Close-up photographs show the detailed characteristics that hybridizers work for. Each photo is accompanied by a thorough description of the daylily's color, size, bloom season, and parentage. In addition to the pictorial encyclopedia, the book offers extensive information on cultivation and hybridization.

Customer Reviews:

super product, very satisfied.......2007-09-10

I was very pleased with the book I received. It was good quality with no defects. The price was reasonable for the great quality product I received. I am happy with this purchase.

Daylily book review.......2007-08-23

This is a very good daylily book. Loads of beautiful pics and they are in order by color, so if you arent quite sure of some of your daylilies, as was my case, this is a great help.

The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies.......2007-03-11

Love it makes for great reading in our lovely New York winters. Very informative also.

Book called "The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies".......2005-09-11

This was an awesome book I love it. Received it very fast in perfect condition from Amazon.

New edition needed. .......2005-09-10

This is a beautiful book but there are so many new varieties that have been developed since publication it has become somewhat dated.

The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom: 576 annuals, perennials, and bulbs in full color (Potting-Bench Reference Books)

Average customer rating:

starting flowers
Excellent
Great book!
Excellent book, but NOTE...
Really and truly useful

The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom: 576 annuals, perennials, and bulbs in full color (Potting-Bench Reference Books)
Eileen Powell
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The New Seed Starter's Handbook
The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques
From Seed To Bloom: How to Grow over 500 Annuals, Perennials & Herbs
Seeds: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Successfully from Seed

ASIN: 1580175171

Book Description

Why do gardeners start plants from seed instead of just buying a flat of seedlings from their local nursery? Necessity. Seedlings of unusual or exotic plants simply aren't available at garden stores, but they are available in seed. Then there's the cost factor. A few packets of seeds are much cheaper than dozens upon dozens of seedlings. And finally there's the plants' health to consider. Plants grown from seed get a healthy start that can almost guarantee you a magnificent display in your garden. The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom will teach you everything you need to know to germinate and grow more than 500 types of flowering plants. For every plant listed you'll find precise information on whether it will do well in your part of the country; how to sow seeds indoors and outdoors; when to transplant indoor seedlings out in the garden; what light, soil, and spacing requirements are necessary; general plant care; when you can expect the plants to flower; how to encourage more blooms; and how to propagate your plants by cutting, division, layering, or detaching runners.

The book also features more than 500 full-color flower photographs. A quick-reference chart outlines bloom time, color, height, and site requirements for more than 1,000 species, making this book an indispensable reference for planning and planting fabulous gardens.

Customer Reviews:

starting flowers.......2007-08-07

I used this book extensivly this spring for starting all my flowers and veggie. I found it easy to use and most flowers etc were listed. Great book for my library and I will use it in the future for sure.

Excellent.......2007-02-26

This book is an excellent reference book describing seeds.
Giving the botanical name and common name. Most helpful with information on germination and were the seeds will grow best. And the the section that has thumbnail pictures
is excellent. The ease of using the paperback is all so great.

Great book!.......2007-01-04

Bought this for my wife and she loves it! She was reading this book like a novel. Provides good information and tips on a wide range of flowers. Bought this book due to good reviews as well!

Excellent book, but NOTE..........2006-04-07

This book is exactly what I was looking for-- a no-nonsense, complete description of how to start each of the many kinds of seeds that I can never resist buy, collecting, or trading for.

One thing that people should note, though: the plants are listed in alphabetical order by their Latin names. There is an appendix that has the common names and what the Latin name is for each, but I can't imagine doing that for every single plant-- what a pain! I like to know both Latin and common names, so I was fine with this system. But for someone who's only familiar with the common names of plants, this book is going to be a lot harder to use. (On the bright side, learning the Latin names can be a lot of fun, so if you're at all open to the idea, go for it!)

