1 comments about The Lilies.

1. You don't have to be a connoisseur of lilies to appreciate these beautiful specimens. If you are a horticulturalist or just an art lover, this new book will fascinate you. Gathering all of the plates from Pierre-Joseph Redouté's original eight volumes (published between 1802 and 1816), The Lilies is not just a book about lilies, it's also a foray into the exacting and rare art of botanical illustration.

   Redouté is widely considered one of the best botanical illustrators in history. He was not only breathtakingingly skilled at transferring the natural world onto paper, but was also devoted to improving printing technology. Amongst other advances, he introduced "stipple-engraving" to France and refined the technique of single plate color engraving. Redouté's contributions to the art of botanical illustration are unequalled and his original printed work is highly collectible. The complete set of original volumes of The Lilies is currently valued at approximately $400,000.

   For considerably less, you can have all of 486 of Redouté's lilies, beautifully reproduced on thick, creamy paper. THE LILIES, the latest in TASCHEN's historically accurate facsimile editions, is a botanical delight.

5 comments about American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.

1. In one volume, the AHS Encyclopedia manages to cover 8000 plant varieties, 4000 of them with color photos. This is by far the best way of getting a comprehensive directory of garden plants at a reasonable price. For each plant, it gives basic information such as size, color, season of bloom, cold tolerance, etc. and often considerably more information about cultural conditions, propagation, and the like.

   It is not perfect. For instance, its information on shade, water, and pH requirements is sketchy and sometimes conflicts with other sources I've consulted. But it is very good.

   In all, this is a far better deal than getting multiple volumes of the Taylor's Guides, although for those who want more information the RHS Dictionary ($800) is more complete and those who want more photos of each plant the Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix series (Random House) is richer.

   Perhaps someday soon the RHS Dictionary and the AHS Encyclopedia (which is based on the RHS Encyclopedia) will be available in CD-ROM. Until then, this paper volume has far broader coverage than any CD-ROM collection I've seen so far.




2. I love this book because it is so comprehensive and very useful for planning a new garden. Plants are grouped by season and color. Very helpful for landscaping. Shapes sizes etc are all very accessible.



3. as a l;andscape designer, this book shows not only when plants flower, their silouhette and height, but the width, which no other resource book gives. I use it for all my design classes and my students love how clear and precise everything is. Wonderful garden book.



4. This book has it all. Every tree, shrub and bush broken down by size and color of flower if it has one. Annuals and perennials are broken down the same way. Season of flowering is also given i.e. early Spring, Summer etc. Basic cultivation information is listed as well. The pictures are wonderful. I reference this book all the time and have used it to help select landscaping plants and in my garden design. I look at this book just for fun too!



5. What makes the first edition the best book of its kind is that it organizes plants by how they are used in landscaping (e.g., hedges and shrubs), then by color. So you determine what you want to do with the plants and how you want them to look, and it lists all of your choices with great color photos as well as height and width info.
   
   You'll have to buy a used copy to get the original organization model. Later editions list plants alphabetically, which is pretty much useless.

5 comments about Ortho's All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams.

1. This book is excellent for the price and with a handyman mentallity you might be able to figure our the blind spots yourself and commence your pond.



2. Great book to learn about building water gardens. Excellent resource and I would highly recommend it.



3. Gives how to, how much, where and why. Probably the best pond construction book I bought.



4. This book isnt overly long and filled with over the top water gardening items most people cant afford. The applications discussed a common and to the point. The
   
   contenet isnt bad for a beginning pond builder but you can gather most information from the book from websites online like pondmegastore or lilypons.
   
   Beginners & Novices go ahead.



5. The book was great for visualizing what we wanted and to convey that to our landscape architect. It also provided good information regarding care of a pondless waterfall.

No comments about Winter Garden Glory: How to Get the Best from Your Garden from Autumn Through to Spring.

2 comments about Hibiscus: Hardy and Tropical Plants for the Garden.

1. If you are someone wanting to read more about the history and species of Hibiscus, but don't know where to look, Barbara Perry Lawton's book is the place to go. Her book covers everything from history and breeders to native ranges and detailed explanations of more than 200 species of Hibiscus.
   This book is full of useful information for anyone wanting to learn more about growing these beautiful plants in their garden. Chapters on propagation and cultivation are included and highly informative.
   This is a great bok for the advanced gardener that would like to learn more about this interesting plant group.



