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

1. This was a good book if you are going big time waterfalls. I was looking for something a little bit simpler.



2. I liked the idea pictures in this book, but ultimately the "how-to's" left me wanting for more. I didn't feel it went into enough detail of things such as, how to make the rocks look natural and how to place them on the rubber liner so they don't wash away immediately. A good idea book, though.



3. I bought this at Home Depot, which also offers a "materials" service from the same help desk in each store that will help design a deck and print out all the needed materials.
   
   This offering appears to be "best in class." I found the following extremely helpful:
   
   1) Up front discussion of the hardest part, creating a balanced ecosystem with balanced chemistry. If you do nothing else, let county water sit in a tub overnight to dissipate the cholorine, before putting it into a live environment.
   2) Complete coverage (chapter 3) on materials and equipment. This is a lot easier than most might think, but it *does* require hard work if you get much above a pre-fabricated form. Rocks are *heavy* and you need a LOT of them--three times as many as you might think.
   3) Superb photographs and drawings, checklists, and at the end, a list of water resources.
   
   I am struck by how many people seem to be turning not only to waterfalls, but to full-up water gardens. While perhaps difficult to support in drought conditions, my wife and I have had a small pond for years and now want to move up to a waterfall and 4 times larger pond, and this is the book that has made that possible.
   
   If you are discouraged or do not feel up to the challenge, I do recommend a very simple water feature, just a wash-tup and one of those spouting lion heads, or the bamboo trio. For under $100, you can get a water feature that is ready to go and plugs in, and for under $75 you can get a world class wind-chime. Add an outdoor clay fire pot with chimney, and you have the three key ingredients: water, wind, and fire.



4. I enjoyed this book; it fit my skill level which I would describe as intermediate. I have not had a pond, but I have kept a 110 gallon indoor aquarium for about twenty years. The information is laid out in an organized fashion with both color photos and b/w sketches. Describes pond design, layout, construction (with a few safety tips), plants, fish (but not detailed information for fish keeping), filters, maintenance and has many color photos.



5. This is a good, informative book if you are researching the idea of having a water feature in your yard. I'm a beginner just thinking about building a stream and pond. This book explains everything involved from the materials needed to layout and construction. I thought it was very good.

5 comments about Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts.

1. I live in Phoenix and have the opportunity of catching Dave Owens tips for gardening on Channel 3 on a weekly basis. Dave has so many tips for gardening that the only way to harness his knowledge is to purchase this book. I have come to find that these tips work not only for those of us living in the desert, but I pass them along to my Mother in Wyoming, and she has as much success as I do with them. Dave is an extremely knowledgable gardner and his book reflects that, the layout was very thought out and takes you step by step from the "what do I need", to "now I've got what I need, what do I do" stages. Bravo, Dave!



2. David Owens has written a real winner with this book! He tells us which plants will survive in our harsh desert environment and how to plant and take care of them. The book is easy to follow and I'm having good luck with all the trees and vegetables I have planted using his guidelines.

   If you thought that gardening was not an option since you moved to the desert you need this book to show you the way!




3. This is a great book for any gardening endvor using organic means. This autor knows and understands planting for an enviroment that is both beautiful and harsh. I follow his inspiring garden methods using this book and his companion book.



4. I LOVE this book. It is the best, hands down, guide to growing veggies in Arizona. So many gardening books address other parts of the country and don't apply to the Southwest. I have 5 other "Southwest" gardening books and this is the first book I refer to. It combines organic gardening with gardening in the desert. If you are a newbie to southwest gardening and only want to read one book-get this one!



5. This is the best book on gardening in the desert. It has the most specific information relative to gardening here in the Phoenix area. It will be the gardening bible in our house.

5 comments about 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die.

1. I have just finished writing the ZEN OF WATERING YOUR GARDEN. Which some may consider a "coffee table book" but it is really a challenge to the reader to get out and garden. This book of public and private gardens is filled with beautiful gardens which I think are nice to look at but untenable for any gardener to achieve. The Zen of Watering provides more practical stimulation to get out and garden with its 70 quotes juxtaposed to 145 full-color photos.



2. To cover 1001 Gardens in 960 pages is an almost impossible mission, yet Rae Spencer-Jones and his 70 contributors accomplished it.
   
   Every garden listed in "1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" follows a standard listing format of designers, owners, garden style, size, climate, location and a brief description of the garden. Some of the gardens listed have half-page size color photographs. This book is very useful for you to gain a rough idea of the gardens nearby when you visit a city, it'll let you know about the existence of a garden and help you decide whether to visit it or not. To this end, I think "1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" is successful.
   
   All the gardens are arranged by geographical locations, including North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Africa, New Zealand and Australia. I find the "Climate Classification System," "Useful Address," "Garden Directory" at the end of the book very helpful.
   
