3 comments about Hydrangeas.

1. Every page has color pictures on it. The bulk of the book describes each variety of hydrangea. There's a little info on planting.



2. This is a terrific little inexpensive book on hydrangeas. It was published in 2001/2002 by a New Zealand horticulturist. The pictures are luscious and most are labeled with specific variety names. However, this is not just a coffee table book. It contains easy to understand, accurate information on growing hydrangeas. The chapter on pruning is excellent and includes a section on pruning tree form hydrangeas. I would highly recommend this book.



3. This is a wonderful and inexpensive book with many beautiful pictures and lots of useful information on hydrangeas. I will reference this book over and over.

No comments about Complete Guide to Trees and Shrubs (Miracle Gro).

2 comments about A Field Guide to Texas Trees (Gulf Publishing Field Guide Series).

1. Simpson's field guide is a comprehensive encyclopedic guide to trees "naturally" occuring in Texas. For each species, it provides a shaded map of its counties of occurrence, as well as one page summary of the tree's characteristics and habitats. The color plates (one for each species)are helpful but small. My only complaint is that the omitted general illustrations of the leaf, silhouette, flowers, and fruits of the various trees would have been of great usefullness to the amateur naturalist. Thus, this book must be paired with another to be of maximum utility in the field.



2. I am having losing 5 large Post Oaks Trees.I have had local Horticultist come by and look at my trees at our residence lot. I was told that construction around my 3 yr old house and fungus and may some hot dry summers may contribute.I know that I do not apply posion,lack of water or to much.I wish science to really what killed my large tall 60-75 ft.trees.

3 comments about Hydrangeas: A Gardener's Guide.

1. This is the most comprehensive source of information on hydrangeas that I have ever seen. There is detailed advice on every aspect of growing hydrangeas, including soil preparation, watering, and the effects of color in hydrangeas due to soil content. Generous illustrations show the different types of leaves on the various types of hydrangeas. The most valuable part of the book is a section devoting a full page to specific varieties and shows a photo, characteristics in chart format and a detailed narrative description. This book is well worth the price!



2. This is the best book on hydrangeas in print today. Only one other (Hydrangeas, by Millet) even comes close. Because this book is so well organized, it is extemely easy to learning all about hydrangeas - their botanical structure, the different species and how they grow. One can immediately see the differences between hydrangeas - how large they will get, how large their blooms will be, what colors they might become, and the shape of the bloom. The illustrations are beautiful and leave one dreaming of a garden full of these beauties.



3. I like this book, but don't love it. I would have liked to have more information on an extended variety of Hydrangeas. However, not knowing the species names maybe I misunderstood. It is useful in how to care for, plant, and choose the right plant. I would recommend it for a Hydrangea lover.

No comments about Shrubs & Climbers (DK Garden Guides).

4 comments about Dogwoods: The Genus Cornus.

1. Written by the former horticulture director of the Bernheim Arboretum and award-winning gardener and horticulture expert Don Shadow, Dogwoods is an in-depth guide to dogwood trees and shrubs, which have been immensely popular as ornamental plants especially since the 18th and 19th centuries. Offering an overview of all dogwoods of horticultural note, including species of trees, shrubs and groundcovers, and illustrated with more than two hundred gorgeous, full-color photographs, Dogwoods is the perfect guidebook for determining the type of dogwood best suited for one's garden and highly recommended for anyone interested in cultivating these beautiful plants. A highly informative species-by-species detail, intended especially for gardeners but accessible to lay readers as well. All gardeners would be well advised to send for the free Timber Press catalog for a complete listing of their titles.



2. This comprehensive book is a must for anyone considering raising or breeding dogwoods. Indeed, anyone setting aside the money and space for a dogwood tree should first look at this book, or perhaps one other: The only source I know of that comes close is the "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" by Michael A. Dirr. Naturally, this book, which looks only at dogwoods, includes some cultivars not covered by Dirr, and has about 2 or 3 times as much text as Dirr does for each cultivar.
   
   The sort of info covered? Depth of information varies, but basically: Breeder or introducer; whether it's a sport of another named variety; height, width and form; flower, berry and foliage description (size, color and shape); flower density; blooming period; often word on resistance or otherwise to various fungi; patent number, if applicable (some varieties are not yet patented or even available for sale, but are included due to the authors' opinion of their superior merit); and whether the cultivar is a "bogus" name or copy of another cultivar.
   
