5 comments about Complete Guide to Roses.

1. I adore roses and when I first purchased my house, I got several books on the topic and planted several roses in my front entry. Unfortunately only one of several plants has survived these past twelve years, and I got discouraged. The book Complete Guide to Roses has ignited my interest again. It covers every aspect of roses, from their origin and development, to testing and preparing soil, diagnosing pests and diseases by leaf inspection, and the description of specific types, varieties, and characteristics of roses available on the market today. Armed with this new information and a sense of mission, I've decided to try again!



2. Whether you have roses and are having problems with them or wish to plan out a rose garden, Complete Guide to Roses is the item of choice, pairing color photos of roses and gardens with tips on transplanting, using fertilizers, and choosing the best roses for the climate. From how to prune to insights on and from the American Rose Society, COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROSES is more than a garden how-to book: it covers virtually everything having to do with roses.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. I purchased this book, along with several rose bushes, for my Mother for Mother's Day. She has always wanted to build a rose garden and said that this book would definitely help her get there.



4. This book contains both beautiful pictures and detailed information about growing roses. I purchased a new copy to replace the original one that I left out in the rain! I have referred to this book many times over the last few years in tending to over 100 roses in my garden...



5. Plenty of pictures and drawings. I got this to try to diagnose what was wrong with my roses. What I thought was a virus appears to be a lack of iron in the ground. Very helpful, more information than I need in regards to other rose types, but overall a very practical book.

2 comments about Foliage.

1. This is wonderful! Lots of nice photos and actual names of cultivars of plants pictured (can't say that about a lot of books) Organized by foliage texture type, color, etc. Latest and greatest cultivars mentioned. A keeper for sure...my boss and co-workers are all rushing out to get a copy



2. This is a wonderful book with great information and beautiful pictures. Very organized and easy to use.

2 comments about Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. Obviously much time and effort went into researching this book, Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees. Excellent line drawings and b/w illustrations used appropriately. Includes European and Asian sources of information and illustrations. Quotes and all illustrations are excerpted from early printed sources - some dating back to 13th century.

   Great layout design of text and illustrations. Text is concise yet informative on specific topics. An easy-to-use book!

   *Table of Contents:

   1) Sacred plants (including trees of life & knowledge) and specific plants;

   2) Flower lore and legend (alphabetized by common flower & tree names)

   3) Strange and wondrous plants (ex: Apple of Sodom, Ice plant, and Tree of Sorrow)

   4) Flower Calendar - seasons, flowers of the month, both Chinese & Japanese flower calendars

   5) Language of Flowers - Sentiments and symbolism

   A good general background source book for those interested in folklore or historical "roots" of common and less common plants meanings. A basic source book for all who enjoy nature hikes and telling stories about plants along the way. Not only do readers learn more about their ancestors' views and beliefs of specific plants but also a new way of seeing the natural world around us.




2. My concentration for my major is ethnobotany, and this is a definite must-have addition to my collection! THe illustrations are wonderful! Each section done has at least one illustration and a good paragraph explaining its origins. I particularly enjoy the seasons section, as well as the chinese flower calendar and the japanese flower calendar. There is also a shortened "sentiments and symbolism" in the back, similar to a glossary, with basic meanings of every plant in the book. It is organized well, and very informative.

2 comments about Coleus: Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens.

1. A very thorough and logical presentation of "all you ever wanted to know about growing Coleus" without getting too collegiate. Sensational photography. I've always wanted to incorporate more Coleus in my California in-ground landscape and patio-pot settings...now I'm much more confident that I will be successful. This book is a must-have...so informative and such luscious photos...and reasonably priced. Show it off at your next "garden-club" meeting.
   
   Wayne R. Martinson



2. I've been a coleus fanatic for years, and really enjoyed this book. Lots of good information here that I hadnt known, even though I've grown a great many coleus.
   
   I only wish the book could have been twice as long and included a more comprehensive listing and photos of coleus (in all fairness, there are thousands of them and many are very similar). It would also have been nice to have included more photos of coleus combined with other plants-coleus fills out a pot/planting of flowering annuals beautifully if done well. It's not a talent I have but I have many photos of wonderful combinations done by others.
   On the whole, this is a terrific book. Any coleus lover will enjoy it and learn from it.

5 comments about Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy.

1. Easy reading,interesting,and educational.After reading Orchid Fever,I read a comment in Orchids at Home,and having read Orchid Fever,I realized that ugly,just like beauty,is in the eye of the beholder.



