2 comments about Garden Ferns (Plantfinder's Guides Series).

1. I am a gardener (for research) in China,these days I thought of using ferns on landscafe,I have know few about how to grow the ferns before.By a chance,I read the book at a professor's home,'Oh,it is very usefull for me!',I thought at the same time.But...but I dont know how to get the book. I think the book is very usefull for all the people who like the ferns,or the people who want to grow the ferns.



2. ferns are some of my favorite plants. This is a great book and I have had it a while I use it every time I teach a class on ferns. I really like the comarison shots of the different selection. THose really help to Identify labeless plants. I would have like some of the info in a bullit points at the beging or end of each enrty. for height hardiness and the like the stuff that every entry should have this would have made the book easier to use. BUt that doesn't mean I wouldn't get it I love this book. It is a must have.

5 comments about A Guide to the Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky (Kentucky Nature Studies).

1. This is a very good book showing many of the native wildflowers in the state of Kentucky. The pictures are very good and the plant information and descriptions are excellent. There are a few photos that are not ideal for identifying some species and the book arrangement is somewhat clumsy if this book is used as a field guide. It would have been better if the flowers were arranged by color. Other than that, this is a great book and a popular pick of my students when they have to identify native species for a wildflower collection.



2. Not only is this book an excellent source for identifying Kentucky wildflowers, it is an excellent source for identifying wildflowers, ferns, etc., for the Central Basin and Smoky Mountains in Tennessee as well.



3. This is an excellent guide to wildflowers and ferns for those of us on the Ohio side of the river. It is my most used field guide. Roger W. Barbour is definitely a talent as I have found his book "Amphibians & Reptiles of Kentucky" one of the best for identifying local snakes. This book is worth adding to your personal library.



4. My wife Brenda and I have used this book numerous times at our place in Kentucky and during our hikes in the Smokies. Even though the title specifies Kentucky we found the book very useful in Tennessee during our romps in the Great Smokey Mountains. A Notable feature that is very handy is the "roomy look" of the layout. There is copious amount of white space on every page. We used that to make notes and scribbles. Now when I turn to any page I recall the spring or fall at Clingman's Dome, Cumberland Gap or a dozen other places.

   Some of the pictures are not quite as good. For example, on page 157, the snapshot of Prostrate Eryngo (E. yuccifolium) is misleading. In spite of minor quibbles this is a book well worth having. I must warn you that because of the glossy pages the book does weigh between two and three pounds which is significant when one is scrambling up an incline.

   A real memory-maker!




5. I loved using this book. It was excellent in helping me identify wildflowers for my collection in my botany class. The pictures are great. Some a little hard to determine, but the descriptions included helps guide you in the right direction. I would recommend this book to anyone in the Kentucky area studying wildflowers.

5 comments about Ferns for American Gardens.

1. This book has excellent illustrations of a variety of ferns with an description of each. Well worth having for anyone interested in a fern garden.



2. In this excellent book Mickel furnishes an enormous amount of information about ferns without becoming pedantic or over-bearing. It is reflective of the author's life passion and years of hands-on gardening experience with these plants. The book is nicely organized so that a neophyte such as myself can reference it easily yet it provides enough in-depth information to satisfy the more advanced "fern-aholic". There are great sections on each species detailing origin, ease of cultivation and habit. Although one can tell Mickel never met a fern he didn't like, he makes it engagingly obvious in some cases which are his favorites and why. There is a great section on Matteuccia struthiopteris(ostrich fern) which includes a recipe for preparing and cooking the fiddleheads. Differing from the cook's point of view, the gardener steps in to assure us that cutting the fiddleheads brings no lasting damage to the fern! In another section on the Himalayan maidenhair fern he shares his delight in the accidental discovery that this species is adaptable to indoor cultivation.
   The general information on fern structure and reproduction is concise and easily understood. There are a host of new terms in Fern World to be grasped, such as crosier, sori and rachis but Mickel makes them all comprehensible. Gardening with ferns, their prefered habitats, companion plants and even propagation are addressed as this is far more than a field identification book. There are an assortment of good line drawings and small color photographs of the individual fern species, but if this book has a weakness I would say that the photos are undersized and there are not enough of them. However, this is not an opulent coffee-table book but a good solid reference book which is easy to use and full of helpful, practical information for the fern-garderner at what ever level. I still rate it as a solid five star garden book.



3. This book has a tremendous amount of information concerning ferns in America.
   It is certainly well worth the sixteen dollars I paid for it. It contains a guide for flowering plants that you can partner with ferns. It gives descriptions of the flowering plants as well as their periods of bloom.
   Also, in the back of the book is a glossary of terms which is very helpful and an index of common names.
   If you need to identify a type of fern, this is the book to use. The pictures are very good and the descriptions are concise. Scientific names as well as common names are given. Propagating ferns is discussed as well as pests and hardiness zones. A list of mail order sources for hardy ferns is listed at the back of the book. Lots of information is given throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about or grow ferns.