Really and truly useful.......2004-08-10

When a friend recently asked me to suggest a book that would tell her the soil preferences of different flowers, I knew exactly what she needed. The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom has all the answers. In addition to concise profiles of 500 bloomers, there's a handy gallery of color photographs and my favorite section, a 50-page chart that lists major and minor species along with their bloom times, colors, and cultural requirements. This book is designed to be useful, and it is!

Average customer rating:

Garden Bulbs for the South
Garden Bulbs for the South is Tops!
The most useful bulb book I own
A must for every Southern 'Bulb Lover!'
Yes Virginia, There Are Bulbs We Can Grow In The South

Garden Bulbs for the South
Scott Ogden
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Bulbs for Warm Climates
Gardening Success with Difficult Soils: Limestone, Alkaline Clay, and Caliche Soils
Some Like It Hot Plants That Thrive in H
Tough Plants for Southern Gardens
Antique Roses for the South: New Edition

ASIN: 0881928135

Book Description

There are hundreds of choice bulbs that revel in southern warmth and humidity, and Scott Ogden profiles the best of them in this fascinating, comprehensive volume. In a series of chapters that takes us through the gardening year, Ogden introduces the plants that help to give southern gardens their distinct regional flavor, many with charmingly descriptive names: rain lilies, oxblood lilies, jonquils, crinums, and scores of others. Weaving in bits of history and lore, Ogden details each plant's appearance and growing requirements. Originally published to widespread acclaim in 1994, Garden Bulbs for the South has been updated and significantly expanded in this edition to include information on new varieties as well as nearly one hundred new photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Garden Bulbs for the South.......2007-04-06

This is by far the absolute best book for those who garden in the steamy south! I have the first edition and snapped up the 2nd as soon as it came out. I definitely recommend this book. Scott Ogden blends history and horticultural requirements into something that is far more than just a good read!

Garden Bulbs for the South is Tops!.......2006-08-15

Author Scott Ogden, a freelance garden writer and photographer, lives in New Braunfels, Texas, near San Antonio. That's considerably farther south than where I garden in Charlotte, NC, but nonetheless, I believe the book provides a helpful resource for "historic, neglected and little-known bulbs whose beauties belong rightly and traditionally to the South" (2). Ogden contends--and I am in full agreement--that for the "average home dirt dauber there are more rewarding activities" than planting, digging, refrigerating and re-planting bulbs. Says Ogden, "The effort and expense invested in temporary bulb displays might as readily be employed on something new, exotic, or extraordinary--even on flowers that like the South" (2). Ogden provides us with a list of more than 200 warm-climate bulbs. Now, that's worth a closer look!

Following discourse on the traits and differences between true bulbs, tubers, corms, rhizomes and tuberous roots, Ogden organizes this resourceful book into nine sections, featuring: Rain Lily Day; Petite Afrique: Winter Blooms; Jonquils and Kin; Spring Treasures; Irises, Gladioli, and Shellflowers; Crinums and Spider Lilies; Summer Glories; and lastly, Cannas, Arums, and Gingers. Next, in the Appendix, Ogden distinguishes between Southern bulb culture, Mediterranean beds and hog wallows. The author knows and respects clay soil, a bane of Piedmont gardening. (See also his book, Gardening Success with Difficult Soils.) Finally, after providing a review of garden bulbs for the South where full botanical names are provided, as well as family designations and cultivars, Ogden closes the book with a resource list where bulbs may be ordered and purchased.

Ogden's remarkable color pictures abound, providing grand illustrations to the printed text. The text is exceptionally and beautifully well-written, easy to read. Despite its appeal, not every word needs to be read in succession, making the book a valuable resource for a gardener's bookshelf when specific research is wanted and needed. Descriptions and advice abound, including how and where to plant, water and sun growing requirements, soil needs and amendments, and periods of bloom. Just as Ogden shares his recommendations for bulbs "for any need and any season," I can also recommend this inviting and handsome book.

Deborah Moore Clark
August 14, 2006

The most useful bulb book I own.......2006-06-03

This is an excellent book for reference. I've come back to it time after time over the years.