2. I had hoped this book would have practical advise for beginners, and lots of pictures, and how-tos, such as how to prune, when and where, but I was disappointed, too much information and history that I did not need to know. Not much help for those with plants in containers, and those in the Northeast.

No comments about Creativity with Flowers: Sympathy: Sympathy (Creativity with Flowers).

4 comments about Orchid in Lore and Legend.

1. This book delves into the history of orchids and their rise in popularity. Some of the topics covered include the culinary uses of orchids, orchids in literature and orchid lore involving religion.

   There are several chapters covering historical aspects of several of the most popular orchid families. The final chapter gives a brief rundown of orchid culture today.

   My favorites in this book are any of the marvelous line drawings of orchid plants and flowers. There are also several color plates included.

   I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in orchid lore and legends.




2. Luigi Berliocchi Timber Press 1996 ISBN 0-88192-491-1 184 pages

   I read this booknot because I was interested in orchids but because I'm fascinated by the lore and legends of plants. It was so beautifully written and so informative that I became interested in orchids.

   I had always felt that orchids were somehow a bit "over the top". I had no idea just how "over the top" they were. By the tie I read the chapter on myths and legends I was hooked, and when I finished "Patrons and Hunters" I couldn't put the book down. Just as well because I would have missed the story about vanilla being part of the Aztecs chocolate drink, and, of course, thought to be an aphrodisiac. Montezuma was said to drink it fifty times a day, especially before visiting one of his many wives.

   The book also covers the literature and art of the orchid and the magic, medicine and religion related to it. There are also chapters on the plant, the genera and on growing orchids and a list of information and illustration sources. There are some colour photographs and, throughout the text, delicate engravings from a wide range of historical sources.

   This is a very literate book. Not a long book - the writer does not belabour any of his points, but an interesting and thought-provoking read. If you are interested in orchids or fascinated by the history and legends of plants, this is a must read.




3. I read this book not because I was interested in orchids but because I'm fascinated by the lore and legends of plants. It was so beautifully written and so informative that I became interested in orchids.

   I had always felt that orchids were somehow a bit "over the top". I had no idea just how "over the top" they were. By the tie I read the chapter on myths and legends I was hooked, and when I finished "Patrons and Hunters" I couldn't put the book down. Just as well because I would have missed the story about vanilla being part of the Aztecs chocolate drink, and, of course, thought to be an aphrodisiac. Montezuma was said to drink it fifty times a day, especially before visiting one of his many wives.

   The book also covers the literature and art of the orchid and the magic, medicine and religion related to it. There are also chapters on the plant, the genera and on growing orchids and a list of information and illustration sources. There are some colour photographs and, throughout the text, delicate engravings from a wide range of historical sources.

   This is a very literate book. Not a long book - the writer does not belabour any of his points, but an interesting and thought-provoking read. If you are interested in orchids or fascinated by the history and legends of plants, this is a must read.




4. This book is filled with historical content, I could not stop reading because the book is so interesting. I was intrigued to find out that Charles Darwin was obssesed with orchids, they don`t tell you that in history class, or that he came up with his theory of evolution when he was traveling the world on a ship called the H.M.S, looking for new species of orchids and other exotic plants.

1 comments about The Potting Shed (Smith & Hawken).

1. After having read this book, I had no more idea on how to build a shed than I did before I had read it. However, I did now know what should be included in a shed. It would appear, that as a garden, the shed is as individualized as ones dreams. This book is a look into others dreams of perfection. It allowed me to peak into others imaginations just long enough to glimpse the very special places people go to be alone and create

No comments about Complete Guide to Roses (Miracle Gro).

1 comments about The Victorian Flower Oracle Deck: Based on JJ Grandville's "Flowers Personified".

1. "...Grandville...creates atmospheres of elegance and tranquility but also, in some cards, a sense of oddity and the bizarre that can be quite entrancing. He is an acute and witty social commentator. Few books are available nowadays on Grandville, and original prints of his work are scarce and expensive. One hope we have for this oracle is that it will bring this wonderful artist to a wider public." - From the companion book
   
   From porcelain to wall coverings, engravings to clothing, flowers adorned the world of Victoriana. Not only was growing and arranging beautiful flowers a hallmark of the sophisticated woman, but also the ability to decode the meaning of flowers. With the popularity of Florigraphy, a complex of system of assigning meaning to various flowers, sending and giving bouquets were a form of communicating messages.
   
