5 comments about How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide.

1. How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls : The Complete Guide by Jeffrey Reid is an excellent how-to book for wildlife garders.



2. If you are a beginer in pond building and you need everything explained to details, do not buy this book. I bought it and it's just not good. You can read it under a hour and you'll see only pictures with nothing on them.



3. Excellent fundamental instructions for ponds and waterfalls. If you are doing a stream also, you might want to consult another title or two on the same subject. You will also need some more education on plants for your pond. But for basic pond and waterfall, this is the best I have read.



4. In my opinion,this book is a very superficial overview of pond construction. A far better choice is "Ortho's All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams", for the same price [or slightly cheaper]. "Ortho's" covers the topic much more thoroughly than this "complete guide".



5. The book has great pictures but no real detail about how to build ponds or waterfalls. How disappointed we were when we received the book. We will look for other books but will not purchase them online. We need to be able to see what is inside the cover.

5 comments about The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking With Herbs.

1. This is truly a guide, not a master reference work. The Herb Society is a fine organization whose roots, as it were, lie in my college town, Washington, D.C. Home to the National Arboretum as well, Washington does so much good for the country once you get out of the Capitol Mall area. Think of it as the Smithsonian for herbs.
   
   Originally a women's organization, without whom it would never have survived or flowered, it now commands part of our national heritage and a working site for continued research and activity. This book is theirs and has all you need to know about them and why and how to visit.
   
   As for the rest of the book, it succeeds where recent books have not, for the gardener and the cook both. Nicely organized, it discusses the herbs in an intelligent manner in one section. In the other, you are presented with recipes tagged to their local units and authors.
   
   Please note this book is limited in scope to only those herbs growing in the National Herb Garden. There are plenty here, but this book does not pretend to be exhaustive. I must note that others with grander insinuations fall short of what you get here. The information is good and useful on both the gardening and cooking fronts. Also not this is not a cookbook, so recipes are simple rather than explanatory. They come from many contributors and therefore cannot have a single or detailed voice. Nor is it a book of detailed horticulture; they tell you the basics to grow these herbs.



2. Here is a long overdue book combining BOTH growing information and delicious tested herb recipes. Detailed enough for both the novice herb gardener and the experienced one. The layout is easy to read and provides access for identifying recipes utilizing a specific herb.
   In this way, gardeners can readily use the "excess" dill, fennel, basil, etc. from their kitchen herb gardens in a number of creative recipes.



3. Outstanding and delightful! This book offers readers tried and true recipes with herbs but also provides informative herb gardening information. A wonderful gift and must-have for anyone interested in learning more about the cultivation and culinary uses of herbs!



4. I expectated plenty of good evidence-based information on growing herbs from the Herb Society of America. What I got was 100 pages of general info on every herb out there and then 150 pages of unproven recipes. I have better herb information from most other sources. I would never have bought this book off the shelf. I felt like I was reading a church fundraising cookbook What a disappointment. I expected better from the Herb Society of America.



5. The book is a great source of information about incorporating fresh herbs into your every day cooking. After looking for some time, I finally found a comprehensive cookbook for cooking with herbs.

No comments about The New Encyclopedia of Daylilies: More Than 1700 Outstanding Selections.

5 comments about Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.

1. From its detailed descriptions of almost all medicinal plants, to its step by step instructions for different preparations, this book has it all!! It tells you where the plant is from even the history behind todays uses. If your interested in healing with plants... this book is for you!



2. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MEDICINAL PLANTS by Andrew Chevallier is a relatively comprehensive source of information about herbal uses for healing. This is not the most recent volume by this author, however. The 2000 version is more comprehensive and includes the most current information about research associated with herbal medicinal uses.

   A less expensive and highly useful book on herbs and their uses is available from Rodale, entitled, ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS. The Rodale book includes information missing from this version of Chevallier's book concerning negative effectives of herbs including accidental poisoning owing to misuse or problems with plant identification. Also, Rodale has been the the organic growing business for several decades and offers information about plant horticulture. Chevallier's book is better illustrated, and filled with many colorful photographs but relatively less text (ratio of 1:4 pages for each item).

   Unlike Ody's book, THE COMPLETE MEDICAL HERBAL, the Chevallier book contains information about native American herbs such as Cimicifuga Racemosa (Squawroot, Black Cohash). THE COMPLETE BOOK OF HERBS by Leslie Bremmness does not contain the comprehensive coverage of medicinal uses, but it does provide much information about medicinal and other uses such as pot pourri and sachet making, paper making, and food preparation.




3. ... if you like your herbs from the herb store, that is. And if you like the TCM view of things.
   