A must for every Southern 'Bulb Lover!'.......1999-05-24

Garden Bulbs for the South is simply a great book. The vast majority of books on bulbs deal extensively with Tulips, Grape Hyacinths, Daffodils and other cold climate bulbs and only give cursory information about warm climate bulbs and the information often pertains to container gardening. Every northerner moving South is tempted to try growing cold climate bulbs. Reading this book is both a delight and a time and money saver. It will also assist you in trying a lot of bulbs that you might otherwise overlook. It has been one of the most read books in my gardening library.

Yes Virginia, There Are Bulbs We Can Grow In The South.......1998-08-06

My copy of Mr. Ogden's book is already dog-eared from use. Any gardener in the South who is interested in adding perennial bulbs to the garden must read this book. The information on every type of bulb, tuber or corm, including those of wild Southern heritage, is generous, well written and easy to understand. Garden Bulbs for the South is useful not only as a gardening reference but as a field classification manual when trying to identify that lily blooming at the old farmhouse down the road. After reading the chapter on rain lilies, I was finally able to determine what that tiny little lily growing wild in my front yard really is. Highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

Nothing Compares!
Stunning book, I'm looking for even more!
Fantastic reference book
Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia: A Gardener's Encyclopedia
Highly recommended for horticultural and gardening reference collections

Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia
Claire Austin
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ornamental Plants | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Gardening | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Gardener's Iris Book
Tall Bearded Iris Pictorial Reference
Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide
The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies
Heucheras and Heucherellas: Coral Bells and Foamy Bells

ASIN: 0881927309
Release Date: 2005-10-15

Book Description

The most comprehensive and up-to-date encyclopedia of irises available. Irises are beloved by enthusiasts who garden in a wide variety of zones, including hot and dry, temperate, and even cold northern climates. Irises bloom in every imaginable color â€” revealed here in more than 1100 captivating photographs â€” from deepest purples, blues, and reds through strong pinks, yellows, and oranges to pastels in every shade. This wide-ranging collection illustrates the diversity of this beautiful genus and includes irises with striking foliage, reblooming capability, and scents. It features both historic and modern irises of all sizes from miniature and dwarf varieties to the stately tall beardeds. Also included is cultivation advice, information about the plants' breeding history, and ideas for combination plantings in rock gardens, containers, and perennials beds. An indispensable reference for iris fanciers everywhere as well as any gardener who appreciates their beauty and versatility.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Compares!.......2007-03-02

Like all botanical Encyclopedias, this can't possibly contain all the varieties available, but almost all are represented in some form. This book is responsible for spurring my obsession with Irises so I can't vouch for its significance to the experienced gardener, but I haven't found anything that compares. The text is very brief and concise, but provides a good overview of each Iris family (I didn't know there were so many!).

If you are an Iris enthusiasts or want to become one, this is the book to own!

Stunning book, I'm looking for even more!.......2006-07-11

I've read three iris books back to back looking for specific information:

I want to know about hybridizing bearded irises and this book gives a very good general overview. Better than the other books, but still fairly general in cross-making information.

I also used it to look for answers to some weird occurrences in my Irises this year and found no description of the symptoms in the pests/diseases part. The other books didn't have the problem either so I am frustrated, but perhaps shouldn't blame this book for not providing the answer.

This IS ABSOLUTELY the best book on the market on the subject though, better, fuller, glossier, and more comprehensive than the rest I've seen. I was a little surprised to see it is mostly a listing of irises in cultivation which is an ambitious undertaking.

I would caution against using any book to identify unknown Irises as there are just too many cultivars to be sure you've got the right name. However, I absolutely would (and did) use it to verify the identities of named Irises with a few nametags that got mixed up.

I would've given it 5 stars if there had been a little more information on the aforementioned items. I perhaps owe it 5 stars simply for the amazing job they did on the species Irises which no other book comes close to matching.

Fantastic reference book.......2006-07-02

This book has wonderful pictures and descriptions, perfect for identifying unknown iris in the garden.

Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia: A Gardener's Encyclopedia.......2006-06-26

I bought it for my mom, a definate iris lover, she is absolutley thrilled over it. She shows it to everyone that mentions the word Iris, to her. Her sister, my Aunt, looks at the book everytime she goes to visit her, too. She is another iris lover. So are my sister's and I am, too.
Thank you for helping me please all the iris lovers in my family. Which goes beyond my mother and my Aunt. We are all pleased with this book. We all would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about irises.

Highly recommended for horticultural and gardening reference collections .......2006-01-07

Claire Austin is a nationally renowned, award winning expert with respect to growing irises and perennials. Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia is an enthusiastically recommended 339 page compendium of what she knows about selecting and growing irises. Enhanced with more than 1100 spectacular full color photographs, aspiring gardeners are provided with thoroughly accessible and applicable cultivation advice, information about the breeding history of the iris, ideas for using irises with other plants in the garden, and an ideal horticultural reference for growing the iris in a wide variety of climate zones including hot and dry, temperate, and even cold northern climates. Also highly recommended for horticultural and gardening reference collections is Michael King's Gardening With Tulips (0881927749, $29.95) from Timber Press. Michael King is for the cultivation of tulips what Claire Austin is for the cultivation of the iris.

Specialty Cut Flowers: The Production of Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Woody Plants for Fresh and Dried Cut Flowers, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Greenhouse performance, pests and diseases, and more
Now in a substantially revised and enlarged second edition
An Essential Reference for the Cut Flower Grower

Specialty Cut Flowers: The Production of Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Woody Plants for Fresh and Dried Cut Flowers, Second Edition
A. M. Armitage , and Judy M. Laushman
Manufacturer: Ironwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers (Gardener's Supply Books)
Flowers for Sale: Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers : Backyard to Small Acreage (A Bootstrap Guide)
American Cutting Garden: A Primer For Growing Cut Flowers Where Summers Are Hot And Winters Are Cold
Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow (Good Earth)
So You Want to Start a Nursery

ASIN: 0881925799

Book Description

This greatly revised and expanded edition of Specialty Cut Flowers offers a unique perspective on cut flower production, bringing together in one place the information growers need to propagate and cultivate their eye-catching plants. Introductory chapters offer a discussion of domestic and foreign production, a brief overview of trends, and general comments and techniques for the postharvest care of flowers, including drying and preserving. The main body of the book gives extensive coverage of annual, perennial, bulbous, and woody species for commercial cut flower production, including propagation and growing-on methods, environmental factors, yield in the field, greenhouse forcing, stage of harvest, postharvest handling, and pests and diseases. For easier reference, plants now appear in single, straightforward A-to-Z order. Reflecting decades of research and writing by two distinguished horticulturists, Specialty Cut Flowers, Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged will be an indispensable reference for the nursery bookshelf.

Customer Reviews:

Greenhouse performance, pests and diseases, and more.......2003-10-10

Horticultural experts Allan M. Armitage (Professor of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens) and Judy M. Laushman (Executive Director of the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers Growers, Inc.) collaborate to offer gardening enthusiasts an exhaustive compilation of everything professionals and novice gardeners need to know about growing annuals, perennials, bulbs, and woody plants for fresh and dried cut flowers. Specialty Cut Flowers, now in a substantially revised and enlarged second edition, is an instructional reference which details the field analysis, greenhouse performance, pests and diseases, and more, of a tremendous list of flowers ranging from Achillea to Zinnia. 100 color photos, 84 line drawings, and a map, enhance the text of this solid, practical, 636 page guide for flower gardeners of any and all skill and experience levels.

Now in a substantially revised and enlarged second edition.......2003-10-10

An Essential Reference for the Cut Flower Grower.......2001-07-29

Everyone interested in cut flower growing must have this text in his library. Allan Armitage is a renound researcher in herbaceous plants, who's earlier work was in specialty cut flowers. This is a serious text, not a "gardening" book.

