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.

3 comments about Plant Form: An Illustrated Guide to Flowering Plant Morphology.

1. Dear Auther, I'm a Botanist in Egypt and I wanna buy your last edition of this book published by Oxford University Press but ther's nothing about its price or way to buy. magdy_gado@yahoo.com



2. "This book is intended [to provide an] attractive and workable compendium of flowering plant morphology ..." [quote from cover]. It certainly does this; in 341 pages richly illustrated with captivating color photographs and exquisite line drawings. An academic yet attractive overview of the immense variety of form that has evolved in Angiosperms.

   First published in 1991, reprinted in 1993 (with corrections), reprinted 1998. This last edition, compared to the 1991 original, is printed on slightly yellower paper and is a little more 'black' in print, taking away something from the beauty of the photographs and the crispness of the printed text.




3. Plant Form has been out of print for a long time, so I was excited to see it released as a new edition (2008). I have been wanting to get a copy of this book for a while, and was thoroughly impressed when I finally got my hands on the new edition.
   
   Why have I been wanting to get a copy of this book for so long?
   
   First; this book is unique in its approach describing flowering plant morphology (ie. comparative anatomy) according to the "big picture." This book does not include the typical cellular structures and details typical of so many college textbooks on morphology. Instead, one is immersed in the vegetative characters one finds when actually walking up to a plant. This book focuses from the perspective of a hand lens all the way up to tree architecture. Plant Form is as required for to those interested in plant systematics as for those in plant ecology.
   
   Second; the plants used for examples in this book are exceptional. This book is not a dry catergorization of plant parts; stems, leaves, ... No, this book includes examples of curiosities and odd-balls from all across the botanical world, which really serves to elucidate the subtleties of plant morphology. Many of these fascinating topics I have found only in specialized courses on tropical plant morphology, all of which lacked textbooks.
   
   Third; Plant Form, while potentially useful for a specialized course in botany, is interesting to everyone. Literally, everyone. No formal or technical knowledge is necessary; no small feat as the science of botany is famous for its vast lexicon based on Latin and Greek. What really makes this book so interesting is its great drawings and photographs which immediately draws one into the diverse world of plants. Plant Form is one of the best coffee-table books around.
   
   Case in point, it does't matter whether you are a professional botanist, amateur naturalist, avid gardener, or an artist who likes painting plants. You will love this book.
   But if you are a professional or budding botanist, you need to get a copy.
   
   As for problems with Plant Form, the only problem I have noticed is the omission of family names for the species mentioned in the text (family names are in the index). But this is really a trifling problem, barely worth mentioning. Great Book.

2 comments about Fire Outdoors: Fireplaces, Fire Pits, Wood Fired Ovens & Cook Centers.

1. If you are looking for inspiration before you start creating your backyard dream, this book is it! Lots of great photos that will give you ideas of what can work in your outdoor space. Fireplaces, wood-burning ovens,outdoor kitchens and much more.



2. Lots of pictures, but none of which are very useful ... kind of "plane Jane" to be politically incorrect. I was hoping to see more creative designs.

2 comments about Complete Patio (Complete...).

1. I like this book because it has it all. If you want to make a quick patio by laying some flagstones directly into soil and letting plants grow in between them, here is everything you need to know to design it, get the materials, and put it in next weekend. If you are thinking of something elaborate, like pouring a concrete slab, cutting flagstones and embedding them in mortar on it, again, this is a great guide. In between, there is a whole range of possibilities from a round brick accent patio to tuck in the corner of your yard and set a table and chairs on, to detailed instructions for doing the traditional dry-laid stone method on base aggregate with various edgings.
   
   Besides building patios, they have ways to spruce up old concrete slabs like staining them to make them spanking new and pretty, and treatments to make your flagstones last longer and easier to clean. All of this is shown with great, clear color photographs that make it fun to think about all the different possibilities for making your back or front yard more useable. This is a keeper.