   I prefer books about herbs that I can grow myself, or pick in my back yard. I'm really not all that enthusiastic about books about exotics that I have to buy from far away places.
   I also prefer books that focus on herbs used in the western herbal tradition. This book has just a tad too much of an emphasis on Chinese herbs for my tastes.
   Finally, I _like_ books with one single, sometimes enormous, index. This one has two. I'm always looking things up in the wrong one, in books like this.
   
   YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), of course.



4. This book has been on my most used shelf for over ten years. It has some shortcomings that are easily augmented by anyone with a good herbal library. I love the layout and medicinal information as well as the history of the different herbal systems in the world. Great Book!



5. I have been looking for this book for over a year, and hadn't been able to find it. It is just what I was looking for and has great information, and really nice pictures.

5 comments about Passalong Plants.

1. This book was delightful in many respects. I learned alot about plants that have been around forever and "shared" with other plant lovers! I will keep this book to read and re-read. Also liked the pictures and especially the stories.



2. A wonderful book that I will use over and over through the years!



3. Unlike other members of my family. I have not inherited the green thumb. This book is fabulous if you live in the south. This book lets you know which plants can be started from others. Propagating plants either from cuttings or seeds can help you have a good deal of money.
   
   This book is mostly geared for those of us who live in the south. While there are other plants mentioned, I think you would be better served if you live in the south. I like that this book broke plants down into types, and areas that they typically do best in. This way your not having to play any guessing games about what may grow best in your area.
   
   If you are fond of of heirloom plants, this book is ideal for you, as it has many plants that are of older stock. It also gives you ideas for sources as well as sources for these older variety of plants. This book also tells you how to propigate the plants and make more!
   
   This is a great resource. My only personal drawback is that while their are pictures for 80% or more of what is mentioned in the book. I am not plant savvy and when their isn't a picture, I have no idea what plant they are talking about. Do not let that stop you though, this is a great resource, and my garden will benefit from this book greatly!



4. This is the best gardening book I own. It's so good, I've bought it for gifts over and over and over again. All of the plants listed are fabulous, the profiles are just plain funny, and all in all, the book is inspiring. Steve Bender and Felder Rushing are a great team- their essays on the plants feel like sitting down with a good gardening friend. They teach a lot, but not in a pedantic way. I can't recommend this book enough- I'd give it ten stars if I could.



5. Another great book. Filled with nostalgic and informative profiles of dozens of plants that are great to grow and share.

3 comments about Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners: A Handbook on the Origin and Meaning of the Botanical Names of Some Cultivated Plants.

1. This is the work of the author of "Botanical Latin", the indispensable reference for those delving deeply into plant taxonomy. He is thus quite qualified to do what he did here: extensively revise "A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names" by A.W.Smith (1963, still available as a Dover reprint of 1997). Facts were checked, errors eliminated, additions made. The typography was modernised. The help in pronunciation limited to stressing syllables.

   This book presents a wealth of information on plant names: it lists 6000 botanical names and 3000 vernacular names, in addition to quite a bit of background information. It is limited to plant names of importance to gardeners, but this is not so limiting as might be, since by this is meant "gardeners worldwide", including those on the Southern Hemisphere. Although I wish it were slightly longer, this book surely gives value for money.




2. Brand new condition, fast shipping, good price. Amazon partners continue to keep outstanding reputation.



3. excellent reference book - easily read and understood, even for the not-so-technical person - often has a brief paragraph giving the history or a definition of the botanical name

5 comments about Plants from Test Tubes: An Introduction to Micropropagation.

1. Well laid out, easy to understand for a non-technical person like myself.You do not need a doctorate to use this book successfully.A good basic book for micropropagation.



2. This book will introduce you to not only the history but the nuts and bolts, logistics and mechanics of Micropropagation. I personally found it an invaluable resource to get me started. I can now confidently buy other books that hold specific data and experiments that I wish to pursue with the background knowledge and techniques I learnt here.



3. If you want to know (and most important understand) the tissue culture process this is the book. Altough a chemistry or biology degree is not necessary don't forget to put aside you highschool notes because in some chapters it became a little bit technical. Great book to begin as hobby or as commercial.



4. I loved this book it made me want to go out and get a lab set up right then and there. answered all my questions concerning plant cloning.



5. The presentation of the book is very nice.It's written in a way that most person with some limited sciences background will understand with no trouble at all.Book is very well designed, by chapters from early discoveries to the most advance techniques, and still easy to completly understand and follow procedures without any problems. Language is very simple and clear, and is not boring at all.Author has a good way of describing and teaching the subject, and have a way of keeping interested in reading and doing the practical side of the experiments.
   Will highly recomend.I;m very happy in owning this book.

