2 comments about Annuals for Dummies.

1. I loved this book! I have my first garden this year, and since I rent, I can only plant annuals. This book has tons of information about what types of plants to choose, and the different heights, several garden plans and further resources. The only thing I didn't like about it, was there was no real zoning information, except very general. Some of the plants may not grow in my area that are suggested in the book, according to a local garden center.



2. This book covers what to grow, where to grow and how to grow. There are color pictures in the middle to entice and encourage you. You get good tips on how to handle pests and pets (they are different). Different types of soil and drainage are covered. You get garden layout plans and containers for those of us that want to move the plants around a lot.

   This book does too good of a job. I was counting of a good number of the plants dying so I could try new ones. However these animals just keep coming back even after freezes. I also have a simple system for Morning glories; toss the seeds over the fence.

1 comments about Annuals and Perennials (Sunset Book).

1. This is an excellent book for anyone who is new to gardening and wanting a simple place to start. It has pictures and placement of perennials, grasses and annuals that you can find locally or use the chart at the back of the book which lists several reputable dealers. It also has instructions on where to place your plants and how to maintain them. The best part is there are several garden plans that I tried and my yard looks amazing!

1 comments about Encyclopedia of Annuals and Perennials.

1. Colston Burrell and others have developed an extremely useful guide for the early-intermediate gardener. This book is not gardening for dummies, but neither is the content so complex the relative newcomer cannot use it. The contents consist of a compendium of pertinent topic-based articles and an approximately 100 pages (three per page) of photographs and descriptions of "popular" perennials and annuals. (Hence, the odd or unusual item may not be covered.)
   
   The text opens with a basic botany lesson reminiscent of the chapter you read in college Biology 101 and goes on to discuss some of the properties of selected annuals and perennials as well as bulbs which can be recurring (become naturalized) or not. The next section encourages the reader to consider where he or she is building a garden. Aspects such as climate, terrain, sun exposure and growing zone are discussed.
   
   Next the authors discuss the flower garden, which most folks want to create. Various considerations such as planning and design, the layout of beds, borders and the items to fill the interstices are addressed, along with various types, such as cutting, meadow, and cottage gardens. Annuals and perennials not only present problems, they can be used for problem solving. Using the garden with various land features such as hills, shade and drought and bogs is discussed.
   
   When one becomes conversant with the aesthetics of the garden plot, the next step is to address the mechanics such as soil preparation, plant fit, and timing. In this arena, tool choices are critical, as well as the application of mulch and water, pruning and training your plants and facing winter requirements. When you become skilled you will want to consider propagation not only as a cost saving measure, but a way to obtain otherwise difficult or impossible to acquire plants.
   
   The book closes with what I consider to be the encyclopedia portion-annotated entries for selected perennial and annuals. No one section of this book is as comprehensively covered as it might be in a text designed to cover a subject in depth, but the book is a good synopsis of the most critical topics every gardener addresses eventually.

No comments about Clematis: Inspiration, Selection, and Practical Gudance.

2 comments about Magnolias: A Care Manual.

1. I loved this book. Perfect for newbie and greenthumb alike. Everything you ever wanted to know about Magnolias: from their weird prehistoric (!) history to the hundreds of varieties available today. There's even a catalog at the back of all different magnolias with individual pictures and history. I especially loved the chapter on "Plant Hunters," men (and women too!) who traipsed the wilds of nineteenth-century Asia looking for "undiscovered" strains of magnolias. A great coffeetable book but also a great guide to these beautiful flowering trees.



2. What a wonderful book this is. In my collection I got most of the books published about magnolias and this has a rare perfection that caughts the eye. Wonderful design and trully impressive colour pics all over. You won't see a more detailed magnolia propagation pics on earth! . The information is excellent and do not know of any other book about magnolias more enjoyable than this one. Of course there are books with more info about magnolias, used as a reference, but this is the straight door to enter into 'Magnolia Kingdom' and certainly the perfect gift for anyone even remotely interested on these fascinating flowering trees...

2 comments about Geraniums and Pelargoniums.

1. Both geraniums and pelargoniums belong to the family "Geraniaceae," of which there are 750 species (and thousands of cultivars) scattered over most of the world. Geraniums are the hardy plants that grow in the wild. Pelargoniums, however, are the plants most of us think of when we think "geranium" -- the colorful flowering houseplants on our windowsills and the lovely scented varieties growing in our kitchens.

   The book begins with the characteristics of geraniums. Often called "Cranesbills," geraniums are hardy perennials (zones 4-8) found in mountainous areas, meadows, marshes and near woodlands. Their flowers have five petals, are symmetrical and are relatively small; their foliage varies by shape and color. Size ranges from the taller Meadow and Dusky Cranesbills to the shorter Sanguineums and Wood Geraniums. They make superb ground cover plants with many types able to grow in full sun as well partial shade; they propagate by seed and can become invasive.

   Most pelargoniums, on the other hand, are from South Africa and have been cultivated since the 17th century, initially as garden flowers and later as house or conservatory plants. All pelargoniums have a recognizable scent, they have tiny hairs on their stems, their flowers are asymmetrical, they can be propagated by cuttings and most are not cold-hardy and will not survive winters above zone 9.

   While there is an abundance of information about geraniums in this book, the main emphasis is on the pelargoniums. There are a seven basic forms: Ivies (sprawling habit with ivy-shaped leaves); Scented types (which can either be upright or trailing); Zonals (named for the bands or "zones" of color on their leaves); Highfields (compact plants with lush flower clusters); Stellars, Startels and Cacti (with star-shaped petals); Regals (beautiful, showy plants with large flowers); and Butes (Single and Double Dwarfs, Miniatures, Micro-Miniatures, Angels and Deacons). Angels are miniatures with Regal-type flowers; Deacons are miniatures crossed with Ivies.