2. I read this with jaw agape most of the time. The main reason for this embarrassing state of affairs was the CITES ridiculousness that crops up again and again. Can people in positions of power REALLY be so stupid? Well, yep, they can, sadly enough for the thousands of plants that are destroyed in the name of "development," illegal to save by conservationists.
   But the people Hansen meets are equally worthy of a jaw drop. Their passion--there's truly no other word, unless it is obsession--for their orchids simply astounded me. Wonderfully humorous, enlightening reading.
   Now that I've read it nearly a decade after many of the encounters described, I am longing for an update. What's become of the CITES laws? Has common sense prevailed? What about the individual scientists and growers? Are they still as enthralled with their plants? What a terrific book, to leave me hungering for so much more!



3. "I thumbed through the pages ... Immediately I was confronted with centerfolds showing ... moistened, hot-pink lips that pouted in the direction of tautly curved shafts and heavily veined pouches." - from "Bodice Ripper", a chapter in ORCHID FEVER
   
   A porn mag featuring your favorite XXX-rated stars? Um, no. An orchid catalogue, actually, as described by author Eric Hansen in his narrative exploration of the science, business, hobby, and collecting of orchids, ORCHID FEVER. Who knew flower breeding could be so titillating, or so lucrative? Indeed, as of the turn of the last century, orchids generated about $9 billion of worldwide business annually.
   
   With so much money to be made, it's no surprise that the collection of wild orchids and their transport across national boundaries is so fiercely regulated, ostensibly to protect orchid populations in their natural habitats. But, of course, the cynical will recognize that it's all about the fees generated by the obligatory export licenses and certificates. Indeed, much of ORCHID FEVER is about the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), headquartered in Geneva, and its almost Gestapo-like enforcement powers, which, as Eric tells the story, have done virtually nothing to protect free-range orchids and have only increased their demand and value vis-a-vis breeders, hobbyists, and collectors.
   
   Hansen illustrates his subject by traveling the world from California to Borneo to Minnesota to Britain to Germany to Turkey to France to New York and to Holland to interview the field's "horticultural extremists, pioneers, lone rangers, fantasy merchants, flower show flim-flam people, paid informers, rapacious nurserymen, international plant smugglers, pollen thieves, eccentric botanists, corrupt orchid judges, legendary growers, misfits, groupies, and camp followers". Though, as the author states, normal, balanced people are drawn to orchids, he found such only infrequently.
   
   "Behind the cash register (of a neighborhood grocery store) sat a long shelf filled with mass-produced Phalaenopsis hybrids, selling for $19.95; every time I saw them I thought about the California orchid grower who shot and killed his partner and then mutilated the corpse because they couldn't agree on how to breed and sell these supermarket-quality house plants."
   
   Perhaps the most engaging chapter, especially if you like frozen desserts, is "The Fox Testicle Ice Cream", in which Eric journeys to Maras, Turkey, the home of orchid ice cream, salepi dondurma, made from the tubers of the flower genus Orchis. Indeed, the chapter is so informative and interesting that a large segment of it was apparently plagiarized on a website I discovered sponsored by a Turkish-American business alliance. (After I communicated this fact to the author, he replied that it wasn't the first or last time such has happened, and he would pursue getting credit for the entry.)
   
   When I began dating as a teenager in the late sixties, if I really wanted to impress the girl I'd buy a stalk of 5-6 orchids for 3 bucks from an elderly next-door neighbor that grew them. I don't recall that the expenditure ever helped me get lucky, but they sure were impressive in the giving. Nowadays, try buying just one on Mother's Day for less than an hour's pay. After reading Hansen's excellent volume, I better understand the orchid's mystique.



4. 
   Having no interest in orchids whatsoever, I picked up "Orchid Fever" because I have been smitten with Eric Hansen's lucied and entertaining adventure writings (see previous reviews). This book is well researched and very well salted with Hansen's devastating wit and easygoing demeanor.
   
   We are introduced to the orchid universe via the growers, scientists, show judges, "orchid police", and so-called smugglers who turn out to be not so.
   
   Hansen once more captivates with these loosely linked stories of orchid obsessed people and the absurdities of the power brokers so bent on enforcing horticultural regulations that end up ensnaring the wrong people.
   
   "Orchid Fever" is part expose, part travelogue, part literary journalism, and part horticultural history. This really is investigative writing at its very best, at turns tantalizing and educational. This man has a seriously clever wit which keeps the narrative light and fluid.
   
   Hansen's abilities as a writer are superb: he knows his craft as well as any contemporary non-fiction writer. The seven years of creating this wonderfully woven bunch of stories is very much appreciated. From the first sentence, your attention is requisitioned and not released until the last - the mark of a Big League writer I think.
   
   As always with Eric Hansen, my highest kudos.
   
   Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



5. There's probably a good book about orchids and the recondite subject of international orchid policy in "Orchid Fever." In fact, I'm sure of it. Unfortunately, Eric Hansen spoils his effort with a lubricious, snarky brew of exaggerations, sneers, dubious anecdotes and invented suggestions.
   