4. Dr. Mickel's Ferns for American Gardens is the most comprehensive and useful book on ferns for the professional and amateur gardener alike. For those of us who are plagued with deer in our gardens, ferns provide alternative deer-proof plantings. The variety and beauty of these plants have often been underrated, but they fill an important element in the shade garden as they provide texture not often found in other plants. What better way to get to know these plants than with this book. Chapters show the structure of the plant, how to use ferns in the landscape, and beautiful photographs of the many genera, species and cultivars, all listed in alphabetical order. Each plant shows practical attributes such as height, hardiness zones and difficulty of cultivation. A real plus. It also has a chapter on ferns for specific conditions such as sunny conditions, rock gardens etc. The Web now allows the interested gardener to acquire more unusual ferns, and this book will steer you to make the correct decisions on what would suit your garden best. I rate this book as a must-have on ferns.



5. Good book on ferns, one of the better. Wish there were more pictures. It's so hard to identify different ferns.

3 comments about Petrified Wood : The World of Fossilized Wood, Cones, Ferns, and Cycads.

1. The best photographic presentation of petrified wood I have every seen. Frank Daniels' love of the subject can be seen in his work as laid out between the covers of this superb book. I totally enjoy showing non palaeontologically minded people this book when they visit. If a person is looking for a photographic presentation of petrified wood, then this would have to be the book. I heartily recommend it. Congratulations Frank on a terrific book.



2. As the various reviews point out this book is a blaze of color. Excellently photographed and excellently printed this volume gives a good impression of how beautiful petrified wood can be. This work is perfectly suited as a coffee table book.

   As a wood anatomist I cannot help feeling that an even more beautiful book could be produced by shifting the focus to anatomy: when magnified these woods would look even better. I guess a palaeobotanist would agree with me that this would make for, from a scientific point of view, a more usable and valuable book.

   Nevertheless this is a magnificent piece of work: there are some quite stunning pictures in here.




3. Iy you are a layman, you will certainly ask whether "rock like " items like these can be so pretty. When you read on and understand that nature is actually the artist behind them, then you will start to appreciate that their brilliant color, the pretty pattern as well as the variety of what used to be living trees in this planet millions of years ago are not any less beautiful than the common gems and precious stones which we are much more familiar with. The excellent photos will certainly tempt one to read the book again and again . The only regret is perhaps the lack of more publications on these gems, despite a second and equally attractive book by the same author.

2 comments about How to Know the Ferns and Fern Allies.

1. When a friend first introduced me to John Mickel's "How to know the ferns and fern allies" I was skeptical that Boughton Cobb's book (in the Peterson's series) could be bested. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is Mickel's book more up-to-date, but the drawings are all more cleanly rendered, allowing the beginner to focus on the most important features of fern identification. Range maps (which the Peterson guide lacks) let you eliminate many species not in your area. The price is a bit daunting, but for the serious field botanist this book is a must!



2. When a friend urged me to buy John Mickels' "How to Know the Ferns and Fern Allies" I was skeptical. I didn't think it could top Boughton Cobb's guide in the Peterson series. I was genuinely surprised by what I found. Mickel's book is superior in several ways. The drawings of fern anatomy are cleaner, letting the neophyte focus on the important features of fern identification. Range maps (missing from Cobb's book) let you eliminate species not in your area. And being a more recent publication, Mickel's taxonomic treatment is more up-to-date. However, I miss Boughton Cobb's outline drawings of fern blades, which are really neat for developing a general search image for species. That's why I keep both guides handy. You can never own enough field guides.

2 comments about A Field Guide to Ferns and their related families: Northeastern and Central North America with a section on species also found in the British Isles and Western Europe (Peterson Field Guides(R)).

1. The black and white pen and ink illustrations in this field guide are excellent. Like all Peterson Field Guides, the book begins with a short description of ferns in general and a brief glossary of taxonomic terms particular to ferns. The book is arranged (somewhat frustratingly so for the more experienced Field Botonist) by major plant characterstic. The taxonomic keys are sparce and generally ineffective. Each species identified in the book has a detailed drawing and a description written in easy to understand language. These descriptions include the principle defining characterstics of each fern, and a description of its habit.

   The book lacks a information about each ferns geographic distribution and prominance. This sometime leads the amatuer to mis-identifying the sometime confusingly similar fern species.

   This book comes in true field guide size. It is light and compact and easily taken to the field. Dispite its weaknesses, I still take it to the field when I go somewhere outside the mid Atlantic after even after six years of wetland delineation field work.