2. Excellent book for refurbishing an existing patio or installing a new one. It features good, clear instructions with plenty of illustrations. I was able to get more landscaping ideas from this book than some of my so-called "idea" books. The suggested materials are readily available, in California at least, and there is good analysis of the pros and cons of each type.

5 comments about Field Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes of the Northern United States.

1. great drawings depicting mst abundant species although they just go to descriptions for the more rare species.
   
   good price, good on grasses less on sedges and rushs.



2. Decent book, the sketches are very helpful for attempting to key out species.



3. I am a professional ecologist and spend at least 100 days a year in the field characterizing vegetation communities and plant species. It is difficult to tell which part of the country this book would be best suited for, as it would be considered incomplete in the areas I have used it in (Northern and Southern Rockies, Black Hills, Intermountain West and Northern Great Plains). I found it's treatment of rushes especially wanting. This book has made it to the field with me only a few times and was seldom used then. The most redeeming quality of this book is it's size, which can easily fit into a back pocket, but when it's taken out you will probably not be able to key the more difficult and uncommon graminiods found in the U.S.



4. This book is suitable for a first introduction to the grasses and their relatives, but nothing more. The other reviewers here are correct when they say that the book is of limited use for serious work, but then I have those books too, and they're about 900 pages long and weigh many pounds, and don't travel well. The treatment of carex or the sedges is limited as people have said, but carex has many species and a small book like this just isn't going to cut it, but as I said, professional level graminology books are going to weigh even more than your usual taxonomic book because just the grass family itself has about 14,000 species.
   
   The illustrations are well done, though, and there is some knowledge to be gleaned from the book. But use it as a stepping stone to other more advanced works on the grasses. The four volume work by the Smithsonian on the grasses of America is one of the big, weighty one that I was referring to, and that's worth acquiring if you're serious. These are large format volumes and very heavy, so the problem there is that they don't travel well.
   
   For helping you learn about the grasses, I would recommend you buy Agnes Chases's wonderful little book, A First Book of Grasses, to learn about them first. She takes a conceptual, top-down approach, teaching you the basic concepts of grass structure on which the keys are ultimately based, and after that, you can start using the keys with much more confidence. For example, starting from the premise that the grass spikelet is a reduced, leafy, flowering branch, she leads you from the most basic spikelets, such as those in Festuca, to the most modified or complex ones that show the greatest deviation from the basic spikelet plan. After reading her book through several times, I found I could identify many grasses to the genus level just by eyeballing them, and then I could drill down to the species from there.
   
   The bottom line is that becoming a good field graminologist is just something that takes special study and effort. I learned to be able to key out just about anything in the group in about a month of intensive study of the books, plus several hours a day working in the field. And by "the field," I mean the sand lots near my house, and several local parks, and people's front yards. The nice thing about the grasses is that even an apparently dull, boring sand lot devoid of pretty flowers or trees can provide you with hours of fun trying to identify the grasses. It can be learned but it's something you'll probably need to allot some separate time to from the rest of your work and/or studies, but you can get a significant leg up on the topic just working around your own neighborhood.



5. The book is perhaps of historical interest and contains some adequate illustrations that may help you recoginize some genera. It is, however, fairly useless for identification to the species level.

5 comments about Merry Hall (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 1).

1. I first read Merry Hall over 30 years ago, and having recently re-read it I was impressed by how much an impression it had made on me. Many a time I have unknowingly quoted from the work, thinking the quote apocryphal!

   You must read for yourself how to deal with an overgrown holly hedge, and how to plant hundreds of trees without buying them, and what berberis can do for you, and why you should cultivate periwinkle...

   I'm sure you'll be delighted with the finely drawn sketches of the real people populating the story: the characters of gardeners, society ladies, and men who work for the government in a clearly covert and somewhat sinister capacity. You'll enjoy the cats, the lilies, and how to create an English country garden from a neglected and ill directed site.

   The gentle humor reflects the gentler times before the horrors of World War 2 brought violence, destruction, and death into the hearts and homes of most of Britain.

   This book is a keeper!