   One example can stand for a multitude of sins. Hansen attends a three-day conference and trade show of orchid fanciers, trying to set up the idea that these people are wild, crazy, risk-taking guys and gals -- not far from sociopaths is the general view. His evidence: The conferees sang karaoke and after that, "What went on in the hotel rooms after dark between the orchid growers was anybody's guess."
   
   You could write the same thing about an Amway convention. So?
   
   The serious issue behind this unserious book is how (or if) to conserve orchids that may (or may not) be threatened by collectors, habitat destruction or whatever it is that threatens orchids.
   
   The antagonists are, on one side, amateurs, businessmen and independent scholars; and, on the other, academics and international bureaucrats, who are accused of self-aggrandizement and appropriation. It is not an issue just with orchids or even just about plants. It comes up concerning ancient artifacts, fossils, sunken treasure, even -- in a non-material sense -- myths and legends. See my review of "A Dinosaur Named Sue" for an example with fossils.
   
   A friend of mine who runs an orchid nursery confirms the difficulty. Under a treaty called CITES that purports to protect endangered species, he must prove that his commercial stock (450 species) does not derive from wild-collected plants. Of course, ultimately, any orchid derives from such stock, but CITES has rules. My friend got much of his stock from his teacher, now dead. How can he prove where the teacher obtained it?
   
   My friend could have his business shut down. In the worst instance, he could be shut up in a prison. It has happened to others.
   
   "Orchid Fever" has obtained wide publicity and wide sales. It was aimed at the thoughtless, the sensationalistic and the lascivious, and there are plenty of those people out there. It's sad that probably the most-read book about orchids turns out to be a piece of low-rent crap.

2 comments about Jerry Baker's Perfect Perennials!: Hundreds of Fantastic Flower Secrets for Your Garden (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series).

1. This book offers lots of helpful tips for the beginning gardener. The author includes many practical ideas for everything from planning and preparing the soil to dealing with common problems. The book also includes a number of his "famous" recipes for a variety of uses in your garden.



2. I have been gardening with perennials for years
   but I've learned so many new methods from this book
   I couldn't put it down. great money saving ideas
   I have read it cover to cover

5 comments about 52 Weeks in the California Garden.

1. If you live in Los Angeles, you need this book. Smaus is the garden writer for the excretal Los Angeles Times and one of its sole redeeming virtues. Smaus covers a range of topics, including plantings suggested for our area and timing of various tasks. Unlike most gardening books, which are written for East Coast or Mid-West audiences, and which are generally unhelpful for our unique climate, Smaus' advice has proven consistently accurate. The book's sole flaw is the lack of an index. Because the articles are short and there is a detailed table of contents, this is not a major problem. Highly recommended.



2. Thank You Mr. Smaus ! Finally a book that talks directly to the Southern California gardener. If you live and garden in the So. CA area this is the book you need. Maybe I won't have so many failures in the coming year. This book opened my eyes wide.



3. Coming from New England I needed a lot of advice on what to do with the clay soil and arid climate in Southern California. The Sunset Western Garden Book along with this selection is a great combination for those new to gardening in Southern California. (Try the soil amendment recipe, it worked wonders form me!)



4. The combination of this book plus Sunset's Western Garden Book will arm the southern California garden enthusiast with all the tools and experience necessary to give a green thumb's up. A true plant geek will find validation and a friend in Smaus' and will read the book saying "been there, loved that". Activities like hoarding plants bought from the Huntington Garden's May plant sale struck a familiar chord.

   A transplant to Southern Cal. will quickly gain the inside track to where to go and what to plant to make the best of this unique climate.




5. If you are tired of gardening advice that's good on the East Coast, but doesn't work in Southern California, this is the book for you. It provides real solutions for our unique climate, advice from local professionals, and a reliable planting schedule. This book and Sunset Magazine's Western Garden Book are all you need for successful gardening in Southern California. And in spite of the tone of this review, I have no affiliation whatsoever with the author or publisher :)

4 comments about Plant Propagation A to Z: Growing Plants for Free.

1. I love this book. Beautiful color photos of propagation. We use this in our class for Master Gardeners for reference. I like the way it has seperate lists for cuttings and division and seed germination. This makes it for fast look up. I bought one for home use too. The reference part tells season to do propagation,strike time or germination time and temp. All around good reference guide.



2. Filled with lots of photos and charts. Very thorough listings broken down by propagation category (seed, cutting, division etc) and genus listing best time, requirements, time required etc. I've been a plantaholic for about 25 years and was amazed at how much the book had to offer. With all of the photos, charts and descriptions it should be detailed enough for the beginner too.



3. This is a great book for beginners as well as the seasoned gardener. Very easy to understand language and a lot of pictures. Anyone who has ever considered propagating their own plants either from seed to grafting should really consider buying this book.



