2 comments about Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate.

1. Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate Very informative and easy to understand. Great for Southern California gardeners.
   Saved my Succulents from the over watering death!!!



2. Cacti and other succulents plants once thought isolated to dessert conditions can now be found in every horticultural zone bringing a very special beauty and versatility to even the most novice of gardener's efforts. "Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants For Every Climate" by Gwenn Moore Kelaidis (one of the foremost experts on Rock gardening, co-owner of the mail-order nursery Rocky Mountain Rare Plants, and who also operates a Denver-based garden design and installation company) is a beautifully illustrated instructional guide that is replete with step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, creative ideas and resources for the inclusion of these easy-to-grow plants within the context of virtually any garden design be it urban, suburban, or rural. Whether as ground covers, container plants, embedded with perennials, or used in emulation of shrubs, "Hardy Succulents" covers all these areas, as well as providing practical information that includes Reference Maps; a Glossary, Resources, and an Index. "Hardy Succulents" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and prized addition to any personal, professional, or community library Gardening & Horticultural reference collection.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides).

1. Pair this book with The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and you will have the most comprehensive gardening guides you will ever need! The reviews suggested buying the books together and I'm glad I took the advice.
   The books are HUGE! I wasn't prepared for the sheer weight of them but they are beautiful as well as informative.



2. My kids and I use this as part of their homeschool education. It has wonderful pictures and TONS of information!



3. Great for anygardener and it is a useful reference for people trying to figure out what to plant and where to plant it. Great book would highly recommend to any one.



4. VERY thorough but the vast majority listed do not include the common name, not even in a crossref table/index, which makes it too tough to discuss with family, friends, neighbors. I had to return the book.



5. It is vary hard to find any thing in this book. If I knew what kind of plant it was or its proper name I would not need the book. If it takes a plant expert to use it thay don't need it. I don't know if a plant is anual or preanual or what ever.

5 comments about Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents.

1. I've been collecting these wonderful plants for a number of years now and am constantly adding not only plants to my collection, but books. I am glad I added this one! No one book can completely cover every aspect of cacti lore and this one certainly does not, But, this work, added with several others, help to round my research library out. Each new addition, i.e. books, helps and this was certainly a good addition. The text is well done as the author is abviously very knowledgeable and I did like the photographs. I did agree with another reviewer in that the shots from the top of the plant, looking down are indeed pleasing to the eye, but they fail, in some cases, to give a true picture of the plant. I photograph plants and find it is helpful to get side views of different subjects. That is not big deal though. This is a helpful book and I do recommend it highly.



2. I've read this book from cover to cover a number of times, always exposing more useful information. Particularly of interest are the many excellent photographs, which help us longtime cactus fans who've bought various cacti through the years without knowing what we've bought, or purchasing packets of mixed seeds, stand a chance of identifying these plants. Even in the photos that suggest planting possibilities, the plants are identified. Perhaps the most useful suggestion is the purchase of an inexpensive moisture meter (I picked one up at a ubiquitous discount chain for less than $5 that is a marvel of invention), which showed me that my watering habits needed rethinking. The book is printed on heavy stock, loaded with luscious photographs and details concerning the needs of any particular group of cacti/succulents - yes, there are omissions - the book covers; also there are planting tips, information on growing medium, fertilizing, etc.. Overall, this is a very worthwhile and valuable book for the cactii/succulent enthusiast.



3. Good book for suculent lovers. Doesn't show every type but shows families. Great instructions for replanting and other care.



4. First off, I have a great addiction for succulents. I love learning as much about them as i possibly can (especially since i work in a plant store) and i was really happy when i purchased this book. Another reviewer was right, it does not have EVERY succulent/cacti in here, which you cannot blame since there are thousands of different kinds. There is a section, on light requirments, soil conditions, potting, propagation, container ideas as well as tons of beautiful/information pictures. My favorite part about this book is that terry hewitt provides the height and width for the next 5 and 10 year span, for each of her plants listed. Its really nice to know how big some of my lovely succulents will be! If you love succulents too, and want very good info, get this book, you'll b happy :)



5. well written, covers the basics and easy descriptions for growing, maintaining and keeping C&S alive and happy

5 comments about Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave, Serene and Sensuous Plants for theGarden.

1. A must have for the gardener who wants to propagate their own ferns. Plus much, much more.



2. William Cullina provides the opportunity to see the natural beauty around us and realize its potential. Excellent resource and spectacular photographs.