   "1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" has 960 pages and color interior photographs and is a useful quick reference for garden tour!
   
   Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA
   
   
   



3. This very thick book has beautiful pictures that inspires one to plant a garden & travel the world.



4. For garden-lovers a 1,000 page book crammed chockfull with gardens the world over is an enticing prospect - though the suggestion you must all see them before you die is a bit fanciful, and symptomatic of the depersonalized, random consumerism of today's "must-see", "must-have" and "must-do" lists. Unfortunately, the book itself is not quite what it could have been. Quantity decidedly triumphed over quality. Photographs are mostly small, often quite crude and grainy, and as often unnaturally, even luridly colored. Many hardly give an impression of a garden at all, but instead focus on detail or architecture. Descriptive entries are brief and superficial. Entries are arranged geographically, from north to south and from west to east, with remarkably confusing results. The accent is very strongly on Europe, the whole of China being despatched in less pages than the Netherlands. If you are looking for a gazetteer to guide you to interesting gardens while planning a travel itinerary, this book might just give you a useful handle. If you are looking for pleasing garden images or indepth information, look elsewhere.



5. This was a great Mother's Day gift any gardener would love. Beautiful pictures of gardens around the world.

3 comments about Greenhouse Gardening: Step by Step to Growing Success (Crowood Gardening Guides).

1. Full of very useful informations. Along with this and other greenhouse books for winter gardening, I hope to grow year round.



2. Given a Greenhouse as a present, I had no idea how to run it. After a lot of searching, I found this book and it answered all my questions. It told me my greenhouse was the perfect size for a beginner, different types of heaters and the advantages and disadvantages of each heater, for the greenhouse, the temperature that should be maintained, and even how to make containers for the plantings. I would reccomend the book very highly to any one interested in having a back yard greenhouse.



3. Not the best book that I have on the subject, or should I say, the most comprehensive. Save your money

5 comments about The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants.

1. I have read many reviews about this book, and now that I have gotten this book, I have to agree that it is packed full of information! I was not able to keep carnivorous plants alive before I read this book, and now they are bright and beautiful! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in starting a carnivorous plant collection!



2. Zeer goed boek,
   
   Het boek is zeer overzichtelijk geschreven, al de bekende en minder bekende soorten zijn in het boek beschreven.
   Maar het leukste aan het boek vind ik dat er bij elke plantengroep ook een beschrijving is over hoe je de soort het beste kan verzorgen en vermenigvuldigen.
   Ook belangrijk vind ik dat het voor mensen wiens moedertaal niet engels is zeer eenvoudig te lezen en verstaan is
   
   ik heb het boek met veel plezier gelezen!



3. This is by far the best book available for growers of carnivorous plants from beginners to advanced growers. It is full of detailed growing instructions about each species in addition to general rules for growing these plants. The pictures are great and there is a lot of essential detail about their native habitats. In addition D'Amato has included a great deal of interesting background on natural history and cultivation. In short, this book is an absolute must have for anyone interested in growing these plants and I cannot recommend it enough!



4. Whether you plan on growing these monsters or not, this is a fun book to read!
   
   Having spent a lifetime maintaining aquariums (saltwater, freshwater and reef) and reading hundreds of "how-to" books regarding the same, I compliment Peter D'Amato on his ability to instruct and entertain. Beautiful pictures, clear information, and organized presentation make this book a perfect introduction to carnivorous plants. His enthusiam is obvious and infectious! I also loved the movie references.
   
   These plants are the coolest! I can't wait to start my own blood-thirsty garden.



5. If you want to know anything about carnivorous plants this it. If anyone gives this book less than a 5-star review they should be shot(kidding). This book has the most comprehensive list of CP species and how to grow individual species than any other book I've seen. It has the soil, water, light, and climate requirements for every genus of CP, plus tips on where to grow them from a bog garden to a terrarium to a windowsill. It shows you how to grow every plant from Dionea muscipula (Venus Flytrap) to Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plant) to most of the 130 species of Drosera (Sundew). You can truly know how to grow any carnivorous plant with this book. And to make everything better the author is the amazing Peter D'Amato who has been growing CP's for nearly 40 years and runs the California Carnivores nursery since 1989 (which happens to be the largest CP shop in the U.S. and the same nursery I buy my CP's from). Thank you Peter for this amazing book. Well worth buying!!! Trust me.

5 comments about Ideas for Great Backyard Cottages (Ideas for Great).

1. This book is just a delight to sit and page thru for dreaming up ideas of your own. Page after page of beautiful cottages, quaint little retreats, and even custom doghouses. I have my own "carriage house" converted into an artist studio and just love it. There is really nothing more relaxing then building, decorating, then enjoying your own backyard cottage. If you have the yard space put the effort into building one; then get this book. Even if you don't have a backyard cottage you will enjoy the book. Hope the author will consider publishing Edition II.



