5 comments about A Year of Roses.

1. Good book for those who have been rose gardening or want to start...



2. Wonderful,very informative. I could hardly put this book down. I will continue to use Stephen's information each month as a reference for my rose garden. I would highly recommend this book to advanced as well as beginner rose enthusiast.



3. A month by month look at tasks and related information important to growing and enjoying roses. Scanniello, a prolific writer on the subject, includes some esoteric and often charming advice. Recommended reading for anyone wishing to add to their expertise, whatever their current level...



4. I am half way through this book. It is a delightful, helpful read about the planting and maintenance of roses throughout the year. The book has many helpful tips and fresh information that gives me confidence in having roses. In addition, each chapter includes, at the end, helpful links and suggested rose-related organizations to join and/or support. My only disappointment is that the author did not include a comprehensive list of recommended roses.



5. Well written guide to caring for roses - how to prune; graft; fertilize; steal cuttings. Written by the Brooklyn Botanical garden director. He has published some excellent guides to roses (maybe other plants too, don't remember).
   Worth having - I borrowed from library about 4 times before I bought my own well used copy.

1 comments about Orchids: Care and Cultivation.

1. "Orchids: Care and Cultivation," originally published in French, is a worthwhile addition to any orchid library, containing a wealth of information that both the beginner and hobbyist will find useful.
   
   For each type of orchid, there is a general introduction followed by sections on light, temperature, humidity and watering, feeding, repotting and compost, and propagation, that provides specific details to augment the basic information covered in earlier chapters. Text boxes are used to convey the `bottom-line' information about each orchid, and to note other related hybrids or genera.
   
   Though most of the introductory chapters are illustrated in colour, this section is replete with artistic photographs of orchid hybrids and species, mostly against black backgrounds, that highlight their intrinsic beauty and form. Each photo will leave you longing to acquire the orchid pictured.
   
   Overall, Orchids: Care and Cultivation is highly recommended for its comprehensive discussion on basic orchid care and on how to grow many of the different types, and its excellent photographs. Those looking for new challenges will also enjoy learning how to fine-tune their growing practices, and about some of the more obscure orchids described. This book should find a place on every orchidist's bookshelf.
   
   [...]

1 comments about Book of Pressed Flowers.

1. An exploration of the abundance of nature. Information on tools, material and supplies needed to make a good presentation of pressed floral design with step-by-step instructions on creating different designs to make floral collages and tips for use of collage materials. Included are photographs of the flowers she picks and the final pressed flower effect, as well as desirable wild and garden flowers to press, including moss, lichen and bark. Overall, a wonderfully illustrated, very instructive and inspirational book. 120 pages hardcover

No comments about Faux Florals for All Occasions: 35 Faux Floral Arrangements for Contemporary Living.

1 comments about Pressed Flowers.

1. A wonderful book with instructions on making a press, designing a picture, and applying pressed flowers to candles, glass, porcelain and paper. The book is full of color photos, some sketches, and contains chapters on Working with Pressed Flowers, Simple Projects, Using Thermaseal, Ideas for Christmas, Projects for Special Occasions, Working with Resin, and The Pressed Flower Garden. Includes a long list of plants that press well, with Latin and common names, a brief description of the plant or flower and pressing tips.

5 comments about Western Garden Book.

1. 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.



2. I have not come across a book that actually tells which plants would thrive in specific regions in the Bay Area. My roommate said it's the bible for gardening here in California.



3. I purchased this book as a textbook requirement for a college horitculture class. Since purchase, it has become an very valuable tool both in my class work and my personal garden planning. I would highly recommend this book regardless of your level of experience in the dirt! It may clear up some very common questions you may have!



4. I ordered 2 books, going to 2 different addresses, & they both came right on time.



5. I have relied on Sunset's Western Garden Book, in its various issues, for many years. From time to time, about every 3-4 years or so, they re-publish it. This particular issue has become my favorite "Working Bible" and I keep one copy in the house for reference and another in my garden/yard supply area. I bought this copy to give to my daughter and her husband, to introduce them to gardening in the Northwest, and to reduce the number of times I have to answer her questions by phone. Now I can simply refer her to the appropriate page of her own "Sunset Garden Book".
   
   The two or three recent re-issues of Sunset's Western Garden Book have become more "posh" and sophisticated, like coffee-table issues, not meant for nitty-gritty work in the yard.
   
   The particular volume I bought on Amazon was in incredibly perfect condition; my guess is that the original owner had never even opened it (it was inscribed as a Christmas gift from his parents!) And the price was amazing.