3. I love this book! I have been taking it with me everywhere. It's beautiful, written in a very personable style, and contains tons of information and insight about a pragmatic approach to gardening - using native plants, most of which are happy in the shade (which I happen to have a lot of, and don't want to change!). If you're tired of "fighting city hall" in the shady spots in your yard, this is a great source of inspiration and fresh perspective.



4. When it comes to native vegetation, Cullina,s books are the bible for me. This is no exception. He's taken on ferns, grasses and mosses all of which are hard to differentiate and different in the way they propogate. He,s done a masterful job in helping me identify them, know where to plant them and how to propogate them.



5. Cullina knows whereof he writes. This is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in using ferns, mosses or grasses in his landscaping. You are not going to find advice like this at your local nursery, much less a big box retailer.

4 comments about Grasses: Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design.

1. Grasses by freelance gardening writer Nancy J. Ondra is a beautiful and practical guide to raising ornamental grasses in one's garden. Filled cover to cover with excellent color photographs by life-long gardener and gardening photographer Saxon Holt of aesthetic and splendid grasses, the profusely illustrated text presents the reader with a wide choice of colored grasses to best accentuate the beauty of one's garden and how to best select choice plants for wet, dry, hot, or shady sites. Highly recommended for personal and professional gardening, horticultural and landscaping reference collections, even non-gardeners will appreciate the dazzling, coffee-table book quality photography of this singularly elegant yet practical guide.



2. Grasses. They add so much wonderful texture to perennial collections and the landscape. They add terrific movement, catching the smallest breezes, defying the strongest winds and I wanted them in my garden however I knew so little about them. Then along came this terrific book by Nancy J. Ondra with photographs by Saxon Holt. Everything about this book is appealing.
   I appreciate the way it is laid out in four sections; Getting to Know Grasses, Color Palettes, Seasonal Usage and Selecting for Location. Ms. Ondra is a font of information without overloading your brain and as a Grasses Novice I find that useful. The photography by Mr. Holt is truly beautiful, with most of the photographs taken in combinations with other plant materials so you can get the feel of the various Grasses in the landscape. Section Four (p.94) really helps you get down to the nitty-gritty of making the appropriate selections for various soils and exposures. This is the sort of book to use year in and year out and I think would be useful to professional and advanced gardners as well as beginners. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this volume. Highly recommended!



3. Love this book, wonderful pictures, but --- I find myself looking for a comprehensive chart / list that gives an overview -- so that you can make gardening choices easier ... examples; height, color, cool/warm, best conditions, clump or creep, zones --- well you get the point . . .



4. This book is full of great photos of grasses in gardens, and I find it inspirational. It shows grasses mixed with other common perennials in situations most gardeners could replicate in their own gardens. The author includes growing tips and site preferences for many different species.
   There are some books you always reach for on a certain type of plant, and this is the one I find myself always reaching for on grasses. I happen to be a Master Gardener who loves ornamental grass gardening.

5 comments about Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide.

1. While I knew from the title of the book that this is a source of information for green roof plants, I still expected to find information on installation techniques, either very specifically or at least with a list of companies or other sources cited where I could find installation techniques. Only a couple of companies are cited, but with no Sources section in the back of the book -- only nurseries. Many subjects directly connected to planting and building a green roof are only generally touched on with broad explanations. The plant selection pages are great, with lots of color photos and good description.



2. This book is the most comprehensive green roof plant resource available; a must-have for anyone specifying, designing, or constructing green roofs.



3. Once you commit to the vegetated roof concept, you are very soon confronted with what will work up there. This book is a great point of departure!



4. I first must confess that have a green roof on my 2 car rear garage here in Washington, DC and worked directly with the author on choosing the proper plants to thrive in our little micro-climate. So I already know the Snodgrass' are the pre-eminent experts in the United States on the types of plants suitable for a given situation.
   
   That being said, this book provides an invaluable resource for those interested in, or who may become interested in, having a green roof for their home. When we installed our roof 4 years ago, had we not met the authors we would have had great difficulty in even knowing where to begin. Now all of us have that starting point: by reading Green Roof Plants.
   
   And don't think you must be an environmentalist to consider installing a green roof - many do so simply for the aesthetics. In fact, as city dwellers with limited space, we chose a green roof to have something beautiful to view from our kitchen. I suspect there are many of you who really never have thought of having a green roof and would be consigned to a lifetime of looking down or up at a plain shingled, painted or tarred roof. Don't be that homeowner! Installation of a green roof adds perhaps 10-20% to the cost of a painted roof, extend the roof's life and provides significant environmental benefits. Go for it, and buy this book first!