Introductory sections give basics of cut flower growing, but the bulk of the book is devoted to discussing individual species. Chapters include annuals, perennials, bulbs, and woody species. Within each chapter, species are discussed in great detail. Everything you need to know to grow each cut flower is here: propagation, greenhouse and field performance, harvest and postharvest, pests and diseases, and lists of varieties are all given for each species.

This book is very well organized. Text is concise, but written with personality. There are line drawings for many species, but there are few color photographs.

This book is specificaly for cut flower growers. Lynn Bycznski's The Flower Farmer is another book not be missed by those interested in cut flower growing. Her book is an overview of the business and process of cut flower growing, also with some information on individual species. Another excellent Armitage text, Herbaceous Perennial Plants, is better suited for the serious gardener.

Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants: Annuals, Bulbs, Herbs, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vegetables, Fruits and Nuts
Average customer rating:
Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants: Annuals, Bulbs, Herbs, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vegetables, Fruits and Nuts
Derek Fell
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Gardening | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Plant Finder: The Right Plants for Every Garden

The Self-Sustaining Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Matrix Planting

Brainteaser Physics: Challenging Physics Puzzlers

Complete Hydrangeas

Viburnums: Flowering Shrubs for Every Season

ASIN: 1554072409

Book Description

An essential new resource for gardeners.

"In my experience of growing and writing about plants for 45 years, the first question people intemperate climates ask about an unfamiliar plant is whether it is hardy."
-from the Introduction

What is a hardy plant? What is a hardiness zone? What conditions affect hardiness? Gardening expert Derek Fell answers these and other questions of gardeners living in a temperate climate. He challenges strict adherence to the zone system and encourages readers to explore their garden's microclimates. Doing so can add two or three zones to a plant hardiness rating.

Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants is a comprehensive reference organized by plant type. Its easy-to-use directory format provides quick retrieval of specific data on over 700 recommended plants. Along with full color photographs of favorite annuals, bulbs, herbs, perennials, shrubs, trees, vegetables, fruits and nuts, the author includes:

Botanical and common names
Zone ratings
Height, width and growth habits
Flower, fruit, vegetable and nut production
Suggested uses
Soil, water and sunlight requirements
Planting tips and combinations
Preferred species and hybrids.

Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants provides a combination of observations, expertise and master photographs. This new book is a resource that gardeners will use again and again for its thoroughness, accessibility and reliability.

Average customer rating:

Great books I have them all, well done and informative.

The Bulb Expert
D.G. Hessayon
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ornamental Plants | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Bulbs for All Seasons
Taylor's Guides to Bulbs: How to Select and Grow More Than 400 Summer-Hardy and Tender Bulbs
The Random House Book of Bulbs
The New Seed Starter's Handbook
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening

ASIN: 0903505428

Book Description

First Edition 150,000 copies! Over 200 different flowers you grow from bulbs get the world-famous flower doctor's treatment. See which are best for indoor growing and which are best outdoors, with a plan so you'll enjoy colorful blooms all year-round--from Amaryllis, Begonia, Crocus, and Dahlia, through Irises, Lilies, Narcissus, Tulip, and Zephyranthes. All 200 bulb types come with full-color photos of the plants in season, close-up color illustrations of bulb parts, and tips on planting times, sites, soils, and propagation techniques. Learn how to plant, feed, and water each type, and what's needed for after- flowering care, winter protection, staking, and storage. The full range of interests is covered: increasing your stock, using bulbs in beds and borders, naturalizing bulbs, growing bulbs in containers, in the rockery, and in the greenhouse. A special section shows how to display and care for cut flowers from bulbs. Troubleshooting charts explain how to keep everything alive and flourishing.

Customer Reviews:

Great books I have them all, well done and informative........1999-07-01

I own five of these books and love each and everyone I hope to get the rest of them. The pictures are great as well as the information on each plant. I started out with nothing in my gardens and now i get people stopping by and saying how nice my yard looks.I recomend these books to everyone instrested in gardening......

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