2 comments about Paradise Found: Growing Tropicals in Your Own Backyard.

1. This is the best book on tropical gardening I have ever found. It has beautiful pictures & also lists what plants to group together to make a showplace out of your yard. Also tells you which plants are cold hardy! The cold hardiness is something that a lot of books fail to mention, which means constantly looking through reference books for more info. This book goes with me everytime I go to purchase plants. Excellent book!



2. This book is an excellent collection of tropical garden plant types and the zones they do best in. It will give you an idea of the zones many tropical plants and sub-tropical plants will do best in, however, some will even do well outside of the specified zones if they are in a microclimate. It also contains information on how to propogate many of the plants therein.
   
   If I had one bit of advice for the author, it would be interesting to re-organize the book by zone, such that those who live in various zones could easily find which tropical style plants are best suited for their particular zone (as well as which are in an adjacent zone and therefore might make it if given a bit of a micro-climate).
   
   Oveall, a great addition to my tropical gardening library!

4 comments about Accessible Gardening for People With Physical Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants.

1. Janeen Adil's book is an excellent source for those persons with disabilities and/or those who live or assist persons with special needs. This book's methods can be used both in a private home setting or in an institution's horticultural therapy program



2. This is a visually appealing book, starting with the cover, which demonstrates a gardener's ability and success in accessible gardening!The paper is brighter than most and the print is clear. This book is designed to give you specific ideas, aids, and the source to obtain them! It is full of B&W photos that show people gardening, while using the various products! It is a readable book for beginner gardeners. It is a helpful book for advanced gardeners that need to modify their gardening for increased accessibility. They need to print a revised edition to include more ideas and product update. The initial building of items would probably require help or hiring out.



3. I was disappointed in the content of this book. It merely covers basic gardening. I was hoping it would cover some tips on accessible gardening for people with disabilities. It does mention some ideas on how to achieve that but the techniques they offer is outdated. The techniques they mention usually require costly physical modifications which can be somewhat frustrating to pursue. If you are really interested in gardening but have some physical limitations, there are products out there that are already adapted to your needs. There are many gardening tools that have extended and ergonomically desinged handles at Home Depot. There are also products that are ergonomically desinged if you have arthritis. Its better to do an internet search for these up to date products that spending a dollar on this book. Buy yourself a real gardening book and do an internet search on how to modify your garden and your tools.



4. Although Adil's book provides excellent information on accessible gardening at any age, it is in the area of gardening with children with disabilities that she excels. It is one of the very few books that even addresses this issue.
   
   She devotes a complete chapter to "Children and Gardening". Because her own child was born with spina bifida, she brings a very knowledgeable approach to gardening with children. The information is both practical in terms of tools, design, and activities. But she also looks at the psychological and physical benefits of gardening for children.
   
   Most books concerning gardening with disabilities usually ignore children's special needs, but this provides aid for parents, care-givers, and educators who want to introduce the joys of gardening to children.
   
   The only reason for 4 stars is that some of the resources provided have changed since its 1994 printing, but the basic usefulness of this book has not diminished at all.

5 comments about The Truth About Garden Remedies: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why.

1. I read this book after reading several others by a so-called master gardener who recommends mixing up various potions in the kitchen. I'm glad I haven't used any of the old-time remedies, because I could have destroyed my garden in numerous ways. Beer, alcohol, ammonia used for house cleaning, and vinegar can all harm plants, although they are recommended for liberal use in the other books.
   
   This book explains what helps and hurts your plants, and why. This will save you lots of trouble, time, and money. Ditch the old superstitions and go with what works!



2. I throughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a lot of fun reading how the author has gone about dismantling most of the long held garden remedies. However I cannot say I learned a lot since I was already convinced (but now I have the proof!!!) that most of them do not work



3. In an era where anti-intellectualism is on the march, where many people on both the conservative and liberal wings equate education to elitism and oppression, it's become increasingly difficult to stand for rationalist and scientific thinking. Keeping up on the latest in ecological science is almost pointless for a lay person, since the entire public face of the subject is an echo chamber of accusations of conspiracy and cover-up. In the face of all that, organic growing has grown mightily as agricultural science is tarred by association with the corrupt giants of agribusiness such as Monsanto. After all, natural is better than synthetic, right? So all-natural must be better... right?
   
   I was wary when I first saw this book. Sad as it is, "truth" has become a loaded word in the modern press -- too often a book that purports to tell you the "truth" is little more than a fringe polemic, more political than evidence-based in nature, raving about cover-ups and frauds and gushing with prejudice and paranoia. This is not that sort of book. Jeff Gillman, a University of Minnesota professor of horticulture (and therefore a card-carrying member of The Conspiracy) puts forth a simple, well-researched book on gardening techniques in the tradition of skeptical writers such as James Randi, Carl Sagan, and Martin Gardner, with critical examinations of many gardening tips and nostrums both commercial and homemade. They're graded individually (from one to five flowers) based on how they conform to the body of scientific knowledge; extensive journal references are provided to allow the persistent reader to judge the facts for themselves. Among the findings: hydrogels do nothing useful as far as supplying water to plants; soaps, used as pesticides, can actually be dangerous to plants; organic and synthetic fertilizers are about equally useful and suffer from the same problems as synthetics; tobacco insecticides work but are expensive and rather toxic; and praying mantises are a terribly inefficient method for natural insect control, as they don't like to congregate.
   