5. A great resource for design professionals. I greatly appreciate the honest real world look at vegetated roof planting. Simple plant mixes that have been tested and photographed are really all i need to spec out a system and sound like the genius architect i pretend to be. This little book has already saved me thousands in consultants. Thanks.

5 comments about American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.

1. I bought this book several years ago and have since given away literally boxes of other gardening books. This is very concise. If I need further information about a particular plant the internet is always available. The book is big and heavy but this book is a literal A-Z of gardening and worth EVERY penny you pay for it. I highly recommend for ALL gardeners.



2. An illustrated, complete book of garden plants. Offers great information for the advanced as well as the novice gardener. One negative aspect is it's size and weight. Very cumbersome to handle which is not conducive to longevity of the spine of the book. Would have been better published in two volumes.



3. I have been through my book, cover to cover twice so far and the second time through I found plants I thought were missing the first time and both were in photographings of said plants. It(the book) has helped me tremendously as a Master Gardener in selecting plants to propagate wisely for the community butterfly gardens I am now planting from the plants that I have grown from seeds or cuttings at least 90%. The other few were from wise purchases. We(mastergardeners) keep this bible in the shelves to assist the Master Gardener answering the "hotline" with questions about any kind of plants or problems people in Polk County, Fl have to ask our help in solving. I will probably be getting one on propagation to complete my needs and if one for Florida exists, it will be one that I review! I bought the encyclopedia so I could have it at home for personal refrence.
   Master Gardener for Polk Co., Fl



4. Wow and A-Z it is. If you need to know something this has it. Great reference guide



5. This is a great book! I'm very happy with it. The common names are listed as well as the latin names so it's easy to cross reference. I can simplify my gardening library now!

5 comments about Designing with Succulents.

1. 
   
   This book covers it all--the names, the arrangements, the instructions for propagating, the various tips, etc.
   
   Stunning photos. Clear prose. The perfect guide to starting, or expanding, your succulent garden.



2. This book is destined to be page-worn very soon. As a neophyte gardener of anything further than the basics, there are many ways to use plants that are new to me. I love the idea of utilizing non-cacti succulents for so many reasons: conserving water in our parched Central Texas land, conserving time because I won't be out there every day trying to save something from dying in the heat, and the exotic looks of the leaves and blooms that these plants can offer.
   
   The author loves succulents, and gives beautiful ideas for which ones work well together, the habits of various species, and she even has gorgeous photos of some beautiful RED Aloe plants that are out there. I stayed up quite late last night reading this one, and it's one of the few gardening books that I want to read every word and not just look at the pictures. A wonderful book! I can't wait to put some of her suggestions into my garden.



3. Designing with Succulents
   
   What a terrific book. I am a novice gardener, and found this to be a real page-turner. Color pictures on every page. Plenty of info on care, resources, inventive ideas for really lovely designs - just inspiring. Don't hesitate on this one. Happy gardening!



4. I initially purchased "Designing with Succulents" because it has a chapter on "Growing Succulents in Colder Climates". I live on the coast in the Pacific NW and as we hardscaped the yard I was determined that I was going to plant drought tolerant succulents that were hardy enough for our climate, could survive frosts and occasional snow, as well as the salt spray and wind. The entire book proved invaluable in my project; it is full of wonderful photos, provides how to details, as well as inspiration, to design your garden and emphasizes the selective choice of succulents with more common companion plants.
   
   While I wandered nurseries with my post-it-note covered book, I was constantly told that we could not grow succulents in our area; they would have to be taken into the greenhouse for winter etc. DwS provides the necessary detail on the plants to determine which species are going to be hardy enough for your conditions and gave me the confidence to proceed with my landscaping project. It also made succulent converts out of a couple local nurseries!



5. I absolutely love this book. Besides the great pictures and information regarding the care of succulents it has given me some fantastic planting ideas! As an avid succulent and cacti collector I was looking for a book to help me integrate the two in my garden. The themed section of the book is my favorite. Among the many ideas it shows you how to have a ocean theme look to your garden. I am now putting together a reef themed planter.

5 comments about Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens.

1. We've been avid gardeners for decades and have done many things to attract wildlife to our 10 acre woodlot where we reside. This book is a real eye-opener. It's scientific but easy on the mind. It's thorough and informative, yet casual in its prose. Dr. Tallamy has made a terrific contribution to anyone who values their property, enjoys healthy diversity in their landscape, and wants to do right by the planet. Don't go to your local nursery before reading this book. Mention this to all your friends who share your outdoor interests and talk to your local librarian to be certain he/she obtains a copy for your community.