2. Just as Trollope passed the literary torch to Angela Thirkell, so did E. F. Benson pass his to this good fellow! Mr. Nichols' trilogy about Merry Hall is so entertaining, even though at times he comes across as a bit "twee". As you get to know him and his neighbors through the books, you come to realize that yes, some things are more important in your own blinkered surroundings than in the big wide world. I would recommend these books to anyone who loves gardening (on a grand scale), gossip, and the minutiae of life.



3. The first volume of a trilogy about the author's time at Merry Hall, this book is more humorous garden writing than strict autobiography. We know (primarily from the dust jacket) that Beverley Nichols was a widely-travelled journalist and prolific author, but aside from the occasional mention that he needs to keep working (hard) to pay the (very high) bills, Nichols doesn't mention his life outside of Merry Hall or, more specifically, its garden.
   
   The book begins after WWII, when Mr. Nichols returns from "a job" in India to a ravaged London and develops an overwhelming urge to move to the country and get back to nature in the form of a hopefully large and preferably derelict garden that he can "rescue". After a daunting (and amusingly described) search he miraculously finds what he considers to be a dream property - a Georgian manor house on 5 acres of truly hideous landscaping.
   
   With wry wit Nichols tells the story of acquiring the property against the better judgement of friends, and of what is involved in making a run-down manor house habitable, and in dismantling, re-ordering and re-planting 5 acres of gardens. Along the way we meet Oldfield, the very talented but taciturn and somewhat difficult gardener; Gaskin, the long-standing and nearly superhuman manservant; Miss Emily and Our Rose, nosy and perpetually disapproving neighbors; and the beloved cats One and Four.
   
   Although avid gardeners will no doubt love this book as they mentally compare notes with the author, one need not have ever dirtied one's hands with compost to enjoy reading it. The narrative meanders like a leisurely stroll in the garden, and Mr. Nichols' faith in the therapeutic powers of gardening is reminiscent of that in The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett). The author's fond and poetic descriptions of the various aspects of his garden, intermingled with his sharp social observations and dry British humor make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I have already ordered the other two books in the trilogy.
   
   An additional note: this is a facsimile of the original 1951 edition; it contains lovely line drawings throughout, and is printed on the nicest paper I have encountered in a long time.



4. I want to give my honest opinion of this book. I have never read anything else by this author. While it was entertaining, I found it to get just a little more drawn out than I would have liked. I also did not like his viewpoints on some of the different plants. I guess you just need to take it in stride, but when he characterizes some of your favorite plants as nuisances (or more), etc. it is a little irritating. I did enjoy it, but I don't think I'll read him again. I wanted to give this review, since everyone seems to have LOVED this book but me.



5. One of the book catalogs that I occasionally get in the mail has been singing the praises of the late Beverley Nichols. Besides writing mystery novels, he also wrote about his adventures in renovating and resurrecting a home in the suburbs of London just after WWII. First published as a collection of magazine columns, he would later on assemble them into a trilogy of books.
   
   The first of the trilogy, Merry Hall details his search, at times frustrating, for the perfect house and garden. Very soon he became aware of what land agents (realtors for us Yanks) really meant in their ads, and he started to see his hopes plummet as his hopes were continually dashed. But one listing caught his eye, and with a good friend, he took the journey out of London to look the place over.
   
   The estate, spreading over five acres are a compendium of every gardening mistake. Ghastly ornaments litter the grounds -- the previous owner was very fond of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). And the house, a lovely Georgian mansion, isn't much better. While it hasn't fallen down yet, there are 'additions' that are ugly and inappropriate, and decorating choices of colours that can be best left to the imagination. Not to mention the holly hedges, a stagnant stinking pond of unimaginable depths, and dire warnings from his friend that Nichols is about to step into a money pit that will sap his life and savings.
   
   Undeterred by such gloomy words, Nichols falls head over heels in love with his find, especially when he discovers the kitchen garden. Not only is it beautifully kept, but along one wall is a collection of exquisite lilies. Soon, he discovers why there is such order in the midst of such chaos. For along with the house and land comes Oldfield, an ancient gardener of superb talents. Smitten, Nichols signs for the house on the spot, and soon starts on that most dreaded adventure that most home owners endure -- renovations.
   