1 comments about Perennials for Pennsylvania (Perennials for . . .).

1. Perennials for Pennsylvania is excellent, and not just for those living in PA either. This book would be great for anyone living on the east coast or in most of the Midwest, too. Actually, even on the West Coast gardeners are now increasingly interested in perennials, and a great many of the multitude of flowering plants in this book would work in California, Oregon, or Washington State.
   This book has a lot going for it: it is extensive, covers a huge number of highly interesting and many unusual plants, it is exceptionally well-written, often very funny, too, and it is obvious that the authors know a ton about horticulture, not to mention perennials in particular. For any garden lovers who've never been exposed to Ilene Sternberg's delicious, offbeat, always fun to read prose...check this book out and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Ms. Sternberg is no ordinary garden-variety writer, and this fine book is no exception.
   Lastly, the book is packed with expertly taken photos, and the cultural tips are all first class. I have an extensive personal library of gardening books, and a good number of them just on perennials, but for perennials, this is the best of the lot of them. One last thought: for more than a decade now I've been developing my own perennial bed, always tweaking it, always looking to add something new and exciting to it...and I must say that hardy perennials do grow on you. They keep coming back each spring and pleasing you anew, and as time passes a well thought out, highly diversified perennial bed will dress up any landscape, and make you feel good just looking at it progress.
   
   Life is short...treat yourself to the best books, and do have a look at Perennials for Pennsylvania, no matter where it is you live.

1 comments about The Wild Garden.

1. The late Henry Mitchell, noted garden columnist for the Washington Post, said every gardener should own a few classic garden books and he included William Robinson's books on his short list. He frequently cited Robinson, and but for Mitchell, or Elizabeth Lawrence who referred to him from time to time, I am not sure I would have ever discovered Robinson. After all, what can an old guy writing in the last century possibly have to say that I would find useful, relevant or even interesting? Well, as it turns out quite a lot.

   Gravetye Manor is located in the southern part of England, in East Grinstead, Sussex. William Robinson once owned the estate and he built the gardens surrounding the house. He wrote several books about his work at Gravetye, including THE WILD GARDEN first published in 1870. In THE WILD GARDEN, Robinson describes how he developed a new kind of garden in the woods.

   The woods around Gravetye Manor are not the forest primeval, they are a coppice used for ages as a source of firewood, fencing, etc. That's important because most understory plants need some sunlight and the wild forest provides little light. In a coppice, filtered sunlight makes it's way to the ground. Every now and then there's an open space where a dead tree fell or was felled and the sun shines in these openings for longer periods. Generally, the coppice floor is free of debris since fallen limbs are collected for firewood. It is in this setting one can build a "wild garden."

   The wild garden is filled with interesting plants year round. In the winter, low shrubs of holly, plants of Hellebores, Winter Aconite, and creeping mosses and ferns make a showing. In spring hundreds of different bulbs spring forth. It may seem like a cliche today, but Robinson is the fellow who "invented" the bluebell dell. Before he devised his romantic bulb gardens in the woods no one thought gardens should be anywhere but in backyards--even if they were several acres of grass and trees.

   Robinson is the father of romantic gardening. His most famous pupil was the landscape garden artist Gertrude Jekyll, doyenne of the landed classes in the Edwardian period who developed her grounds at Munstead Woods based on his theory--the cottage gardener was onto something wild and wonderful. His influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic. His theories were adapted and promoted by Frederick Law Olmsted (Biltmore Estate NC), Carl Vaux (The Rambles in Central Park in NYC), Beatrix Ferrand (Dumbarton Oaks DC).

   Even though the book was written for the British gardener Robinson's approach is applicable on both sides of the Atlantic. I particularly recommend this book to anyone with a home built on a 1/4 or 1/2 acre lot in the middle of former farmland (the typical suburban dwelling). You can add trees and bushes and underplant with bulbs and other shade loving plants and you'll end up with more wildlife than ever existed when the land was used for farming.

   The plant references in THE WILD GARDEN are current, and Graham Stuart Thomas has provided an appendix of botanical revisions for those that have changed. The book contains no photos, but the engravings used for illustration are beautiful.

1 comments about Victoria Flower Style: Arrangements for Every Occasion.

1. Flower Style is the perfect book for anyone looking to create beautiful arrangements for their own home. Diane Wagner the author has laid out this book perfectly with easy to follow instructions and illustrations. This is a fun gift for anyone who loves flowers and the flower photography is amazing!!

No comments about Rosa Gallica.