2. Actually, I liked this book. It has fantastic color photos of various cottages, cabanas, potting sheds, sleeping/dining sheds, greenhouses, trellises, etc.. If you are just skimming for visual ideas for what to build in somebody's back yard or vacation property, this book is "tops".
   
   Unfortunately there were no sketches or plans accompanying the pictures. So the reader is left unsure of how to reproduce what he sees. Also, the plans available for sale in the rear of the book are fine as far as they go -- but they don't have anything available if you want a cabana, trellis, or outdoor kitchen.



3. accidently ordered 2 copies of same book
   Books were recieved by two different vendors but in ggood shape



4. An impulse purchase, but still, it gives you some ideas. Such as, "what the hell were those people thinking?" for some of the backyard cottages.



5. I'm planning a small cottage/guest house/art studio and needed help with design and interior. The book was exactly what I needed and is a big help with making decisions that will help me be able to use the building for all three things. It has a lot of pictures with landscaping ideas, thoughts on using space well, and very nice exterior
   design ideas.

5 comments about Flowers: The Complete Book of Floral Design.

1. I love the book, and there is some great advice in it but I was looking for abit more of a "how-to" type of book. The book is mostly photos of her work with a black and white section of some instructional aspects of making bouquets, etc. There is also a small encyclopedia-like section of flowers which explains some aspects to the flowers but does not include general price range. I was hoping it would be the only book I needed to buy to do my wedding flowers, but I don't think it will be.



2. This is a great book for visual pictures of different arrangements and ideas you may want to put together!! Lots of pretty pictures!



3. This book is a good tool for anyone interested in learning how to arrange flowers. It has beautiful pictures and good explanations on mechanics and how to do most of the arrangements, however, the most difficult and therefore prettier do not have much instructions, so you also need to use a little imagination.



4. I sent this to a florist friend as a gift !! It is a huge hit. They love the photos and are recreating many of the arrangements. I highly recommend this book for flower lovers and florists alike.



5. Paula, what a wonderful book! I have it on hand in my store for customers to peruse though. I would recommend this book to all who appreciate flowers, and the art of floristry.
   
   Magnolia Village Florist, Inc.
   Seattle, WA

5 comments about Plants And Landscapes For Summer-dry Climates Of The San Francisco Bay Region.

1. If I had the option I would be giving this book 4 1/2 stars instead of just 4- but there are a few minor problems that kept me from giving it a 5. The good points of the book other people have covered well- it has beautiful photographs and it has very good explanations of the bay area climate and why it presents unique gardening challenges and offers aesthetically pleasing and environmentally responsible ways of responding to those natural conditions and creating gardens that integrate well into the ecosystems around them.
   
   Another interesting thing about the book is that incorporates ideas from many different places- it was put out not by one author but by a municipal district- a fascinating idea I hope is emulated elsewhere. However while there is a positive that it has so much input from many different sources and gardening philosophies, it suffers a little bit from the too many cooks syndrome. It doesn't feature native plants exclusively, but it does feature some of them, trying to kind of incorporate the native approach with more conventional gardening. The problem is that for anyone who is interested in knowing which plants are native to California the information is presented in a very confusing fashion. A little icon of the state appears next to the general group of plants (like carex) if ONE of them listed below is native. Or more. You have to read about each entry to try and figure out which belong to which. In some cases you will figure out which one is not native by a note saying 'Native to New Zealand' in one subentry, like C. buchananii. In others, like manzanita, no information on where each comes from is given, which may be confusing to someone who is not familiar with native plants, and will know that all are native.
   
   There were also two errors I caught in the first reading- yarrow is not marked with a California symbol showing that there are native species in the state. Then there are sub-entries for Island Pink and common yarrow which don't state where they are from, so someone without prior knowledge of native plants wouldn't be able to figure that out from the rest of the text. In fact, the book is very inconsistent in stating where a plant is from. I think the final version of the book was not edited by someone familiar with native plants or they would have caught that and possibly found a clearer way of showing if a plant was native, such as putting a symbol next to the for entry Berkley sedge instead of up top with general heading of carex.
   
   So in short I would fully recommend this book to anyone who is solely interested in water-wise gardening in California and finding plants that are adapted to summer dry climates, but if you are a beginner with an interest in native plants with a few non-natives for accents, you will need another more specific book to supplement this one, as I think one would be a bit confusing. It is still a remarkable achievement and I don't mean to sound negative because I would still recommend this book- but I thought it was something potential readers should be aware of, even though it is perhaps a nit-picky thing. I think the editors bit off a fairly big chunk with this one, and overall did very well. Hopefully in future editions, these minor problems will be resolved.



