5 comments about Jerry Baker's Old-Time Gardening Wisdom: Lessons Learned from Grandma Putt's Kitchen Cupboard, Medicine Cabinet, and Garden Shed! (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series).

1. This book, along with the other books was very informative. It answered all my questions before I started my planting. Plus, being able to use products you have at home to take care of a problem, is a definite plus.



2. I originally checked this book out at the library. Some of the stories that he relates as a young boy learning from his Grandmother are both humorous and informative. After trying a few of jerry's concoctions I decided it was one of the books that would be handy to have on hand for future reference.



3. I liked this book so much, I showed it to my mother and we bought three copies - one for her, one for me, and one for my brother! The book's title says it all - Jerry Baker really does present "Old-Time Gardening Wisdom". Specifically, he goes into many of the tricks and tips he learned from his grandmother.
   
   The book is very well-organized, and is quite comprehensive (amazingly so!). Jerry Baker starts with simple information, such as how to evaluate your soil, where to put your garden and how large to make it, and he goes on to cover a range of topics including companion planting (a process by which plants are paired in beneficial relationships), fertilizers, pest control, and tips for growing herbs, berries, nuts and flowers. He also discusses the use of "electroculture" (a process of using metal objects to electrify the garden during storms and increase the amount of nitrogen in the soil), foraging for edible items in the wild and lawn care.
   
   Really, I can't emphasize enough how useful this book is - it is absolutely one of the best books out there for gardening enthusiasts!



4. This book is full of wisdom "Grandma" never taught you or me. It a good read just for the interesting wisdom and insight to the way it used to be.



5. I love this gardening book! I looked at many gardening know-how books and this one had all the info I was looking for. It covers everything from how to prepare and test your own soil with old fashioned tricks to planning out your garden based upon whether you wanted to just eat out of your garden or preserve, pickle and can too! Great tips and info on every aspect of gardening. Practical, usable knowledge. I also loved the info on gathering & using wild herbs. You can't go wrong with the book!

5 comments about Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials: 10th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Edition.

1. the book is very informative easy to read and helps you to make wise choises for your perennial flower beds



2. I fell in love with the idea of beginning a perennial garden. The main part of it was to consist of groundcoverings as a lawn substitute. This book is lousy in that area... as a matter of fact it does not have a section that discuss, or even address groundcoverings. They are a significant part of perennials. The sample gardens were okay but I need a more thorough plan. I wanted to use the groundcovering and plant other gorgeous perennials around it.. with an emphasis on shaded areas. I instead hit the internet HARD. I was up all night sometimes researching shaded plants, preparing yard, planting and shaded garden ideas.
   
   The best resource is still the internet. It just takes a lot of patience. Oh I have a secret....instead of ordering from Jackson & Perkins and other fancy nurseries look at ebay. Yes EBAY!!!. After buying hundreds of dollars worth of vinca minor (periwinkle) plants I decided that it would cost a fortune to cover my yard. Don't forget I wanted to add Hostas, and other perennials etc. around the perimeter. When I plugged in the word "vinca minor" a lot of nurseries/stores that advertise on Ebay popped up. No they weren't necessarily biddable but to buy them was a dream. I ended buying 500 semi roots (with the root and some of the atual plant attached- fresh out the earth) for about $26.00. You heard me $26.00. I have a total different appreciation for Ebay now.
   
   Back to the book. Its okay, but I wasn't that thrilled. A better book was "Jackson & Perkins- Selecting, Growing and Combining Outstanding Perennials". Plus Borderes had it for $2.99 ( I mistakenly ended up buying 2 because I got so happy .lol) Another great book is "Gardeners Problem Solver, by Readers Digest". But the interesting thing is the book titled: "Botanica's Pocket Annuals & Perennials ---over 1000 pages & over 2000 plants listed" looked pretty much the same as Rodales.
   
   The only thing they said about vinca minor was not to plant it. This is not true. If you want a solid groundcovering that can withstand foot traffic, shaded areas, and trees with roots that grow outward then this plant is for you. Its not enough to say "don't plant". Tell the whole story, it would have taken a sentence or two. That "don't plant" groundcovering is one of the fastest and most ordered perennials. I wonder why that is... it and other "steppable" groundcovers or even an explanation of a perennial groundcovering would have been nice. SHAME ON YOU RODALES'S.
   
   Do as you wish, but beware. Enjoy your garden.



3. I purchased this for my wife. She had checked out an older edition from the public library and liked it a lot. She has been reading it at every free moment since it arrived and said it is the best book she's ever had on perennial gardening.



4. Highly recommended reference for both novice and long-time perennial gardeners! I like the alphabetical listing of plants (with pronunciation guide) and also appreciate suggestions for companion plantings.



5. I love references with great info, tips, and I love pictures. That's a big seller for me. Quality pictures with cultivar descriptions. This book delivers. It is one of my favorite perennial reference guides. I refer to it all the time. Inspirational pictures.

5 comments about Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest (Timber Press Field Guide).