   Despite the mildly unfortunate title, this is a great book to have for any gardener who needs a guidebook to the body of gardening advice out there. There's a lot of advice out there, good and bad, and this book (and its sequel) are absolutely essential to anyone who needs to figure out whether that Jerry Baker recipe they're reading is any good. (Baker is never mentioned by name, but the ingredients in his concoctions seldom get better than mezza-mezza ratings.) Some investigation of things like biodynamics (basically a mixture of organic gardening and dime-store witchcraft) would be helpful, but he's got another book out too, and I've got that on order.



4. I loved this book - I don't like to buy something I can make myself and I like to tinker in the garden. This book explains lots of agricultural science building blocks in a very informal, accessible manner - information that would usually only be available through heavy textbooks or a degreed horticulturist. I have a better understanding of soil, pH, nutrient availability, how fertilizers work, and more. It has the feeling of a friendly professor who really wants a beginner to understand spending a weekend sharing as much as you can digest.



5. This garden remedies book was very helpful in determining which products to use in my garden and which were just a waste of my time and money. The author really took the time to experiment with different remedies to see whether or not they worked. It's a great resource.

5 comments about The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas.

1. The author makes a concerted effort to bring to you the vast numbers of hostas available today in a concise way. The book is designed to assist you in finding the hosta that best suites your needs. It does not meet the definition of an Encyclopedia, the species and cultivars are not arranged alphabetically, however in alphabetical order by the way they look, an informative work but not an encyclopedia. So the name of the book is yet another marketing ploy. For me, I can only use the book by way of index. It does have some information that's hard to find elsewhere. They make a darn good hit at getting info on some of the best hostas available and some that are barely available. It is not a five star book but it is a solid four star. The pictures woo the ladies but men want content, we know that a hosta may only look that way for one week in spring.



2. A wonderfull reference book. I was finally able to identify some of my hosta's correctly. More important I now have a list of the ones I want.



3. I am thrilled with this book. I am highlighting the ones in my garden and several of my family and friends are using their own colors to highlight their hostas. What a nice record of our gardens. I'm glad I found the book. And I got it in only two days!



4. Beautiful photos, lots of info. Wish there was an updated version of this book with info on all the newer hosta varieties.



5. This book is a valuable asset for every Hosta collector. Moreover, it is much cheaper than if I had bought it in Europe, where the price is 50 !
   Thank you Amazon.com

No comments about Jerry Baker's Bug Off!: 2,193 Super Secrets for Battling Bad Bugs, Outfoxing Crafty Critters, Evicting Voracious Varmints and Much More! (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series).

3 comments about You Can Grow African Violets: The Official Guide Authorized by the African Violet Society of America, Inc..

1. An African Violet book that is all meat. The authors are professional growers who know their stuff and who remember what it was like to kill off a few violets when they were beginners. They expertly guide a beginner through the pitfalls of growing their first plants, then offer tips to experts grooming their plants for entry into an African Violet convention. This book doesn't stop with African Violet horticulture-the authors also discuss the judging of violets at a show, using them in dish gardens and terrariums, ordering quality violets through the mail and online, etc. which was a lot more than I was expecting. I am an experienced grower and found their advice spot on.



2. I have been reading the columns of Joyce and Kent Stork in African Violet Magazine ever since they began writing them over ten years ago. They have done a mammoth job assembling all the knowledge that they have shared with their readers into this book that is a "must-have" addition to any African violet aficionado's and connoisseur's library. It contains a treasury of knowledge on every aspect of growing our most popular houseplant. I own a number of books about the love and care of this plant - from Helen van Pelt to Melvin Robey to Pauline Bartholomew. This delightfully written, easy to read book moves way up to the top of my list.



3. The book was helpful and reinforced the things I did know about; however the book was also slightly difficult to 'search and find' certain issues.

4 comments about Plant Propagation A to Z: Growing Plants for Free.

1. I love this book. Beautiful color photos of propagation. We use this in our class for Master Gardeners for reference. I like the way it has seperate lists for cuttings and division and seed germination. This makes it for fast look up. I bought one for home use too. The reference part tells season to do propagation,strike time or germination time and temp. All around good reference guide.



2. Filled with lots of photos and charts. Very thorough listings broken down by propagation category (seed, cutting, division etc) and genus listing best time, requirements, time required etc. I've been a plantaholic for about 25 years and was amazed at how much the book had to offer. With all of the photos, charts and descriptions it should be detailed enough for the beginner too.



