No comments about Growing Bulbs: The Complete Practical Guide.

No comments about The Crocus: A Revision of the Genus Crocus (Iridaceae).

No comments about Taylor's Guide to Water-Saving Gardening: A Sourcebook for Gardeners, Fully Illustrated with 324 Color Photographs (Taylor's Gardening Guides).

No comments about Jerry Baker's Flower Garden Problem Solver: 786 Fast Fixes for Your Favorite Flowers (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series).

2 comments about Rare Orchids.

1. I purchased this book for fathers day and could not be happier. Chock full of gorgeous blooms in vivid color, professionally photographed. Fear not you will be pleased.



2. This would be a good coffee table book. Most of the orchids highlighted are fairly common to orchid growers. This would be a good book for someone who is not familier with orchids. It is over priced for the information that it contains. I would suggest waiting until it shows up on a discount table. I would not invest any money for this book.

5 comments about Wreaths: Creative Ideas for the Year Round.

1. Richard Kollath's Book on Wreaths is very easy to follow and his work is very beautiful. I have looked at numerous books and have found Kollath's Book to be easy to understand and lightweight to carry around for references. It's a Book reference that the reader can say "I can do it" and make creations to beautify their home or gifts for friends. I found that the "Wreaths " book expanded my own creativity and imagination. I like the way it is easy to read and the floral craft pieces are beautiful as well as stunning. Richard Kollath's book has been an inspiration and only added to my own creative pieces of work.



2. Richard Kollath's Book on Wreaths is very easy to follow and his work is very beautiful. I have looked at numerous books and have found Kollath's Book to be easy to understand and lightweight to carry around for references. It's a Book reference that the reader can say "I can do it" and make creations to beautify their home or gifts for friends. I found that the "Wreaths " book expanded my own creativity and imagination. I like the way it is easy to read and the floral craft pieces are beautiful as well as stunning. Richard Kollath's book has been an inspiration and only added to my own creative pieces of work.



3. As the subtitle implies, this is an idea book. The wreaths are beautiful and the instructions simple. The focus is not only on giving guidelines for preparing the flowers and making the wreaths, but on sharing the elements of design necessary for striking out on your own.

   Mr. Kollath steers you through preparing your work space and choosing your tools as only someone who has made many wreaths could do. Instructions are given for air drying and silica preservation of flowers. There are also some wreaths made with fresh flowers.

   This is a book for those who want to use what they grow and find. There are even instructions on making your own grapevine wreaths, which Mr. Kollath admits is one of his favorite things to do.

   There are some pretty unusual ideas in this book, like making a baby's wreath with building blocks, and using small wreaths for package toppers.

   Whatever your color scheme or design theme, there is sure to be a gorgeous full color photo of one of Mr. Kollath's wreaths to spur you on.




4. I ordered this book looking for some new ideas for making different and exciting wreaths and this book gave me exactly what I was looking for in every aspect. Plus it gave me ideas to build on and my imagination ran wild with creativity. I love it when that happens. It is an excellent book and I'm very glad I purchased it. The author did an excellent job of presenting the material and the photography is beautiful. Thanks for a great book Kudos to you.
   Sincerely,
   Deborah L. Loisel



5. I was very disappointed with this wreath book. It was nothing but an old book with a new cover. False advertising as I thought the wreath designs would resemble the cover. Not so. Just goes to show the old saying "Never judge a book by its cover is true!"

5 comments about Gardening with Hardy Geraniums.

1. Plenty of gardeners associate geraniums with potted plants which have a long flowering period: Gardening With Hardy Geraniums shows there's many more varieties available - over 400 in all - which are good garden cultivars. Over 400 photos cover the characteristics which distinguish them, from color to flower shape, while accompany summaries cover height, propagation, season, and background history. Avid gardeners with a passion for geraniums will relish Gardening With Hardy Geraniums as in-depth survey of geranium varieties. Timber Press is a premier publisher of books for gardening and landscaping. Send for their free catalog for a complete listing of their superb titles.



2. I already owned the well-known books on hardy geraniums by Trevor Bath / Joy Jones and Peter Yeo when this new book was published, so at first I hesitated a little before buying yet another book about this increasingly popular garden plant. I have not regretted buying it. I would't want to be without the other two books but the newcomer has a lot to offer: You will find many new cultivars that were unknown to the other authors; it's interesting to compare the experiences of someone gardening in Denmark, where climatic conditions are tougher, to those of English gardeners; there is a fascinating chapter on a leading Dutch breeder of geraniums; you'll find excellent chapters on cultivation and propagation, illustrated with useful pictures; there are 450 brilliant photographs, among them close-ups of flowers and leaves, so you can compare them handily, but also of whole plants and borders, so you get the "micro-perspective" as well as the "macro-perspective"; and, last not least, the author shows real passion when writing, very competently and wittily, about gardening with geraniums. If you are looking for a systematic and scientific monograph about cranesbills, you are better served with Peter Yeo's standard work (2nd edition), but if you are gardening and as crazy about geraniums as I am - then you can't do without this book!