1. Most horticultural books on anything "Pacific Northwest" tend to overlook the arrid eastern half of Washington state, which is a vastly different climate than the wet western side of the state. This book doesn't. As a previous reviewer noted, the maps are a GREAT and help tremendously in narrowing down the possible options when trying to ID a 5 petal yellow flower with heart-shaped leaves. That said, I did sometimes have problems with the pictures. Most are so closeup that there is no mistaking the correct identification; others aren't, making comparisons difficult. Oh, and the common name index--a huge omission. But for the most part, this is an excellent resource.



2. Mark Turner's books has become my bible for wildflower hunting in the Pacific Northwest. Not only is it jam-packed with most species, his photos are great and he offers great details for each plant. I have just about every wildflower book published for flowers throughout this region and Turner's is by far the best and first one I grab when heading out the door in search of flowers.



3. Bought this for my Daughter's birthday. Wish I had one for myself. Very useful book if a person like gardening and lives in the Pacific Northwest.



4. We bought this for our daughter who lives in Seattle. She walks often out in the wild, camera in hand, and many things in the west are different from here in Michigan. When she got this last Friday, she was thrilled. Photos are lovely and information is very helpful.



5. Our kindergarten student is interested in wildflowers. We live in the Northeast part of the State of Washington. While most wildflower books pretty much ignore us this author has taken great pains to include our area.
   
   This book is so good that our child's older brother, who is in the third grade, carries the book with him on the family's weekly hike where the entire family, including the kindergarten student, identifies flowers.
   
   The author has a website http://www.pnwflowers.com/ that has pictures (of fine quality) of all the flowers in the book. We plan to let the kindergarten student download the pictures of the flowers he has found locally, make comments about the flower and where he found it, and make his own little wildflower book of Northeast Washington. (I expect the older brother and parent may help some.) He may even start his own little wildflower garden next year.
   
   We found one flower that is supposed to only be on the west side of the state but because we have such sandy soil it is doing just fine.
   
   It is especially important, and useful, that the author is willing to answer questions submitted by email and is even available to return your phone call. The author does not have much extra time so the conversation is kept right on target but he fully answered all the questions I had.

3 comments about A Glass Act.

1. This is the most beautiful of all of my floral arrangement books. Just awesome photos. Great ideas that are easy to execute.



2. Ron Morgan is an amazing artist with flowers! I have seen him, in person, in a workshop and his talent and personality is reflected beautifully in this book. As extraordinary as these pictures are, you can see how easy it is to duplicate his work. This book is a true inspiration to anyone who would like to create extraordinary arrangements.



3. I really enjoyed this book on flowers arrangement. I'm thinking about purchasing another one by Ron Morgan.

1 comments about Table Flowers: Innovative Floral Designs for Entertaining.

1. As always, Paula Pryke leads the way with inovative and beautiful floral creations. This book contains fantastic photos and instructions on how to create the same design or how to upgrade it. Whether you are a novice or season floral designer, this book is one you will want to have in your floral library. All of her books are real treasures and great value for the money.

5 comments about Native Florida Plants, Revised Edition: Low Maintenance Landscaping and Gardening.

1. As a fairly new resident of Florida I look forward to Robert Haehle's NGA email each month, with his great advise & tips. This book is a "must have" for anyone new to tropical gardening, as well as, the Southern natives. The information & beautiful photos are especially helpful in identifying what is in my yard & what I would like to add.



2. Native Florida Plants is NOT out of print! A new, updated edition was published early this year, and includes additional plants, an updated source list, and a list of family names. Hope it appears on Amazon's website ASAP. (I am the co-author.)



3. I am the co-author of "Native Florida Plants". The new revised edition was printed in early 2004. The new book is not listed on www.amazon.com I think the problem may be the different ISBN number. The new ISBN number is 1-58979-051-0. The book is available from National Books Network at 1-800-462-6420. We hope to see our book on www.amazon.com very soon. This is a great site to get new and used books. I am a customer. Robert Haehle



4. Great book. Shows many pictures of native plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, vines, etc.
   Also talks about how they grow, best areas, etc.
   While this book will show you all the native plants in Florida, it does not touch (of course) on plants that WILL grow in Flrodai, of which would be an even bigger book.
   Still very useful & will stay on my shelf for many years.



5. While no one book is perfect, this revised edition has a lot going for it. It has interesting chapters on Florida's climate and different plant communities, e.g. seaside, interior sections, etc. Then it gives an excellen t and concise description of plants, e.g. DAHOON HOLLY (Ilex cassine)with a GOOD COLOR PHOTO. I have one in my backyard. It gives all the relevant information in a clear and concise way: height, light, bloom,etc. Habitat was extremely helpful, i.e. usually found near streams and swamps. I started making sure it got more water! It is on my shelf next to "Florida Landscaping Plants Revised Edition" by Watkins and Sheehan, and between the two, I think I can usually find some helpful information.

5 comments about The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers.

