3 comments about Specialty Cut Flowers.

1. 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.




2. 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.



3. 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.

No comments about The Best Orchids for Indoors (Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide).

1 comments about Flower Gardens.

1. I have an extensive library of gardening and landscaping books and this wonderful book is one of the best for how to incorporate flowering plants effectively into your garden whether it be natural or formal. The carefully chosen photographs illustrate points in the text and show garden situations achievable by the average gardener. The A to Z guide of selected plants for the flower garden review more than seven hundred plants, many not often contained in such complilations or in such usable detail, but all are obtainable with an little search. It is a shame Flower Gardens is no longer in print, but Amazon was able to locate a pristine copy for me within two weeks.

3 comments about The Explorer's Garden: Rare and Unusual Perennials.

1. A well researched, well thought out guide to some wonderful plants that, to quote the author's witty prose, should be on a good many gardener's 'lust list'. Good photography, HONEST descriptions of the plant (without 'catalog-ese') and cultural information all add to a fine addition to the hort books out there.



2. This is an excellent book. Dan Hinkley is a funny and engaging writer and speaker. I highly recommend this for the gardener who appreciates subtle yet beautiful flowers and foliage. Many of the plants that he discusses are from Asia where he has travelled extensively. The book is a great companion to the thick Heronswood Nursery catalog and web site since it has a number of photos. Dan discusses care and propagation of the plants as well.



3. This book does what it aims to very well: it describes (and includes photos of) some very unusual plants. However, please be aware that many of these plants do not have mass appeal; that is why, after all, they are still rare and unusual, rather than having been picked up by your local garden centers.

   I found myself using this book mostly as a specific adjunct to the Heronswood Nursery catalogue, looking up some photos and cultural information for a few of the plants listed in the catalogue. If this is YOUR intended use, please be aware that you may be able to get this information for a lot less money by just using Heronswood's website, now that it is expanded to include a good variety of plant photos.

5 comments about The Floral Artist's Guide: A Reference to Cut Flowers and Foliages.

1. Overall, this is a good buy, and as others have noted, a great staple for the floral designer. I love the disk - you can run a search for "pink flowers," for example, and all flowers with pink variations fed back to you in list form -- you are then able click on the list for pictures of each flower. I wasn't sure if the CD would be included (although it is mentioned on the cover of the book in the picture shown, it is not referred to in the product description) and was pleased to see it is indeed part of the package. I only wish they showed all the color varieties for each genus--instead, there is just one picture and the color variations are listed. With roses, for example, it would be nice to see the many popular types used in common arrangements --vendelas, cool water, versalia....



2. I bought this book thinking it was another book. I was going to return it, but it does serve its purpose at the moment. I wish the photographs were larger. I thought a bit pricey for what it was and the cd rom is not Mac compatable, so I have no use for it!



3. I'm 21 and I run my own flower shop. I know my way around a design bench, but unfortunately my inexperience has left me with a limited knowledge of cut flowers and foliages. This book has helped me so much! And the CD Rom is amazing. You can search for flowers by species, family, even color and distinguishing characteristics! Definately two thumbs waaay up!



4. As a floral designer myself, I have been searching for a visual guide to fresh cut flowers for years. This book not only features cut flowers, but has a section on foliage as well. The expected life spans and common names are provided. This book is the encyclopedia of flowers that I have been looking for!



5. Having bought this book based (mostly) on the good reviews here, I have to say I was VERY disappointed when it arrived. First, the CD-ROM -- which seems to be most of the value of this product --is for Windows only, so Mac users like me are just SOL. I contacted the publisher to ask if they could provide me w/ a Mac CD -- they never replied to my e-mail. Not the way to win friends.
   
   Beyond that, the book itself is a paperback, much smaller/thinner than I expected (more like a magazine), printed VERY badly on VERY thin, cheap paper -- it really looks like it was run off somebody's color printer at home. The color pictures of flowers and foliage are of terrible quality, the text is really minimal, there's no information on how to treat/work with/preserve the flowers & foliage covered ... all this for the incredible price of $60!! Enough said -- I returned it.

No comments about Ikebana: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Japanese Flower Arranging.

1 comments about 100 Orchids for Florida.

1. The book may be small in size, but it is filled with a lot of information. Easy reading, lovely photos. Gave one to another new orchid enthusiast friend. Great reference book. I highly recommend it to all orchid lovers.

4 comments about Dry Climate Gardening with Succulents (The American Garden Guides).

1. One of few books dealing with gardening in the dry southwestern climates. Most of the book is devoted to "Plant Selector" which describes the plants, hardiness, cultivation needs, etc. Other sections deal with "Garden Design", "Techniques" (cultivation etc.), and, " Special Conditions." If you have one book on succulent gardening, this should be it.



2. Plant growth habit and culture notes are all too rare in succulent and cacti volumes. This expertly assembled book captures the succulent plants at their optimum phase and accurately records botanical names and growth requirements. I also utilize to accurately identify plants that I use to create living succulent wreaths. The section of 'Bringing the Desert Indoors' is a welcome invitation to indoor gardeners every where to enjoy these sculptural beauties year around.



3. More and more people are becoming interested in succulents due to their largely drought tolerant natures and their definite fire prevention advantages. If you are new to succulents and had only one book to choose this should be it. Even if you know quite a bit about succulents this book could still be of value. It's that good.
   What the beautiful cover seems to allude to, the book itself totally delivers. The amount of information provided in such a small book is gratifying. It's only 224 pages, but you are unlikey to find this many varieties of succulents pictured in such exquisite detail even in books twice this size. And there aren't simply specimen pictures. Throughout the book there are pictures of the plants arranged in garden settings to give the gardener an idea of how these plants can be combined to create a truly magical garden.
   But don't think that DCGWS is just pictures. The written information it provides is every bit as satisfying as the pictures. It is such a complete book on the subject of succulents with respect to their background, the techniques you need to know to handle them safely, their design potential in the garden, and their use in special conditions that unless you want to become an expert on the subject you may never need to buy another book on succulents once you own it.



4. I needed ideas for dry gardening and pictures of creative approaches...this is it! A definite great read.

3 comments about Window Boxes: Indoors and Out ; 100 Projects & Planting Ideas for All Four Seasons.

1. I received this as a gift and plan to give it to friends. Not only are the writers, clear and concise, but the photographers captured the essence and beauty of every arrangement. Each window box was a delight and no season was forgotten. This is truly a favored coffee table book. book.



2. Mary Sears did a stunning job writing this quaint charmer about window boxes. A lover of window boxes myself for many years, I found this book both helpful and inspiring. Truly worth every cent.



3. I own a number of books on container gardening, and this has become one of my favorites. This book gives container planting ideas for each of the four seasons. The pictures are coffee-table-quality, but what I really like about this book is that it gives clear instructions for the planting and care of container gardens, making it a great book for beginners. More experienced gardeners will also find some inspirational ideas. Ther are clever ideas for using containers,as well as instructions for building some of your own. The plant combinations are not only beautiful, but are well within reach of easily putting together, unlike other books that show over-the-top arrangements. It also gives some soil recipes as well as a recipe for making gardener's tea. Drawing from a number of years of experience, this book is a great guide to the world of container gardening. The authors have a number of other good books out, though sadly, Dean Johnson as since passed on.

1 comments about Organic Pest & Disease Control : How to Grow a Healthy, Problem-Free Garden (Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guides) (Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guides).

1. the pictures are spectularly lifelike, making pest and disease identification easy, and the solutions are do-able and effective.