2. 
   I thought this book was great, and now I'm "sold" on only using native plants in my garden. And for those who say that not all alien plants are bad, and that this book doesn't tell the whole story or whatever, I would retort "well why NOT use native plants only?" To me there's something more "right" about using plants that are native to the very land you are on.
   
   The back of the book contains a terrific appendix that lists good native plants to grow by U.S. region. I was very disappointed however that there was no index for the Northeast region(which is where I live)...



3. This book is a must read for all. It highlights and informs about the small steps we can each take to create a better world in our own back yards.



4. This is a very important book. I reluctantly purchased it after hearing several people that I admire recommend it very highly. I am not much into gardening but am interested in birds, biodiversity and restoring natural habitats. I have read hundreds of books on biology and the environment over the years and have been to hundreds of meetings and conferences regarding solutions to the many problems that beset our natural environment. It is not often that I hear of a very simple solution to a ubiquitous problem, that of a decline in the overall population of birds and mammals and the increase in the ravages of diseases affecting our forests, grasslands and deserts.
   
   In addition to offering a novel solution to major problems the outlook of the book is optimistic and the reading is interesting and pleasurable. Dr. Tallamy is a fine writer and also furnishes fascinating descriptions of the plants, insects, mammals and birds that he has studied. One that I remember from the chapter on insects was the defensive strategy of some insects called leafhoppers that are preyed upon by wasps. The mother protects her offspring that are feeding on the stem above by intercepting attackers from below. If a wasp starts an attack from above her young drum out a distress message that vibrates through the stem to her so she can rush up and try to kick the wasp away. Another insect, a tree-boring beetle, flies to the top of mountain ridges to scan for forest fires with infrared vision to locate trees weakened by fire that are prime targets for feeding and breeding locations.
   
   In addition to these insights into the world of insects and plants the book gives you an understanding of the significant danger from the spread of alien plant species. I agree with all the high recommendations for this book. Everyone that reads this will have a new outlook on nature and even the gardeners will enjoy it.



5. Bugs are good! That's the takeaway message of this book. Tallamy is an entomologist so his affection for insects is not surprising, and he clearly admires them for their aesthetic beauty and clever evolutionary adaptations. But he also argues, persuasively and passionately, that there are sound ecological reasons for welcoming insects into our landscapes with open arms--and a smorgasbord of native plants.
   Healthy insect populations are essential to sustainable ecosystems that support the birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and other "charismatic megafauna" we cherish. Birds, especially, rely on insects and their larvae to feed their young. In the areas we humans have disturbed with our roadways and infrastructure, commercial buildings, residential developments, and agricultural plantations, we have wiped out the native plant diversity that supports wildlife. Tallamy estimates that perhaps only 3% to 5% of the United States remains as undisturbed, natural land, and much of that is composed of "ecological islands" that preclude immigration, making both plant and animal species vulnerable to local extinctions. So unless all of us actively work to convert human-disturbed lands--including our suburban gardens--for the preservation of wild creatures, we will no longer have the opportunity to observe nature on a daily basis. We will have to travel to outlying preserves to visit the few remaining species that survive.
   So, what's the connection to native plants? All plants convert the sun's energy into organic matter usable by life. They are the first "trophic level." Insect herbivores eat plants and, in turn, provide food for all the other animals in higher trophic levels: insect carnivores, birds, mammals, reptiles, etc. But insects are often specialists, able only to eat those plants they have evolved with. And in our residential landscapes and agricultural plantings, we have systematically chosen exotic plants or created plant cultivars that are distasteful to our native insects. We have done this to protect our valuable food crops and because we
   view our landscapes as mere decoration, wanting them to be aesthetically perfect and unmarred by chewed leaves. But deliberately excluding insect herbivores in this way deprives our ecosystems of a vital link in the food web. And introduced exotics are doubly problematic because these "pest-free" species escape our grasp and themselves become pests, precisely because they are distasteful to the insect herbivores that keep native plants in check. Our native plants, by contrast, are tasty insect food, and insects provide the basis for all the other animals.
   To help us choose plants that are insect-friendly, the chapter "What Should I Plant?" identifies and describes those plant genera that have demonstrated the greatest ability to support butterfly and moth larvae. This criterion was chosen because Lepidoptera comprise over 50% of all insect herbivores in the US, because caterpillars are important components of many vertebrate diets, and because there is more published data about host plant
   use by butterflies and moths than there is for other insects. Tallamy's plant descriptions are interesting both for his suggestions for landscape applications and his knowledge about which caterpillars make use of each plant group.
   The cleverly-titled chapter "What Does Bird Food Look Like?" describes various insect families, including but not limited to Lepidoptera. Tallamy tells us what plants these insects eat, what eats them, and describes interesting or curious facets of their life histories. (Initially I was tempted to skip this chapter but was glad I didn't because I found it fascinating.)
   The book is illustrated throughout with wonderful color photographs of plants and insects, and has useful appendices: a list of native plant species that have both wildlife value and desirable landscaping attributes (sorted by region and plant type), a checklist of host plants of butterflies and showy moths, and a summary of Tallamy's survey data that demonstrates his thesis. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make landscape choices that are more likely to attract birds, butterflies and other creatures. Whether you read the book or not, when you see insects dining on your
   landscape, rejoice!