1. I found this book useful in that it was simple, straight forward guide to the most common flowers used in weddings. The first half is essentially a glossary of flowers. It provides basic information that made it easy to compare flowers: photo, meaning, colors available, when in season, and price range. The book also provides information on bouquet styles, color schemes, and flower arrangments, but I found the single flower photos most educational.
   
   This book enabled me to have an intelligent conversation with my florist and narrow down which flowers I wanted for my wedding. I even took it along with me to discuss specific flowers with my florist.
   
   I plan to lend it to all my friends for their wedding planning!



2. I bought the book used, but it looked brand new. I was pleased.



3. If you are looking for some floral tips and arrangement ideas, this book will help you with those ideas. However, if you are looking for an instructional book on how to make arrangements yourself, this book doesn't give enough information on this. (Yes, there is a small section in the book about making them yourself--but does not tell you how to make certain ones shown in the book). I would like a more informational--how-to-make boquet book. I might just have to write one myself!



4. I didn't find this book very exciting. I looked through it and there's really nothing in it that I can use. I was looking for ideas for my wedding bouquet and I really got NONE.



5. The first part of the book provides a list of favoured wedding flowers (with photos), and it gives a basic summary on their characteristics, seasonal availability and cost. The second part of the book contains a few DIY tips (not a lot) and a small gallery of centerpiece/bouquet designs, grouped by colors and themes.
   
   The information in this book can be helpful for brides-to-be who are unfamiliar with the names of flowers, or what certain flowers look like. I personally think that the design examples are quite simple and unintimidating (ie. not flashy or over the top), and thus this book will be useful for brides who are looking for inspirations along those lines.
   
   I recommend this book as a preliminary reference and it's a good start before meeting with your florist to discuss wedding flowers.

5 comments about The Art of Floral Design.

1. this was a required book for a class I took in floral design. The book covers most aspects of floral design from arranging to marketing. If you are looking to learn how to design arrange flowers this is a good reference book.



2. Used this book for a college class I was taking. I found this book to very easy to understand and helpful in making floral designs. The illustrations pictured, captured exactly what was being taught. A great book for beginners.



3. I teach floral design and use this book in my classroom. It's great. The students like it and it is very helpful for them



4. The content of the book was in good condition, but the cover of the book was split in half and not in A1 condition. I was disappointed in that.



5. The Art of Floral Design
   
   I am curently a student of floral design and i have to say that this book is my bible. It has helped me so much i love it and so do all of my friends even thoughs whom dont attend my class. They have learned so much from it i have a cupple friends that purchesed the book and next year are going to attened the class. the book is simple enough for everyone and yet difficult enough so you dont get bored if it. i love this book, if you want to learn more about floral design i strongly suggest you bye it. thanks for your time and you have my best wishes.

2 comments about Keiko's Ikebana: A Contemporary Approach to the Traditional Japanese Art of Flower Arranging.

1. This book is a pleasure to read and look at even if you don't do flower arranging. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing is clear and direct. I bought multiple copies and gave them to clients for holiday presents, and it was very well received.



2. Nice book, explains various techniques used in this flower arranging art.
   I liked the techniques of creating decorations using more than one vaze side by side and the ways they are connected with flowers.

5 comments about Armitage's Garden Perennials: A Color Encyclopedia.

1. Very disappointed. For the price I thought it would be comprehensive, but too many perennials in common usage are not included. Also, no visual distinction in writeups between description and how-to-grow, so you have to do a lot of reading to zero in on the information you want. What I like about it is that the author provides opinions as well as descriptions, the photos are very good, and the information helps you choose among perennials and among their varieties.



2. Just received Armitage's Garden Perennials. It has as many pictures as the Annuals, LOTS more text.
   
   I've spent many hours with the Annuals and I can say that had I had this book years ago I would have saved myself money and grief. It's amazing how many plants are not suited for Philly summers and are sold here nonetheless. I have thought for years I must have a genetic flaw, some disturbing lack that prevents me from growing decent dahlias. Armitage has assured me that it is not me, it is dahlias. That alone is worth the price of the book to me.
   
   So many people are discouraged and give up gardening entirely because they think they have black thumbs when really the problem is the sale of plant material unsuited their area.
   
   I work part time at an upscale nursery. Perrenials cost $15 and UP, annuals $5.00 for a 4" pot. A gardener at any level cannot afford to be without these books.
   
   Plus there are so many pretty pictures!



3. This is a nice book but not what I thought it was going to be. I am taking an online course for Perennials and this book was suggested as a suppliment to the textbook. It is a nice picture book that you can use to identify a flower.



4. Good pictures and good information. Useful as a book to show clients a picture of plants in a plan. Could use a consistent, easy to find section on the plant requirements. As a reference for designing this would help in finding appropriate plants for the project at hand.



5. I wanted a book that had a section of height and description of the flowers and how long the blooming season is and whether it did well in sun or shade. I would like to have been able to just open to the flower and find that information all in one place, but I have to read through the entire information on that particular plant to find all of this, so the book is not as useful to me as I thought it was going to be. It takes up too much of my time to find out what I want to know. I would like a better description of the books so I know more if it is what I want before I buy it.