   With his 'valet,' Gaskin, and two cats, 'One' and 'Four' Nichols moves into Merry Hall, and starts the work with a great deal of gusto, and soon finds out that in his own little Eden, there's a few problems. For one, there are the neighbors, Miss Emily and Our Rose, forever scheming to get something out his prized gardens. And Oldfield, is quite another problem altogether. There are towering elm trees and their suckers, the dratted holly hedge (the solution to that one is not one that I would recommend!), and the question of what would you do if you could dream -- and dream big?
   
   I loved reading this book. I found myself entranced with Nichols writing about everyday life, the perils and delights of gardening, and living with cats. At times I was helplessly laughing at Nichols' searing wit and lofty views on post-War taste in Britain. He, quite frankly, doesn't give a hoot as to what people will think of him (save Oldfield, for very sensible reasons).
   
   Where this story shines, however, is not just in the language and Nichols' skills at writing. It's in his loving, vivid descriptions of flowers and plants, and I found my mouth watering, and desperate looks out at my own wilderness, wondering Could I do it too? The antics of his cats had me in nodding agreement, and plucking at my partner's sleeve and crying out, Listen to this --!
   
   Along with Nichols' wonderful prose, there are illustrations by William McLaren in black and white, along with several photographs of Beverley Nichols (including one with 'Four' in his arms). For this new edition, there is also a forward by Ann Lovejoy and an index of all of the plants by Roy C. Dicks. The book itself is a facsimile of the original edition published by Jonathan Cape in 1951. This new edition, only available in hardbound, is published by Timber Press books, and they can be reached at [...] for more reprints of Beverley Nichols books.
   
   In short, this is a book to delight any gardener, bibliophile or cat lover's soul. It's funny, at times sorrowful (I cried over 'Two' and 'Three's stories), and came away with a wistful hope that one day too, I would have a wee garden of my own. If you can't purchase this, do try to get your hands on this one at your local library. It is simply too good to miss.
   
   Five stars overall, recommended.

5 comments about Ortho's All About Creating Japanese Gardens (Ortho's All About Gardening).

1. This book is one of the best I ever buy about gardening and landscaping. The pictures alone worth the price.
   They gives details to build your garden, makes pounds and falls and it seems so easy that I am starting my own right now.

   They also list the kind of trees and plants to uses.

   Buy this book with confidence.




2. I got this book from the library and was pleasantly surprised at the details and useful, practical advice on conceiving and executing a japanese garden. The book contains detailed instructions on how to lay out, build, select plans for, and maintain a Japanese-inspired garden. It talks about rocks, rock gardening, ponds, water plants and fish, paths, stepping stones, gates, and plants and plant selections. I found it really helpful in getting ideas to give to our landscape architect. I would recommend this book for anyone that is going to actually build (rather than just enjoy looking at pictures of) a japanese garden.



3. I've always wanted to have a Japanese Garden but never got around to doing it. I picked up this book at the library and, WOW, it has really inspired me! Not only am I now drafting up plans to turn a corner of my yard into a Japanese Garden but I showed it to a neighbor and he's thinking of making his backyard into something like the courtyard garden on page 20. I'll probably get a library of books on Japanese Gardening but this book will be the first one I'll buy.



4. The book is easy to read and explains the whole concept of Japanese gardening. I learned with it and will be using it to plan my Japanese garden. Very pleased customer!



5. I bought serveral books about creating Japanese gardens. This book by far the best one that I had. I built a Japanese style Rock Garden so I don't have to mow my lawn. My back yard is built based on some of the pictures and tips I read from this book. The fun part is that you put in your hard work and built the garden you wanted which pays off when your guests give you thumb up. I spent about $5000 on the materials and hours of my own labor on the project. Now I can spent my weekend golfing instead of mowing my lawn. Ouch! My back still hurting from all the hardwork.

2 comments about Flowering Plant Families of the World.