   A sprig of mint among a bouquet would mean "I find you refreshing", while dark pink roses signified gratitude. By combining various flowers--even arranging them bent to the left or right--givers and receivers participated in a secret language...the Language of Flowers.
   
   In 1847, former social satirist turned book illustrator, artist JJ Grandville published Les Fleurs Animees in Paris. An English edition appeared in New York City later that year entitled The Flowers Personified. Of all his work, Grandville considered his floral engravings his favorite work, and they form the basis for the Victorian Flower Oracle.
   
   Comprised of quiet hues and delicate illustrations upon a creamy background, The Victorian Flower Oracle covers a surprisingly wide range of human emotion and predicaments: from sorrow to sympathy, vanity to hope, shyness to revenge. Also personified are states like faith, wishful thinking, prosperity, competition, purity of motives, and prickly situations. For example, the Water Lily card depicts Faith/Piety as a nun enshrouded with lush green leaves as her habit, while Hawthorn, representing "A Necesasry Evil", shows two young women as hawthorn trees shrinking back in horror as a pair of pruning shears assails them. Because of this range, this 40-card deck can make an accessible--yet pointed--oracle.
   
   Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov of baba studio in Prague designed the Victorian Flower Oracle--the same creative team that birthed The Victorian Romantic Tarot, The Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot, and The Tarot of Prague. Sheila Hamilton wrote the poetic, exquisitely fascinating 132-page companion book, which provides extensive information on each flower--including Latin names, historical and literary references, and Victorian usage.
   
   Ms. Hamilton also supplies keywords and phrases for each card, as well as thorough interpretive possibilities, sample readings and spreads. In fact, there are three original spreads created expressly for The Victorian Flower Oracle: the 3-card Nosegay Spread, the 5-card Posy Spread, and the 7-card Bouquet spread.
   
   Now, if all this sounds a bit too girly and fluffy to you, let me assure you that this tomboy--who has no experience (or interest) in gardening--found the companion book to be utterly engaging. Not for one moment was I bored discovering why Ophelia strewn pansies in the water before drowning herself (the pansy was a symbol of "vain love") or that crystallized violets were the epitome of Victorian cake and dessert decorations.
   
   Another interesting tidbit I learned: my favorite band is the prog-rock Canadian trio Rush. They have a song called The Temple of Syrinx, and although I didn't know what Syrinx meant, I never took the time to look it up. Thanks to Ms. Hamilton, I found out that the botanical name for lilac is Syringa, which derives from the Greek word "syrinx"--meaning "pipe" or "flute". Apparently, Syrinx was a nymph who transformed herself into a reed to hide from Pan. Pan then turned this reed into the first flute, delighting all with the music.
   
   Each card depicts a flower personified--often quite amusingly--along with the name of the flower and a keyword or phrase. Here are but a few cards from The Victorian Flower Oracle:
   
   * Flax - Skills, Crafts
   * Violet - Shelter, Retreat
   * Daisy - Family Matters
   * Rose - An Influential Person
   * Cornflower and Poppy - An Admirer
   * Hemlock - Treachery, Deception
   * Lilac - A Message
   * Dahlia - Choices
   * Opium Poppy - Dreams, Illusions
   * Pomegranate Flower - Joy
   
   The cards measure approximately 5 x 3 inches and the reversible backings feature muted graphite-colored background with attractive golden scrollwork (yes, it shines!) in the fore.
   
   I've used The Victorian Flower Oracle several times and found it to be surprisingly insightful. Surprising, because I honestly didn't expect much from it. I wasn't attracted to the artwork at first glance, but Grandville's wit and whimsy--brought to life by Ms Hamilton's prose and the art design of baba studio--was transformed into an unusual, unique, and clever oracle.
   
   If flowers and all things Victorian enthrall you, The Victorian Flower Oracle will be sure to please. But should you not be into "girly" things (but still appreciate the sight, smell, and colorful history of flowers), you may be pleasantly surprised that an innocuous sounding deck can deliver such sharp counsel and penetrating observations about the human condition.
   
   (To see 10 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)
   
   Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)