   Also included are very short chapters on cultivation, propagation, dealing with pests (although nothing about the mealy bugs that plagued my plants last summer) and treating diseases. A list of 175 species and cultivars is provided with Latin and common names along with a very complete index and a list of world-wide suppliers (with web.addresses!)

   This is definitely the book to buy if you want to know more about the various types of geraniums and pelargoniums but it is not a how-to book on cultivation nor is it an indepth guide to all geraniums and pelargoniums. It is beautifully illustrated, however, and I learned a great deal about these wonderful plants from reading this book. My favorite pelargoniums are the scented varieties and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more information about them and only a short list of 19 different types (there are well over 200 varieties). I had never heard of the enchanting Rosebuds, Stellars and Deacons before reading this book, however, which more than made up for this.




2. For anyone wanting to learn more on Geraniums, Pelargoniums, or both, this book is for you. This is not a book for the beginner gardener, but logically grouped together for the advanced gardener or one on the way.
   John Feltwell has put together this book in order to help anyone who wants to choose, grow and design with these lovely plants. He gives in-depth descriptions of over 300 different types and has more than 250 colorful photos that add to the beauty of this book. You won't find step by step photos in this book, but plenty of others that show the how-to shots.
   Feltwell's book can be useful in discovering these wonderful plants all while creating your garden into a colorful display of fragrance and beauty

1 comments about Annuals, Perennials, & Bulbs.

1. Lifelong gardener Anne Halpin draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs: Designing, Planting, Maintaining to offer the home gardener and landscaper a detailed guide to creating beds and borders that will showcase these garden plants to their best advantage. Halpin provides 40 step-by-step photo sequences taking the aspiring gardening through essential gardening tasks, as well as in-depth profiles of 125 favorite garden planes, enhanced with 600 color photographs (many of them clearly illustrating essential gardening techniques) and more than 50 watercolor illustrations. Very highly recommended for novice gardeners, and with much of value for experienced horticulturalists and landscapers, Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs will aptly serve as a continuing reference for the complex task of plant placement and selection.

2 comments about Impatiens: The Vibrant World of Busy Lizzies, Balsams, and Touch-me-nots.

1. Probably the first of its kind available to the average reader (and not published in botanical journals), this fine work is a true treasure. While cultural comments are somewhat lacking (some of the Impatiens species seem to grow in cool mountain areas), the main portion of the book is a listing by geographical area of some of the more beautiful (and odd) species. A good addition to your horticultural library.



2. "Impatiens" is a good first try at a book on this popular group of plants. However, it's almost like two books. The first half of the book provides good information on culture and updates on breeding programs (though USA readers should note that the culture information is Brit-slanted). The second half divides the many Impatiens species discussed into geographic groups, and the introductions to each of these sections discuss species in the groups that are, or might be, of horticultural interest. However, the species descriptions that follow are in deadening botanese, and appear to have been derived from formal material published in the professional literature. It would have been better for this reviewer to have had garden-oriented descriptions. And why include such material on species that, as yet, do not have names? How is one to locate plants or seeds of these species even after they have been named? The color pictures are generally of high quality, and create a wish on the part of the reader to obtains some of these plants. Alas, the list of sources is very short and includes no specialist growers (perhaps they do not exist as yet). However, I would recommend the book to those building their garden libraries and who have an interest in going beyond the supermarket trays of walleri and New Guinea Impatiens.

No comments about Clematis: Inspiration, Selection & Practical Guidance.

5 comments about The Mini Sunflower Garden (Mini Kit).

1. I bought this kit entirely because I thought it would be fun to have some sunflowers to brighten up my bedroom. I wasn't originally interested in the book part, but I did read it because I had it, and it was pretty useless. I planted the sunflowers in the provided "pot", and followed all the directions. I watered it regularly and sat it next to the window every day. All the sunflowers died anyways, before flowering. The kit comes with exactly four seeds, and all grew into little seedlings, and then died at about the time that their second set of leaves came out. I'm not sure why, but this kit was definitely a disappointment!



2. I agree with the prevous review. The same thing happened to me. I followed all the directions. If there were an option not to give it any stars I would have.



3. Even though the last two people think it's terrible, I think it was pretty good. I LOVE sunflowers and I have grown tons before. This was like my 30th sunflower. I did everything they asked me to, watered it when the soil was dry, cared for it well and my work paid off. The sunflowers grew, bloomed and thrived. The only thing wrong is the book. I think its too small and short.



4. This is a great kit. I was worried at first because the seeds were so small, but all four of them sprouted. The first one that sprouted died but that was my fault because I didn't give it enough sunshine. The book is really small and cute, with some good projects and some interesting history inside. The other three are doing very well, all of them sturdy and healthy. The only thing I recommend is to transplant them when they grow their second or third set of leaves. I recommend this kit to anyone, even people who claim to have 'no green thumb'. With a little tender care and love, a few minutes each day to take care of them, and plenty of sunshine, these little seeds will grow, grow, grow into little mini sunflowers!



5. I got this kit from a friend and I just planted the seeds two weeks ago. As a first time planter, I'm very excited! 3 out of the 4 seeds sprouted and are growing really fast. The only thing the book did wrong was that it didn't tell you that you have to transplant them into a bigger pot with real soil after they get to a certain size. I think that's why they died on a lot of customers. The flowers run out of room to grow and having nothing left to do but die. I just transplanted them today and while it was really hard to get them out of the little container, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll thrive and produce flowers. So if they add that to the book, then more people would have more luck with them. Otherwise, I think it's a great little kit! I'm having a lot of fun!