2. I have found this field guide to be very useful, though frustratingly limited in scope. The illustrations and diagnostic data are very nice, though somewhat limited - for example, immature frond forms (when different from mature) and unique fiddlehead forms are not shown. On the plus side, this guide covers fern allies such as club mosses. Also, don't let the black-and-white illustrations put you off, they carry more useful information than color photos (of which there are some) of a fern would. My most serious beef with this field guide is that it ignores ferns which are marginally hardy or hardy only in the warmer areas of Northeast and Central North America. Don't expect to find information on Thelypteris kunthii, for example. Final analysis: If you are willing to accept its limitations, you will find this guide to be very useful.

3 comments about The Ferns of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide (Reference and Field Guides) (Reference and Field Guides).

1. This book is for anyone who has an interest in ferns and wishes to be able to distinguish one from the other. Great color pictures so that you can compare the subtle differences and make these ferns you own. Ferns are wonderful plants that require little care and are almost impossible to kill even with kindness. Enjoy.



2. Enhanced with more than two hundred color photographs, Gil Nelson's The Ferns Of Florida: A Reference And Field Guide showcases some 163 kinds of ferns ranging from norther species whose southern range extends into the uplands of Florida's norther tier, to tropical ferns spilling over Florida's southern tip. The text is thoroughly "reader friendly" with detailed descriptions and helpful identification tips, along with an invaluable selection of field observation based botanical keys for identifying plants in their wild ecosystems. There are extensive notes on each species growth form, as well as the botanical names, unique characteristics, garden use, and history. An essential and core title for any Floridian based gardener, as well as the professional and academic horticulturalist or botanist, The Ferns Of Florida also includes a glossary, a section on the fern life cycle and structure, a history of fern study in Florida, a discussion of some of the state's best natural ferneries, and an extensive bibliography for further study.



3. A WELL WRITTEN AND WELL ILLUSTRATED BOOK. I HAVE FOUND THIS BOOK VERY USEFUL FOR IDENTIFYING THE FERNS OF FLORIDA. I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE STATE HAD SUCH A VARIETY OF SPECIES.

No comments about Rocky Mountain Flora: A Field Guide for the Identification of the Ferns, Conifers, and Flowering Plants of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

5 comments about Plants of the Tahoe Basin: Flowering Plants, Trees, and Ferns.

1. I just took this book with me on a trip in the Sierra and found it very useful, informative, easy to use, and complete. The 60 page introductory section, which covers the natural history of the area and plant taxonomy, was very interesting and informative. The photographs are beautiful as well.



2. Without a doubt, this is the best plant or flower book I have ever read. The author clearly knows Tahoe Basin vegetation and natural history like nobody else. The key is masterful in its simplicity, the pictures spectacular and the text brilliantly concise (and sometimes witty!). You can leave your tent, cell phone and coffee mug behind, but you must not forget Mr. Graf's book when going to Tahoe.



3. Weekends in Tahoe are tons better with this book in tow. It is way cool to know the names of the gorgy plants and flowers with whom you are sharing your away-from-work time. I especially like being able to answer my two-year-old's question, "What's dat one momma," as he begins to take an interest in the names of the plant life surrounding him. A great gift for parents of children who go to Tahoe from time to time...or for anyone still young at heart/inquisitive enough to want to know more about Tahoe vegetation.



4. WHile there are a number of flower books for the Sierra available, I found this one particularly useful because the plants are arranged by family so you can learn how to identify plants that are not in the range covered by the book. THe introductory section was also really informative and interesting.



5. If you are looking for a specific nature book (on the flora (plants) of the Lake Tahoe (California) area, this is an excellent choice.

4 comments about Fern Finder: A Guide to Native Ferns of Central and Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada (Nature Study Guides).

1. Among flowering plants, the flowers are often a crucial feature in identifying them. But then there are non-flowering plants, such as the Pteridiophytes, which include ferns. Those who know a lot about flowering plants can still be at a loss when it comes to identifying ferns. Some of the best books about wildflowers feature colorful pictures, and those can be a major aid to identification. But when it comes to ferns, with their tinier reproductive structures that are less showy than all but the smallest flowers, pictures alone are much less of a vital key to identification. Instead, one needs to observe details like clumped or scattered growth patterns, scaly or smooth stipes (the stems of fern fronds), and arrangement and shape of the sori (clusters of spore-bearing parts). This small but useful book is an excellent introduction to these and other features important in fern identification. Once you learn them, the book provides a key for sorting out what fern one is observing, using those features. This book best covers the ferns of the eastern and central U.S. and Canada. As shown on this site, there is also a Pacific Coast version of this book for those observing and hoping to identify ferns there.



2. This is a great book in a small package. Graphic icons convey useful information that is understandable at a glance. Excellent illlustrations. Good for beginner or intermediate fern student. I use it as a supplement to text-heavy fern guides.



3. Easy to cary and use, great for the novice or beginner interested in fern identification.



4. This is a quick and dirty field guide. It's good for what it is. It simply covers common ferns. Its a great beginner book, or pocket guide. Don't expect a telephone book with hundreds of color photos. It's a good guide for the price.