4. I think this is a great book for beginner to intermediate gardeners. It's all that 90% of the people out there would ever need. The book describes several methods of propagation, then gives lists of plants and what methods to use. It doesen't cover some exotic plants, but then most people aren't trying to grow very exotic plants. I recommend it.

1 comments about The Complete Perennials Book.

1. it's a beautiful book full of informations and I'll use it for years to come

5 comments about Western Garden Book.

1. This book has been a mainstay of gardening information for many years. There have been positive changes/updates through the years and it is a great reference.



2. My latest obsessive interest is gardening, specifically vegetable & fruit gardening. So I've been in info-gathering mode: going to the library to scope out books, obsessively cross-referencing blurbs about the same plant across 5-10 books at a time, being some of the things I've done. So I'm drowning in a sea of gardening books as I write this.
   
   This is a book that I would not buy for substantive gardening because it does not measure up to what else is available. Many of the blurbs are less substantive than a seed envelope. I looked at it because of Amazon's high ratings, but here's why I think this book is an unwise investment for that purpose:
   
   1) It's hard to read. For most of the plants listed, the header is accompanied by a single tiny (~1inch size) representative pastel-colored illustration followed by 1-10 short paragraphs of generic text. I'm only in my 20s and I feel like I have to crack out reading glasses.
   
   2) The meat of the book is like a dictionary, alphabetically listed by scientific name or common name. To find something, you have to thumb through pages of tiny print with nothing to grab your attention. It's boring, having neither anecdotes (if you like those) nor the utility of bullets. Too bad Sunset magazine didn't include some of their big, eye-popping, full-page colorful photo spreads.
   
   3) And like a dictionary, the blurbs are short and generic. For all the bountiful garden greens available in California & along the west coast, there is a 7 paragraph generic description of "lettuce". The strains are mentioned not to describe their look or taste, but to just list their names so they've been covered. Some of the fruits and trees are accompanined by tables, so their descriptions are better.
   
   4) This book tries to have the scope of American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening while being the local expert, but falls very very short because it is not detailed enough and also passes the buck. True, there's a huge list of plants, but it's more like a cheap catalog with generic, cursory tips and zero visual stimulation. The worst is the passing of the responsibility. For example: (a small blurb on tomato problems) "If certain diseases or nematodes cause trouble locally, you may be able to grow varieties that resist one or more problems. Keys to resistance you may see on plant labels or in catalog descriptions..." Thanks. My all-in-one West Coast compendium tells me to look for local info in other resources.
   
   5) With such generic, short descriptions, you'd think there'd be plenty of space on the page. But the margins are about 1/2 inch, so if you plan on jotting down notes, crack out your reading glasses.
   
   6) There's almost zero visualization because not only are there so few pictures, a lot of times the strains are not even described, merely mentioned by name only. There is a short chapter in the beginning with 1-2inch color photos, but it is organized by scientific name. It wasn't useful because I didn't know the scientific names of strains I was trying to learn about. The seed catalogs that I've gotten from online companies do a much better job.
   
   7) Because I was impressed by how bad I thought this book was (given it's high ratings), I checked the library for older editions to see how it had "improved" over time. Unfortunately, they only had the 7th ed and it was same as the 8th, minus different cover art.
   
   
   For better, encyclopedia-like gardening books that have gorgeous color photos and insightful, detailed writing, try:
   American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides) and American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening
   -- has it all including photos and sequential drawings when plants need specific instructions. Fat, heavy books (You may pull a muscle, but together, these are the books that comprise a full reference.)
   
   New Illustrated Guide to Gardening
   -- succeeds where Western Garden fails; big coffee-table photos with substantive, practical writing; not as heavy cause it doesn't list everything like the book above, but it comes close
   
   The Random House Book of Vegetables (Random House Garden)
   -- I put this one in because in an ideal world, I want to see pictures of the varieties alongside good text in an all-inclusive gardening compendium. If anyone knows of any current book like this, please let me know! Thanks!



3. As Master Gardeners my wife and I are often asked questions, and while we have a lot of gardening books, this is the book that most often answers our questions.



4. A good reference book to replace my 40th Anniversary edition (1998) hoping to get more information on draught tolerant landscape (not much more than the 40th edition). What's missing though is the Index with scientific and common names. My 1998 edition had a 12 page index the new one has 3 pages. All in all, I like the old one better.



5. The Western Garden Book Western Garden Book (Sunset Western Garden Book)is THE standard reference work for gardening from California to the Pacific Northwest, the desert Southwest up to western Montana. Includes descriptions and scientific names for plants that will grow in various climate zones. Plant descriptions include growing conditions, when to prune, and dealing responsibly with diseases and insect pests. It has been produced for over 40 years with many editions. Used editions are still good. Get a new one every ten years or so if you are a serious gardener. Makes great holiday/birthday gift for the new homeowner in the West.