1. The predecessor of this book, Flowering Plants of the World, was a well-known reference for decades to many who love plants. There is a strong sense of continuity between these two books, if for no other reason that both use the same illustrations. In fact the continuity goes further and also involves much of the contents, as evidenced by the error of zebrawood being supplied by a species of Connarus, a myth that was debunked in the 1940's.
   
   Where the earlier book was based on the Cronquist system, with the plant families arranged by order, this book is (loosely) based on APG II (2003), with the plant families arranged by alphabet. As to recognition of families, this book adopts a splitter's philosophy, recognizing 506 families (versus 457 in APG II). The book recognizes families such as Bombacaceae, Cneoraceae, Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae. The classification in this book will not be found in any other reference, but this splitter's policy may help the book retain its value in these times of constant change in plant classification.



2. This is an impressive, dense, fact-filled book with wonderful illustrations and distribution maps. It is as useful for plant biologists as it is for anyone else, whether you are interested in evolutionary relationships of plants, or just simply wondering where certain foods come from. Citations are acknowledged along with each family description for quick reference to the primary literature.

5 comments about How to Build Treehouses, Huts and Forts.

1. Please don't buy this book unless you are comfortable reading vague plans and are an experienced carpenter. For all the other "Weekenders" like me who appreciate step-by-step instruction with diagrams/pictures, detailed information on techniques for their projects, discussion regarding suitable materials and tips on finishing the project (i.e. painting, etc.) PLEASE choose a book more suited to your skill level. ... I sense impending doom if I attempt to build his cover playhouse which, by the way, seems rather small at only 6'x6'. I think I will join the ranks and order Norm Abrams plans and video as well. DONT BUY THIS BOOK



2. Great book if you want to build a treehouse or fort with your son (or sons) or if you just want to build one for your son (or sons) so he can have fun. Love this book and I HIGHLY recommend it.



3. This book is extremely awesome and has a special section on stuff to build like snowforts, catapults, and cannons. The forts are really awesome. Great buy.



4. As a person who lived in a treehouse for 3 years, and was looking for a basic how-to book for a friend, I was disappointed--this is how-to down to how to buy 2x4s and pull nails. Not good for a skilled (or even somewhat skilled) adult, but this book is EXACTLY the sort of thing I would have wanted as a kid: all the basics, lots of advice, and would have been great for a mom- and/or dad-and-me project.



5. Have not got the chance to use it but it help me realize the difference between building with studs and live trees. It stress safety which is always good.

4 comments about The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask (Answer Book (Storey)).

1. I love this book! I saw it at Barnes + Noble yesterday, looked at it for five minutes and had to have it! I've been reading it since and am very pleased. For years I've been wanting to plant a vegetable garden, but have been intimidated.
   
   Barbara Ellis has written this book to remove the fears of planting. The layout is great, with questions and answers laid out in a logical format.
   
   The book is jammed pack with information, tips, problem solving techniques and it's all about organic!
   
   I even like the size and feel of the book.It's just over 4" x 6" and over an inch thick and over 400 pages long. The cover is really sturdy--something I like, as I tend to be rough with my "how to" books. The illustrations are simple but good, too.
   
   I highly recommend this book!
   
   By the award winning author of Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet



2. I spotted this in a Border's bookstore about 2 weeks ago and immediately bought it. Although it doesn't mention lasagna gardening, which is what I do (Google the term for more info) the rest of the book is filled with outstanding information in an easy-to-find format. Within minutes I found answers to dozens of questions, and I'm a lifelong gardener with tons of experience although I haven't gardened in about 5 years so I needed the help. Gives a good concise outline, pros/cons and dos/don'ts of different crop types--it really helped me decide what to plant and when. Though thick, the book itself is small enough to put in a large pocket to carry with you while gardening. I highly recommend this book for experienced and new gardeners alike.



3. This is my first year of starting my own garden. Though my mother has been doing it for years. I know that I have her as a backup but this book is helping me to understand the veggie gardening when I don't have her around.



4. This book is very helpful. I am excited about planting my garden next year.