2 comments about The Midwest Gardener's Book of Lists (Book of Lists Series).

1. Saves oodles of time for the gardener who knows "I know there's a plant that works there, but I can't remember its name." Great for taking to the plant store, and for designing the new (or refurbishing the existing) garden. And you know the plants will reliably grow in your zone, which is nice for the novice.



2. Finally a book that's not professorial and gets to the point!

   McClure not only compiles lists from several regional experts, she includes down-to-earth quotes from them that lends a lot of authenticity to their recommendations.

   She's upfront about what grows well in our alkaline clay soil and what plants can honestly handle the extremes of heat, humidity, drought, rain, cold and wind charactistic of this area.

   Another excellent reference for those of us in zones 5 & 6 is Ezra Haggard's Perennials for the Lower Midwest. It's more conversational than a list book, but the accessible text is packed with advice and never rambles. The format gives each plant a page of text with a full-color photo on the facing page.

2 comments about Successful gardening journal (Successful Gardening).

1. This is for the serious gardner who wants a handy book to record garden activity weekly. Start in any season; list flower, tree and vegetable progress; plan future gardens. There is enough space for your own notes on your specialty garden, and the spiral binding allows it to lie flat. Buying it for the 2nd season, I plan to more fully utilize the additional back pages.



2. My sister had me purchase this item for her. Have not heard her impression
   of the book (guess that is good). Do know, as usual, Amazon's delivery was
   very fast.

3 comments about Ortho's All About Vines and Climbers (Ortho's All About Gardening).

1. This book is great for the beginning vine grower. All of the most common vines are described in detail. Recommendations are given for various climates and growing schemes. I have practically worn my book out from using it so much. What a handy reference!



2. All About Vines and Climbers by Ortho has much information on a variety of vines/climbers and is well organized and categorizes them in many ways--zone, type, color, fruits, fragrance, winter appearance, etc. Also offered is planting advice for plants, seeds, cuttings, and pruning advice and where to purchase vines, and different types of structures to grow vines on. Even mentioned are gourd vines!

   In the past years, I started to add vines to a giant trellis (an old dilapidated greenhouse that I converted to a giant trellis) as a hobby and I find this book helpful because not all mailorder houses or nurseries carry the many different sorts of vines and so one is often not really sure of what is all available. I was familiar with the major ones, but now I know I can add some great new ones! It is a basic book, but it offers more information compared to a more comprehensive all around book that has a vines' section.

   It is so far the best book on vines/climbers that I have read.




3. Vines are one of the most difficult plants to grow. Once they are established, they seem to take care of themselves. But the establishment is the thing. This book starts at the very basics. Helps you pick the vine best for your area and then gives you the all important steps for planting and early care. The vine plant listing is extensive with good photographs to help you make the right selections. Great for the beginner to the seasoned gardener.

3 comments about Colorado Gardener's Guide.

1. John is the greatest. I'm not a gardener, but with this book, it takes the guess work out. I only have to buy one book. I know my garden this year won't be without envy.



2. This fabulous book lives up to its subtitle -- it truly does tell you what, where, when, how and why to garden in Colorado. It's written by a Colorado native, which is helpful to a "flatlander" like myself who is trying to garden in this challenging climate. This is by far the most helpful gardening book we've bought -- it outranks our Sunset western gardening book since it is written specifically for Colorado.



3. I was greatly surprised by the poor regional quality of this book's contents given John Cretti's reputation as an excellent and respected Colorado gardener. "Colorado Gardener's Guide" is essentially a generic compendium of plants that will grow in Zones 3 to 6. There is a brief (7-page) introduction that gives some common Colorado growing advice mixed in with general gardening advice. The only insight into why the author included certain plants in the book is, "The plants recommended in this book are good performers in many parts of Colorado." Many of the recommendations contradict the author's own advice. For example, under the entry for Poplar, the author warns against landscape trees that are weak-wooded and susceptible to storm damage. He then goes on to list the Goldenrain Tree as recommended despite noting that it is weak-wooded and susceptible to snowstorm damage. A number of plants included in the book are potentially invasive and are commonly listed in Colorado and other Western states as plants that responsible gardeners should try to avoid.
   The recommended plants are divided into simple categories of annuals, perennials, groundcovers, lawns, etc. There are no further helpful subdivisions such as native, xeriscape, mountain compatible, etc. The reader must read the two page description for each plant to ferret out any such information. Although I did find one plug for drought-hardy plants, many of the plants recommended in this book for semi-arid Colorado require frequent watering. It would be more helpful to include at least some lists that indicate which plants will require extensive soil modification, protection from wind and sun, have high water requirements, etc. After all, this is supposed to be the COLORADO gardener's guide, not a general garden guide. Although the book is inexpensive, I would not add it to your garden library. I wouldn't have bought it if I had leafed through it first rather than buy it unseen, as I did. (I was swayed by the two previous reviews, reviews that now mystify me!) Unless you do not own a single other garden book, this book will give you very little new information, especially Colorado-specific planting information. A much better beginner gardening book for Colorado is "Month-To-Month Gardening, Colorado."