2. This book is as useful as it is beautiful.
   
   The photographs are inspiring, but the sheer volume of detailed text is terrific. It's like having an encyclopedia and coffee table book, all in one. Every January I pull it off the shelf to flip through the pages and dream of spring.
   
   I find it to be less commercial than Sunset Garden--less interested in design and trend, more in water-saving and ecology--but FYI, there is a lot of overlap. While if I could only have one book for California gardening, it would be Sunset's, this one is much more fun and inspiring.



3. An indispensable guide for summer dry gardeners. Carefully researched and presented. Stunning photography by one of America's greatest garden photographers.



4. This book is a fabulous tool for California gardeners. The beautiful photographs are the primary feature, giving you an instant impression of the plants. The plants are listed by botanical name so it's also a good tool to quiz yourself on the botanical names.



5. This is one of the most helpful books I have ever purchased as a guide to what plants work best in the Mediterranean climate of many parts California. Illustrated with hundreds of color photos so that you can see what the plants look like. It also notes water requirements of each plant - I discovered I was watering plants that don't really want or need summer water.

4 comments about Grow the Best Tomatoes: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-189 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-189).

1. A very direct sudy in cultivating one of the best loved crops; tomatoes. Advice is straightforward, as are illustrations. Tomatoes are easy to grow but only after a few seasons of experience. Well, this bulletin gives you all that "experience" in a clear, straightforward manner.



2. Great little pamphlet. Quick to read, a lot of helpful information that I didn't find elsewhere in larger gardening volumes. Highly recommended.



3. I'm brand new to gardening, but this book contained very little information that I didn't already know.
   
   I was hoping for detailed information about supporting the tomatoes. My plants are a monstrous 8 feet tall and I've had problems with some of the branches breaking before I tied them. I wanted more information on how to predict which branches would break -- some are obvious to me, but some aren't, and if I tied every branch, I'd spend hours every evening on that chore alone.
   
   I also wanted to know how many branches can be trained to one stake after they outgrow the cage. Advice on thick branches growing horizontally? What should the angle be between the branches and the twine - I think the twine should be slightly overhead, but how much? I've been tying square knots because that's easy in a crowded bush -- what do experienced people do? In addition to tying branches, do I need to support the clusters of fruit themselves? (None of those have broken yet, no matter how heavy they look, so I haven't been supporting them.)
   
   These are the questions of a newbie gardener, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
   This book didn't address any of my concerns.
   
   Here's another topic I hope gets more attention in any future editions: garden hygiene. Should I prune every branch that has a leaf with a tiny spot? That's what I've been doing so far, and while my neighbors have problems with Early Blight, so far my plants seem healthy and productive.
   
   This book is no substitute for experience - it is WAY too vague.



4. I use the Storey series to help customers in my landscape design business.They are a concise and an inexpensive way to support my customers with landscape maintenance questions.

5 comments about Jerry Baker's Green Grass Magic: Tips, Tricks, and Tonics for Growing the Toe-Ticklinest Turf in Town! (Jerry Baker Good Gardening series).

1. The product arrived promptly at my door in top condition following "one click" on my computer screen... which is just a hard to beat arrangement... Thanks Amazon



2. I purchased this book for my husband after he saw this on PBS. He loves taking care of our lawn so this was right up his alley. We've had the book a year and we constantly get compliments on our lawn from all of our neighbors or guests we have over.
   
   There are a lot of neat tips and tricks you can try using household items like dish soap, spices, baking soda, etc. I forget all of the things, but my husband is always using up something or other of mine for our lawn now. Some of the formulas definitely work for us, others I'm not as sure. But either way, my husband is having a ball trying all of these "recipes".
   
   I'd recommend this book to someone looking to improve their lawn and who also likes to work on their lawn and try new things for it. Most of the tips are inexpensive and not too much time or trouble.



3. I have been looking at all the local bookstores for this book. It has been a big help for both my lawn and my garden.



4. The tonics are very helpful and easy to use. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes to tinker in their yard and enjoys the reward of agreen lush lawn.



5. I'm totally impressed. Let me first admit that I'm lazy when it comes to lawn care. This summer, my lawn finally got to the point where I was embarassed about it. Unfortunately, I thought, it was already early August and there was no way I would have a good looking yard this year. Fortunately, a friend (my buddy "Marmaduke") told me about Jerry Baker's tonics, so I bought the book and his video. Within three and a half weeks, my lawn was looking just as good as the guys who spend most of their free time working on their lawns. In particular, I used Jerry's "Drought Buster" tonic to get my grass green again.
   
   I'm very pleased with this product and believe that my yard will look totally FANTASTIC my the end of this month and even better next year!