3. This is a great book for beginners as well as the seasoned gardener. Very easy to understand language and a lot of pictures. Anyone who has ever considered propagating their own plants either from seed to grafting should really consider buying this book.



4. I think this is a great book for beginner to intermediate gardeners. It's all that 90% of the people out there would ever need. The book describes several methods of propagation, then gives lists of plants and what methods to use. It doesen't cover some exotic plants, but then most people aren't trying to grow very exotic plants. I recommend it.

1 comments about The Trees of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide (Reference and Field Guides) (Reference and Field Guides).

1. The Trees of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide - is a wonderful book. I can now identify the trees in my area. Great color photos and logical design. Very helpful.

5 comments about Botanical Latin.

1. As the quote says: "This book aims to provide a working guide to the special kind of Latin internationally used by botanists for the description and naming of plants." As such it has little or no competition and by itself sets the standard in the field.

   Obviously it is not a dictionary, nor is it about plant names. For those wanting to look up current plants and their taxonomic status there is the invaluable "The plant-book" by D.J.Mabberley. For the derivation of botanical names there is "Stearn's dictionary of plant names for gardeners" by this same W.T.Stearn. Another very commendable dictionary (for a related field) is "Composition of Scientific Words" by R.W.Brown.




2. Ever wonder what those Latin botanical names actually mean? Well, this book will reveal it all. It's thick and heavy, but that's to be expected of such a thorough and exhaustive treatment of the subject. Not only are there dictionaries, but also chapters on grammar, syntax, and history, and even a section on Greek words in botanical Latin. Whether you're a professional botanist, a student, or a serious amateur, this learned tome will be a valuable reference book for your library.



3. I was given this book by a 'fellow plant person' as a helpful hand through grad 'skool'. I truly wish I'd had known about this book years ago when I starting to ID plants, lichens and mosses!! It would have made the process of learning a new language less intimidating! Knowing the definition of a root word is so important and applicable in areas outside of botany. - Knowing the meaning of a root word has been helpful to my English as a second langauge students. Don't let the word 'Latin' scare ya, this book is the dictionary. It is a tool not a great story unless you're into the development and history of language. It has come to be a great reference book, even my grad advisor is interested in it.



4. This is the best book readily available on scientific Latin, not just botanical Latin. Great lists, glossary, etc.



5. This is a great book, but much understanding of the subject is needed before hand for a person to really get much out of it. It is a great purchase for serious horticulturists, but if you are just a weekend gardener this is not the book for you. If you specialize in a certain Genera and more knowledge of specie name basis is what you want this is a good buy.

5 comments about The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World.

1. Wow! This book is incredible, a treat for the eyes and imagination!



2. This book is huge and a most for garden reference. It's organized in seven chapters that will impress all kind of taste:
   
   The New Classicism: Magical gardens from places such as NY, Spain, Germany...+
   The New Traditionalism: Enchanting pictures from NY, IL, France, Japan...+
   The New Naturalism: Beautiful gardens from NY, Idaho, France, Arizona, England.
   The Plantsmen: Magnificent proposals from New England, California, The Netherlands...+
   Personal Visions: NY, California, and Texas
   The Cottage Garden Reinvented: Lovely gardens from England, France and Ireland.
   The New Modernism: The best and trendiest gardens of California.
   
   You'll be able to see some of the best gardens from places such as Arizona to Japan. Some of my favorites gardens where from England, The Netherlands and France.
   
   The text is pleasant to read and full of details no only about the flowers portrayed but also to the architect and artist that created such beauty. The balance of text and picture is excellent. The quality of the pictures is excellent, full pages pictures trout the book. House and Gardens did a tremendous job and it's absolutely clear that the took at least ten times the number of pictures in the book since you'll only see the best angle and light possible for each picture.
   
   The only con is the lacks of tropical gardens since most part of the book are focus on the northern hemisphere.



3. I have just finished writing the ZEN OF WATERING YOUR GARDEN. Which some may consider a "coffee table book" but it is really a challenge to the reader to get out and garden. This book of private gardens is filled with beautiful grdens which i think are nice to look at but untenable for any gardener to achieve.



4. My father is a landscaper and loves to travel to see gardens. I bought this as a Christmas gift and he loves the book.



5. This book is a collection of stunning photographs of private gardens from around the world that were created by top garden designers of our time. Although most of us can't afford to hire a world-class designer, these photos provide inspiration for our own creations and enjoyment just paging through the spectacular photos.
   
   The book contains a variety of design styles (traditional, cottage, modern, natural, etc) and showcases gardens from locations including England, France, the Netherlands, Japan and the US as well as many others. Each garden has its own subchapter in the book with approximately ten or so pages of pictures and text describing the designer's style and philosophy and how this was used in the garden.
   
   This is a huge, oversized book with over 400 pages capturing 35 gardens. It is a gorgeous book that serves as a great garden "dream book"!