2 comments about Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guide to Topiaries and Espaliers: Plus Other Designs for Shaping Plants (Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guides).

1. This is the first negative review I've written, and I feel badly about it. I was so anticipating the arrival of this book.

   The instructions, which I was eager to get, were only the most general, basic things I already knew even though I'm a raw beginner. I was particularly interested in espalier and pleached allee directions and was hoping for a book with lot of focus on these. A couple of short articles available on the Net were much more informative and illustrated each step very clearly.

   The list of recommended plant materials was limited. With a little research on the Internet, I obtained a much more extensive list suited to my area.

   The photos were the best part, although they could have been improved, too.

   The most positive statement I can make is that the price was most reasonable, and perhaps that is why this book was so lightweight, more for browsing than using for instruction.

   I'm ordering another book from Amazon, hoping for better instructions--and hopefully, I'll be able to write a glowing review!




2. This is a great beginner's book on how to create topiaries & espaliers. The book is in full color with lots of photos. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. In each section appropriate plant types are discussed.

   First, frameless topiaries are described. Designs included are lollipop, poodle, spiral, & corkscrew trees. The book then shows how to make empty frame topiaries. Included are circles, hoops and spirals.

   Then it shows you how to make a moss-filled bunny. Following this method you can make almost any shape imaginable. Several kinds of espalier shapes, and how to make them are then show.

   Finally, knots, mazes, pleaching, pollarding & coppicing are covered. Proper tools and shaping hedges are explained as well. Be aware that most plants used are for warmer climates (zone 6 or above).

No comments about Principles of Horticulture, Fifth Edition.

3 comments about Taylor's Guide to Growing North America's Favorite Plants.

1. This is the best guide to home gardening I have seen, combining ease of use with authoritative information. The brief notes are to the point, the photographs are excellent, information is easy to find, and the full entries are exceptionally well done. A pleasure to read, this work will surely become the standard reference on home gardening.



2. I have many good gardening books but this is the one I refer to constantly and suggest to my friends. Arranged alphabetically, the mini-chapter on each plant contains all the information I need to make decisions on purchasing, choosing a site, planting, growing tips, and propagating. The final section in each chapter suggests companion plants that mix well and like the same conditions. To top it off, this is a beautiful book with excellent photographs of the entire plant in its natural surrounding. GET THIS BOOK.



3. Despite the books' massively long title, it's actually an easy-to-read, well organized reference guide to plant selection, propagation, care and maintenance, as well listing of hundreds of plants. Like many Taylor's guides, this one is profusely illustrated with lovely photographs of plants that will not only inform, but inspire you to get gardening. Almost 350 pages in length, there's not a lot of filler in here, rather, it's packed with lists, glossaries, appendices that will answer most questions any beginning and most intermediate gardeners might have in regards to perennials, annuals, shrubs, flowering trees and vines. If you want to landscape your garden and not sure of what plants to work with, you may want to start here!

4 comments about Gardening with Children.

1. I checked this book out of the library last month, but just a few pages into I knew I had to own it! I was so inspired I almost started planting mid-winter! It is packed full of fun ideas like planting a pizza shaped garden with all the ingredients for your kid's favorite pizza. You'll also learn how to surprise you kids with pumpkins that grow with their names on them. The book covers everything you need to know, for everyone from beginners to experts. Everything you need to know; soil, sun, what to plant, how to plant and where to plant it. The pictures are charming. Read with caution - you'll want to get started immediately!



2. I checked this book out of the library last month, but just a few pages into I knew I had to own it! I was so inspired I almost started planting mid-winter! It is packed full of fun ideas like planting a pizza shaped garden with all the ingredients for your kid's favorite pizza. You'll also learn how to surprise you kids with pumpkins that grow with their names on them. The book covers everything you need to know, for everyone from beginners to experts. Everything you need to know; soil, sun, what to plant, how to plant and where to plant it. The pictures are charming. Read with caution - you'll want to get started immediately!