   This book also has lovely photos (The Dirr book has only some line drawings, although Dirr has other, also excellent books, with color photos, but which are far less comprehensive). Not every variety has a photo; many have just a close-up of a flower with bracts; others include a photo of the overall look of the tree in bloom, or with autumn color, or close-ups of autumn berries. It really helps to have 3 or 4 photos to judge a cultivar properly. If one were to fault the book for anything it would be for not having 3 big photos for all of the (non-bogus) cultivars, but then it would weigh -- and cost -- twice as much.



3. The book contains a good description of Dogwood cultivars. I found it useful for identification purposes. Pathologies affecting Cornus are also well described. On the other hand I found that cultural techniques are insufficiently addressed.



4. It's a great book for plant geeks and more casual gardners as well. Unfortunately, I think it's written from the perspective of a Southern gardner, so the information is often very much slanted to dogwwod growers from the South and to a lesser extent, the East Coast. I live in the Pacfic NW and I was looking for some in-depth information on our native dogwoods, the Pacific Flowering Dogwood and Bunchberry (Red Osier dogwood is hard to kill here so I didn't need too much help with it). Their discussion of the Pacific Dogwood is very brief, taking up about one page. Same goes for Bunchberry. With both species, they determine that they're very hard to grow in the South. Oh well, it's still a good book with lots of good information and beautiful photos. If you are a fan of the Eastern and Asian dogwood varieties, this is the book for you!

5 comments about Indoor Bonsai For Beginners: Selection * Care * Training.

1. This may be the worst Bonsai Book ever written. The tree on the front cover is a prime example of what a Bonsai tree is not supposed to look like. The tree is a young Ficus with no taper to the trunk. The branches grow straight up and the style is all wrong. Most importantly are the horrible scars on the branches from leaving the wires on too long. The book is very generic and really doesn't give enough information to create a heathly and well trained tree. If you have shown enough interest in Bonsai to pursue more information on the Art of Bonsai then you have already outgrown this book. Avoid this book, and buy a tree instead.



2. The first part of this book is general information and it is written for indoor bonsais. The pictures of the bonsais are of smaller trees, not the large bonsai trees that you see in many books. These are trees that the average person can have in their home. I think that indoor bonsais are smaller than outdoor bonsais. The author says much of the fascination of this hobby is derived from the experience of watching a plant grow. So the first section he describes in detail how to grow a bonsai from the very beginning.
   
   An indoor bonsai does not mean that it lives indoors all year. All bonsais grow better if they are outside as long as your area will permit. An indoor bonsai is one that can live in the house during the winter without a dramatic set back. Outdoor bonsais on the other hand must spend the winter out doors. If you try to keep them in the house for the winter they will eventually die. Most bonsai books include many of the indoor bonsais, but they don't label them as indoor bonsais and they don't tell you how to keep them thriving in the house for the winter.
   
   The second section is the "A-Z of Indoor Bonsai Species". There are 45 indoor bonsais in this book. Each bonsai has a brief description of the tree or shrub. Position, Soil, Watering, Feeding, Training, Acquiring a plant, and Pest are described for each bonsai. It ends with any particular features that make it suitable for training as a bonsai. There is a picture for each bonsai described. The name and age of the bonsai are under each picture.
   
   There are not many books that are devoted to indoor bonsais. The section on each species gives you good information. There is more information in this book than you will often find in a larger book. It's a good book for indoor bonsais. This book is not only for beginners it is for anyone who wants to learn more about how to care for indoor bonsai.



3. This is an excellent step by step book for the absolute beginner of either a "gift" bonsai or a gardner wanting to learn and play. I followed the instructions given and my birthday gift is doing beautifully, three months later. Originally I checked out about six books on bonsais from the library to find the most helpful before I bought; this book covered everything I needed.



4. This was a gift for my wife who expressed a desire to start some Bonsai. She was impressed with this choice for a beginner!



5. I just bought my wife her first bonsai and bought this book to help. She has been reading the book- following the directions in the book - buying the recommended items - and the bonsai is doing well. Maybe I should wait 6 months or a year to do this review but at the beginning it is looking like the book is helpful

5 comments about Continuous Color: A Month-by-Month Guide to Shrubs and Small Trees for the Continuous Bloom Garden.

1. When Continuous Bloom was released a couple of years ago, my gardening friends and I thought we'd died and gone to heaven. It was the first book ever to speak to the Midwestern perennial garndener, and to do so with such beautiful pictures and in a way we could understand, and actually take to the garden store and into our gardens with us. I never thought Pam Duthie would top Bloom,until I read her newest book, Continuous Color. It's the perfect complement to her first book, with pictures as beautiful building on the great design ideas laid out in "Color". Like "Bloom", "Color" gives the gardner many practical ideas for implementing beautiful shrubs into any landscape. I believe this book is a must have for any gardener, new or experienced.