5 comments about 2-at-a-Time Socks: Revealed Inside. . . The Secret of Knitting Two at Once on One Circular Needle Works for any Sock Pattern!.

1. I LOVE IT! This book first of all lays FLAT because it is spiral bound. I have knit socks with double point needles and tried 2 circular needle sock knitting but this is hands down the best way! I suggest you make sure to buy at least a 40" circular needle and the best one would be the bamboo ones because the tubing is VERY soft & bendable. This book is great, easy to follow, and has some really nice patterns. I would suggest that you be a fairly good knitter and if you have knitted socks it would be a very big plus!



2. Second sock syndrome (SSS) is a terrible affliction upon the knitting community -- by the time you finish one beautifully shaped and fitted sock, you're tired of the pattern, the yarn, or just making socks (though how could you?). Anyway, knitters have been looking for a way to avoid SSS, and the easiest way is to knit both socks at the same time.
   
   As you can imagine there are various ways around this and Melissa Morgan-Oakes shows us one method using a 40" circular needle to knit two socks at the same time. This books is spiral bound and lays neatly open to the page you're working with. There are lots of pictures of the steps to cast on, divide the cast on stitches for the sock, and start kntting in the round so that the two socks are separate but on the same needle and can be knit equally so you finish the both at the same time. It may look tricky but there are lots of photos and helpful hints -- it really does work.
   
   The book also contains knitting patters for 17 socks. Most some have patterns, some strips (lots of stripes), and lots with cables. These are nice standard socks in various yarns and basic styles. Nothing truly fancy but all of the pattern will knit up into solid socks for cold feet from women, men, to younglings. The pattern stitches all are on charts--at least I didn't see any written out line-by-line and I went through the book 4 times. There's also a informative section on the parts of a sock, which the author (and I) believe make it easier to figure out what you're doing and how it all fits together. There are also helpful tips and hints throughout in the patterns.
   
   This is a great beginner sock book. For the experienced sock knitter just looking to learn this technique, it great especially if you learn well from photo with some description. The how-to will show you what you need to know to continue to develop your own patterns.



3. I am extremely disappointed in this book. This book was a gift and unfortunately a waste of money for the giver. My book is a first printing. After reviewing it, some things did not make sense. I went online and found the errata. The photos for 'Knitting a Sample Sock' to learn the technique are the wrong color for the sock referenced and therefore very confusing. Every single pattern in the book requires 4 corrections. There are a total of 100 corrections plus 4 charts that need to be corrected. This makes the book useless unless you have the time and patience to transfer all of the corrections to the book or the ability to print them out and reference back and forth. The author states that the third printing of this book encompasses all of the known errata. I won't be purchasing the third printing of this book only to get what I should have gotten in the first place, which would have been a usable, correct book. One or two mistakes are understandable, but 106 (counting the incorrect photos) is way too many. If you are lucky enough to start with the third printing of this book, it does have nice clear photographs, pretty patterns and an easy to follow layout.



4. I love this book and the patterns - I won't go back to using dpns to knit socks. However, I was disappointed by the amount of errata - some that I thought were painfully simplistic to have happened in the first place. Maybe this has been fixed now? To be sure check out the publisher's website for any corrections before you start using the book. Also, don't be put off by having to purchase 40" circulars - you only need them in the common sizes for socks (sizes 1,2,3 and maybe a 0 and a 4). You can find 40" circular needles for about $5/pair at Knitpicks; they are good needles at a great price and I've been very pleased with them.



5. I learn to knit socks with this book,and I don't mind DPNs. So,I didn't want to fall victim to Second Sock Syndrome. I love this technique, but I agree with some other reviewers; I wish there were more pictures and better explanations of the technique for the newbies. I like & have made a few of the patterns. Also, some toe up directions would be nice.