3. This book is really Gardening 101 with the addition of cute pictures of kids. It�s all about good, solid, nature-based gardening, the way an experienced gardener might explain it to new gardeners, whether they were children or not. I can�t fault the gardening advice - everything is sound and sensible. It covers garden planning, soil basics, organic gardening, composting, planting garden maintenance and a chapter on making gardening fun for children.

   The flaw in the book to me was that it was all learning by doing and not enough hanging out and wondering. There is so much a child can learn by just hanging out in a garden and watching. They can watch, for example, a spider trussing his catch or ants herding aphids and learn how this garden world works, not to mention producing teachable moments galore. There is so much to ask about (�Why is this flower blue�?) It�s great if adults have answers, or the means to research answers but it�s even better if we can enter a child�s world of imagination for a while and share his approach to a garden, rather than imposing our own.

   Another failing was that the children in the photographs (all clean and healthy-looking, no dirty or disabled kids here) are all in their tidy, bright clothes and carefully posed as directed, digging, let�s say, or gazing in wonder at a seedling. If only that were real life!

   This would be a useful book in the household of a young family who are faced with coping with a new garden and children who would like to help with it. But be warned - they might get dirty!




4. This book is really Gardening 101 with the addition of cute pictures of kids. It's all about good, solid, nature-based gardening, the way an experienced gardener might explain it to new gardeners, whether they were children or not. I can't fault the gardening advice - everything is sound and sensible. It covers garden planning, soil basics, organic gardening, composting, planting garden maintenance and a chapter on making gardening fun for children.

   The flaw in the book to me was that it was all learning by doing and not enough hanging out and wondering. There is so much a child can learn by just hanging out in a garden and watching. They can watch, for example, a spider trussing his catch or ants herding aphids and learn how this garden world works, not to mention producing teachable moments galore. There is so much to ask about ("Why is this flower blue"?) It's great if adults have answers, or the means to research answers but it's even better if we can enter a child's world of imagination for a while and share his approach to a garden, rather than imposing our own.

   Another failing was that the children in the photographs (all clean and healthy-looking, no dirty or disabled kids here) are all in their tidy, bright clothes and carefully posed as directed, digging, let's say, or gazing in wonder at a seedling. If only that were real life!

   This would be a useful book in the household of a young family who are faced with coping with a new garden and children who would like to help with it. But be warned - they might get dirty!

5 comments about American Horticultural Society Pests and Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying and Treating Plant Problems.

1. First off, it's extremely difficult to identify a pest or disease by description alone. By the cover, which showed picture after picture, I thought for sure each disease or insect infestation would have a picture to help with identification. There were only a handful of the many plant diseases and insect damage that one encounters. I ended up using Davesgarden.com for my diagnosis.



2. This is a book for a more experienced gardener. You almost need to be able to look at a plant and know what the disease/infestation might be before finding it in this book. It would be more helpful to have a section with a listing of plants/trees and their susceptabilities. I actually had to look up the plant in another reference book to find out what disease/infestation a certain plant may be susceptible to, then I was able to look that up in this book.



3. Thorough listing and descriptions of various pests and diseases with good suggestions of how to handle.



4. This book is an excellent reference for the gardener and was as represented. I regret not at all having purchased this volume and recommend it to anyone wanting such a reference in their library of garden-related books.



5. I honestly have not used this book as much as the pruning and propagation books in the same series, but I will rely on it this spring as I had a nasty experience with Japanese beetles ravaging my fruit trees in 2007.

2 comments about Tips for the Lazy Gardener.

1. I strongly recommend this to anyone who likes to garden and is looking for some shortcuts and time saving tips. It is delightful reading ... by no means is this another gardening reference manual. I must have 50 friends, relatives, and neighbors who would love to read this handy book while swinging in THEIR hammock! After 5 years, I still go back to it for ideas



2. An easy book to read with helpful wise tips for smart gardeners who don't want to spend a lot of time working harder than necessary. It's a nice little reference book that to go back to for info from time to time. The tips are on a wide variety of topics: Master Plan, Time Saving Routines, Square Ft Gardening, Raised Beds, EZ Landscaping, EZ Flower Gardens, Herbs, Bldg the Soil, Composting, Soil Chemistry, Tools, Storage, Staking, Tomatoes, Vining Crop Supports/Polls/Trellises, Planting, Seeds, Transplants, Companion Planting, Pampering Peppers, Beating Weeds, Mulch, Pests, Harvesting, Food Storage, Frosts, Winter Protection (just to name a few).