5 comments about Afterlife Of Flowers.

1. For most, the term "pressed flowers" conjures the shriveled and crumbling remains of faded prom corsages. Nothing could be more strikingly different from the pressed flora you'll encounter in THE AFTERLIFE OF FLOWERS. Creator Janie Feldman Gross invites us to a world where flowers reveal their remarkable and astonishing beauty...long after bloom. She guides us through a breathtaking collection of specimens -- most grown in her own garden -- each transformed by weight and time. Bringing her artist's eye to the task, Gross combines spectacular photographic images with her own spare and carefully placed commentary. The result is a visual ballet -- flowers partnered by prose. This is a book to be enjoyed for it uniqueness, its visual aesthetic and its underlying message; if we are patient and take the time to observe the world around us, there is unexpected beauty therein.



2. Janie Feldman Gross takes the art of flower pressing to new dimensions. Each specimen is a work of art unto itself - the colors, textures, delicately graceful lines - coupled with Janie's poetic observations, all add up to a book that is both breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring.



3. This isn't a how-to book, but the gorgeous photos do serve as a valuable guide to what some commonly found flowers will look like when pressed. The book is comprised of enlarged photos and comments, ending with an id chart of smaller photos along with each flower's common name, actual width, and the page it was featured on.

   If you like the look of pressed flowers, you might want to check out Laura Martin's Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers. Pounding an object's pigment onto fabric and paper creates beautiful and uniquely pressed flower like images. Very nice.




4. Good reference material and some philosophy about nature. Beautiful photographs show what some commonly found flowers look like when pressed. This book is includes enlarged photos, comments, and a chart with smaller photos showing each flower's common name, width and it's location in the book. 96 pages, hardcover.



5. On Martha Stewart's show Feldman Gross talks about how she shows you how she to disect flower in some Japanese way to be able to press them better. She promises many tips on how to press flowers. In fact there isn't tip one in this book. So if you want an expensive book to lie on your coffe table, you might want this. But that's all it is good for. NO TIPS on pressing flowers in this rip off.
   Book Trader Cafe that I bought it through is a good place. The book it's self was in great shape. It's Gross that mislead what it was about.

2 comments about Hardy Roses: A Practical Guide to Varieties and Techniques (Revised Edition).

1. The solid cultural information, beautiful photographs, and evocative descriptions made Hardy Roses: An Organic Guide to Growing Frost-and Disease-Resistant Varieties (c. 1991) my favorite rose book.

   Now this classic is available in a revised edition, now called Hardy Roses: A Practical Guide to Varieties and Techniques (2001). Though the sub-title has changed, the updated and expanded chapters on propagating and nurturing roses and dealing with insects and diseases remain solidly in the organic camp.

   34 new roses have been added to the heart of the book which includes descriptions and photographs of roses which have done well in the author's Canadian nursery.

   There are also two other features. There is an updated list of 200 varieties of hardy roses and also an appendix listing nurseries, rose organizations and source books (no Internet addresses, alas!)

   This book complements Jerry Olson's Growing Roses in Cold Climates. I like having both.

   Should a rose fancier who already has the first edition buy the second? There is nothing wrong with the first edition (it is less expensive and still available) but for me, I wanted those 34 new roses! I'm glad I went ahead with this purchase.




2. This is the quintessential book for rose growing in northern climates. The book offers excellent recommendations for selecting roses that are both winter hardy as well as disease tolerant for the coldest regions of the US. The first edition of "Hardy Roses" became my bible for rose selection thirteen years ago, and as a resident of Zone 3 northern Wisconsin I can vouch for the advice that it provides, both for rose selection as well as a healthy and common sense approach to rose care. The new edition expands the number of recommended varieties and is a book to reread frequently and keep forever. Don't loan it out or you may never see it again!

No comments about How To Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home Or Office: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office.

No comments about Saxifrages: The Definitive Guide to 2000 Species, Hybrids & Cultivars.

No comments about Landscaping With Antique Roses ("Fine Gardening" Books).

5 comments about Antique Roses for the South: New Edition.

1. This was a great book, full of information specifically geared toward the south. It was great to see a book full of roses that can thrive in the southern climate. Though I am a beginner at gardening, and especially antique rose gardening, I felt there was lots of information here for the experienced gardener as well. This book has been a great reference tool, as well as one that is a joy to just look at.



2. I thought the book would address more than the South Texas Area. Rather misleading title- It is difficult to find information on roses that do well in zones 6-9.Too many pages devoted to flower arranging and potpourri making.



3. The good news is that this book identifies antique roses that are not seen that often and has some very good pictures of them. There is also some interesting discussion about how some of these roses were found and identified by hobbyists. The bad news is that I was expecting a lot more information on husbandry. For example, there are only two pages in the book dedicated to growing antique roses in containers, but there are no less than 52 pages (about half the narrative of the book, discounting the rose list in the back) dedicated to indoor flower arrangements with roses, drying and preserving roses in displays, etc., which has absolutely no interest to me. I'd recommend this book as a supplemental reference on antiques, relying on other sources for care information.



4. As a horticulturist and landscape designer, I am asked to do seminars on antique and old garden roses. I always recommend this book as an additional source of information. It gives a lot of good information on propagation, care, and recommended varieties. Especially valuable is his list of roses in the back of the book with suggested landscape uses. This book won't disappoint you.



5. I do like this book on roses very much; however, Dr. Welch gave way too much attention along with way too many pages to the subjects of arranging roses and rose potpourri. When I saw this was the new edition, I hoped it did not include these two subjects and instead give us more pictures and information on additional roses. Sadly, it does not. Other than arranging roses and making potpourri, the roses and information in this book are excellent, a most very enjoyable read.

1 comments about The Evergreen Expert.

1. I was starting to get frustrated because the only books I could find on evergreens focused on trees and large shrubs. This book is not the same, it has plenty of information about evergreen perennials as well. The only draw backs are that it does not define regions where the plant may become semi-evergreen, and it lacks information on pests and diseases. But, it's a great place to start when you are looking for evergreens.

No comments about An Illustrated Guide to Growing Your Own Orchids.

3 comments about A Time to Blossom.

1. Fully capturing a sense of childhood wide-eyed wonder, Ms. Martin shares with readers now and for years to come her passion for flowers and gardening. Complementing her fine text are photographs of strikingly lovely and beautiful women and girls - a beautiful tribute to mothers and daughters to parallel Ms. Martin's desire for readers to convey their love for blossoms to their own daughters. It's a beautiful book with a beautiful message.



2. My mom bought me this book when I had my own little girl. It sat on the coffee table as a showpiece, just because its a beautiful book. What I didn't realize at first was that it reads like a novel, too. Tovah Martin is apparently writing about her own childhood experiences with her mother in the garden, and she does so with eloquence. Her stories make me want to take notes of all the flowers and trees that shaped her earliest memories. She writes about them in such a way that I want them to become a part of my own life. I am now considering buying another Tovah Martin book.



3. I loved this book.
   
   It not only contains beautiful pictures but the author's stories about her childhood and her mother's garden makes you feel you are chatting with a friend.
   
   I sent it to my daughter as I know she will enjoy it as much as I did.

No comments about Autumn Bulbs.