2 comments about Ortho's All About Shade Gardening (Ortho's All About Gardening).

1. Open the door to possibilities, garden design, and learning the secrets to a beautiful shade garden in your own back yard. Learn about soil classification, drainage, climates, soil testing for ph, and developing good soil. Many improvements to your garden and solutions to your garden problems can be found in this book. How to care for your shade gardens, from fertilizing and learning about other nutrients needs. Is my garden in Light shade to full shade, and what makes the difference anyway? How do I measure the light? The most important part the plant selections are wonderful. You get so much information and so easy to find. This book is a must for any shade gardener.



2. This is a simple, basic book that provides the fundamentals of shade gardening. So many gardeners have trouble because they are try to have a full sun type plant garden in a shady area. Plants just will not grow. This book solves the problem in defining just what shade is and the different degrees of shade. Then gives a very good listing with photographs of good shade plants.

5 comments about The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids.

1. This book is truly my orchid Bible. There is some information about almost everything you want to know orchids. I find this book useful when trying to find the general characteristics of a genus or even to identify a plant by its flower. Many, many pictures, and they are all beautiful. They lack in the growing tips category, but make up with the fairly detailed species descriptions for the species they cover in the book. Hope this is helpful!



2. This is one of the Orchidbooks that anyone who loves orchids should have. Its filled with a lot off information of botanical orchids.
   
   It's one of my favorites.



3. I never received the book from Amazon. My order was cancelled after I had paid for it. I was refunded. I bought it from someone else and its great. Really good pictures and informative.



4. Good illustrations and tips on how to take care of the orchids.



5. This encyclopedia is quite fascinating!
   
   It shares a good amount of information about a plethora of orchids.
   Further, the book is nicely organized & easily comprehendable.
   
   Although it is regarded for it's "beautiful photography", I would disagree. Majority of the photos are nice, but not wonderful.
   Many of the photos may appear beautiful because orchids are absolutely gorgeous not exactly the photography skills & technique used to take the photos.
   Also, I wish it had more photos.
   
   Overall, I would recommend it for it's information & facts.

5 comments about The Book of Bamboo: A Comprehensive Guide to This Remarkable Plant, Its Uses, and Its History.

1. Written by the one of the few people in the world qualified to produce a monograph on bamboo, it is as comprehensive as it gets. David Farrelly has spent more than a decade planting, harvesting, and building with bamboo in Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States. If you are only interested in the growing of bamboo as an ornamental, then this book may not be exactly what you expect, but it still serves up more information on bamboo growing, propagation and care, and bamboo species and description then any other currently available books on bamboo. Don't expect grossy pictures either, but line drawings and old black and white photographs somehow seems to fit well in this book. Grossy pictures would have been out of place here. What really makes this book a must read is the other non-botanical, non-horticultural information on bamboo that the book includes - it's history, it's multiple of uses, it's interaction with mankind through the ages.

   If you are into bamboo beyond it's aesthietics, this is a "must read". If you are only into ornamental bamboos, this is still a good reference, and reading it will change your respect for what must be truly the most useful of all plants on planet earth.




2. I bought this book awhile ago. . . .and unfortunately, have enough going on that I can't just sit down and read it beginning to end, but already I know a LOT more about a plant I've always been fascinated with. Lots of definitions, and pictures, and illustrations. If there's anything that could be considered a detraction, there's maybe TOO much information on the plant and its uses.
   
   a thoroughly great book to add to a collection for anyone into herbal knowledge or lore, interested in plants, or wants to just know more about bamboo.
   
   Recommended reading :)



3. In a World in which only three countries have doubled their forest resources while the rest of the nations are working on depleting theirs; a global crisis waiting to happen because of our irresponsible handling of our natural resources, bamboo offers a solution that could definately take us back to a healthy equilibrium. This book gives a glance of its many uses and benefits. Anybody interested in life has got to take a dive into this amazing research. This book is literally, "the top of the iceberg."



4. I bought this for information on growing, fertilizing, diseases and such about the bamboo I already have, but quickly found that there is so much more, almost an extended poem on bamboo, history, legends, uses, etc. A marvelous reference for all lovers of bamboo.



5. This is a comprehensive treatise written with passion, and reminds me of "The Whole Earth Catalog" of the '60's, Mother Earth News, and various underground comics. Done in the best tradition of the good ole days. If you find info that is not in this book, you can write it on a sticky note and attach it to an inside cover.