3. In my garden planning, I keep running across stunning and adorable hardy geraniums. I got this book on a lark, and based on previous reviews, to get a little more information such as "will these actually look as nice in MY garden" and "are they as hardy as advertised"... I have read this book cover to cover since I got it a few days ago--the author is outstanding, showing a true passion for gardening and gardening using geraniums. She is entertaining and explains each of the variations/hybrids simply and thoroughly. This is the first gardening book I have read and finally "gotten" the latin names, understanding the characteristics of each of 'these' parents produces offspring having 'those' features. I know that's not a hard concept, but sorting through garden catalogs, garden stores, etc. I guess I'd get jaded and set my planning aside for a while. Birgitte explains the features of each kind of geranium and their best uses and placement (will this one work in a rock garden or only woodland settings?), as well as having a great photo of most every flower and some of their leaves to show the many variations and combinations. Many of the plants I have seen just recently on-line are included in this book, which made me pretty happy. I learned that Geranium 'Anne Folkard' may not survive a cold, damp winter unless I take extra care and shelter it a little, and G. pratense Midnight Reiter may not grow as fast as I would have liked it too to fill in the area where I wanted to place it.
   
   After reading "Gardening with Hardy Geraniums", I am taking this book with me to the garden stores, with my slightly revised list, so if I see something else that calls out to me, I can look it up and know a heckova lot more than on the little plant tag. I wish more plant-specific books were more like this one--really interesting and informative without being just a list of plants with the same information on the plant tags.



4. Fabulous book . . . beautiful pictures, good practical advice on growing and maintaining various cultivars of hardy geraniums.



5. Absolutely fantastic book! It's beautifully illustrated and very informative. The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition. It's hard to believe it's used and not new. Very helpful in identifying and classifying plants, both by their leaves and by the flowers, especially when the accompanying tag disappears after the plant has sat in the garden for a while!

2 comments about Flowers (Cube Books).

1. This cube-shaped book has more beautiful photos of flowers from around the world than books two or three times as big and twice or three times the cost. I pick it up and start anywhere and am immediately captured by the intensity and artistry of the images. I've been giving it as birthday gifts and people love it.



2. This small book has the most comprehensive photographs of flowers I have ever seen. Every page is a joy to open to . Colorful and breathtakingly beautiful.

2 comments about Geraniums and Pelargoniums.

1. Both geraniums and pelargoniums belong to the family "Geraniaceae," of which there are 750 species (and thousands of cultivars) scattered over most of the world. Geraniums are the hardy plants that grow in the wild. Pelargoniums, however, are the plants most of us think of when we think "geranium" -- the colorful flowering houseplants on our windowsills and the lovely scented varieties growing in our kitchens.

   The book begins with the characteristics of geraniums. Often called "Cranesbills," geraniums are hardy perennials (zones 4-8) found in mountainous areas, meadows, marshes and near woodlands. Their flowers have five petals, are symmetrical and are relatively small; their foliage varies by shape and color. Size ranges from the taller Meadow and Dusky Cranesbills to the shorter Sanguineums and Wood Geraniums. They make superb ground cover plants with many types able to grow in full sun as well partial shade; they propagate by seed and can become invasive.

   Most pelargoniums, on the other hand, are from South Africa and have been cultivated since the 17th century, initially as garden flowers and later as house or conservatory plants. All pelargoniums have a recognizable scent, they have tiny hairs on their stems, their flowers are asymmetrical, they can be propagated by cuttings and most are not cold-hardy and will not survive winters above zone 9.

   While there is an abundance of information about geraniums in this book, the main emphasis is on the pelargoniums. There are a seven basic forms: Ivies (sprawling habit with ivy-shaped leaves); Scented types (which can either be upright or trailing); Zonals (named for the bands or "zones" of color on their leaves); Highfields (compact plants with lush flower clusters); Stellars, Startels and Cacti (with star-shaped petals); Regals (beautiful, showy plants with large flowers); and Butes (Single and Double Dwarfs, Miniatures, Micro-Miniatures, Angels and Deacons). Angels are miniatures with Regal-type flowers; Deacons are miniatures crossed with Ivies.

   Also included are very short chapters on cultivation, propagation, dealing with pests (although nothing about the mealy bugs that plagued my plants last summer) and treating diseases. A list of 175 species and cultivars is provided with Latin and common names along with a very complete index and a list of world-wide suppliers (with web.addresses!)

   This is definitely the book to buy if you want to know more about the various types of geraniums and pelargoniums but it is not a how-to book on cultivation nor is it an indepth guide to all geraniums and pelargoniums. It is beautifully illustrated, however, and I learned a great deal about these wonderful plants from reading this book. My favorite pelargoniums are the scented varieties and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more information about them and only a short list of 19 different types (there are well over 200 varieties). I had never heard of the enchanting Rosebuds, Stellars and Deacons before reading this book, however, which more than made up for this.




2. For anyone wanting to learn more on Geraniums, Pelargoniums, or both, this book is for you. This is not a book for the beginner gardener, but logically grouped together for the advanced gardener or one on the way.
   John Feltwell has put together this book in order to help anyone who wants to choose, grow and design with these lovely plants. He gives in-depth descriptions of over 300 different types and has more than 250 colorful photos that add to the beauty of this book. You won't find step by step photos in this book, but plenty of others that show the how-to shots.
   Feltwell's book can be useful in discovering these wonderful plants all while creating your garden into a colorful display of fragrance and beauty

1 comments about Annuals, Perennials, & Bulbs.

1. Lifelong gardener Anne Halpin draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs: Designing, Planting, Maintaining to offer the home gardener and landscaper a detailed guide to creating beds and borders that will showcase these garden plants to their best advantage. Halpin provides 40 step-by-step photo sequences taking the aspiring gardening through essential gardening tasks, as well as in-depth profiles of 125 favorite garden planes, enhanced with 600 color photographs (many of them clearly illustrating essential gardening techniques) and more than 50 watercolor illustrations. Very highly recommended for novice gardeners, and with much of value for experienced horticulturalists and landscapers, Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs will aptly serve as a continuing reference for the complex task of plant placement and selection.