2. I must be honest and tell you that I'm the editor of this book, so my rating is potentially biased. But I did want to let everyone know that the spiral edition of Continuous Color has laminated pages and cover, making it incredibly water and dirt resistant. It's ideal for taking out to the garden. Sure, it costs a little more than the hardcover edition (which is not laminated), but it's very practical for the hands-on gardener, and is very popular with attendees of the author's seminars.



3. I was very disappointed with this book. It is primarily a list of the author's favorite shrubs organized by month of best color. The quality of the pictures is uneven: some are good but others are too shadowed, or the plant blends into the background, or the shrub described is so hidden by other plants its features can't be seen. The plant descriptions and growing information are both pretty basic, the details easily gleaned from catalogs. The "Insider's Tips" are sometimes informative but way, way too short - if the author is an expert with these shrubs she should share more of that expertise here. The listing of 2 or 3 plants in each of the "Combines With" sections is valuable however, but overall this book is overpriced and uninformative.



4. I love Pam Duthie's books! She really does a wonderful job in presenting the various plants. The back of the book also has great plant info to help design unique gardens with tons of useful plant info. Great design category for color, wet, dry conditions....it's really the best book I've ever seen.
   Tanya



5. A friend recommended this book. This is absolutely the best garden book I have obtained to date. It is very explanatory, easy to read, and just overall informative. I'd recommend it to everyone!!

3 comments about Ortho's All About Shrubs and Hedges (Ortho's All About Gardening) (Ortho's All About Gardening).

1. This book, along with Susan Roth's Four-Season Landscapes convinced me to use shrubs for the backbone of my garden, and to add perennials for sparkle. Has good lists to help in shrub selection: for esample, Shrubs for Fall Color, Shrubs with Showy Leaves, etc. Half the book, 45 pages, is a shrub selection guide with color photos, the necessary factual info, and recommended cultivars. Not a coffee table book, but one to refer to again and again. Ortho's Perennial book is good, too.



2. I found the book is separated into 3 sections. The First third is about landscaping techniques for various locations of your property, the second third is basic care, pruning, planting, and transplanting techniques, and the last third is a photo gallery of shrubs along with their names, and care instructions. Overall its a great starter book and I find myself carrying this book with me to all the nurseries to use as reference. However, this book is thin and can only cover a limited amount of shrubs. I would have seperated the last third from the first two and made 2 books, once you read the landscaping and planting sections the only reason you hold this book is for the photo gallery. For a more complete photo reference I would recommend Dirr's Hardy Tree and Shrubs book, and use the Ortho book as a supplement.



3. This book will not only show you how to plan a nice garden, but also takes a good look at 95% of the most popular shrubs you would ever want for your garden. If you're a beginner, be cautioned that it doesn't tell you upfront whether or not each plant is evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous, which is very important, though it generally will tell you if the plant IS evergreen; my complaint is that they should have listed this feature in the header for each plant. They don't spend as much time as I'd like on each shrub and I'd like to see at least 2 photos of each shrub, but NOBODY does that anyway and they still do a good job. This book is valuable to your shrub planning, so I'd buy this and Taylor's 50 Best Shrubs and you'll have the 2 books you need. Also, they should have added a USDA zone map.

4 comments about An Illustrated Guide to Maples (Illustrated Guides).

1. The Timber Press has been putting out lavishly printed volumes (full color on glossy paper) for awhile now. With this book they appear to have lifted the publishing of fine books to a new level. They not only found a group of people dedicated to their subject and to fine photography who captured the saillant features in almost invariably excellent pictures, but also managed to find a layout to do these pictures full justice. Basically (almost) every maple species (or subspecies) has two pages devoted to it (or a multiple of that): a page of text and a page of pictures. Where more pages are devoted to a single maple sometimes a full page is devoted to a single picture, but this is the exception. Usually there are several pictures per page with large pictures of habit and smaller pictures of detail. The effect is quite splendid. A quick browse through the text reveals nothing out of place, with a recent classification being followed, although I suspect that a really close look will show up nitpickingly small errors. All in all this is really magnificent maple book, with a considerable wow!-factor.



2. THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO MAPLES is far more than the definitive book on all of the 250 species of this favorite tree for all seasons. It stands solidly as an art book for environmentalists, arborists, and lovers of color photography.
   
   In his Introduction Antoine Le Hardy De Beaulieu presents a warmly written history of the maple trees, with special attention to the areas of the world where this ubiquitous genus appears. Then follows a beautifully organized guide to each of the many species, with not only lush color photographs of the trees in the environment but also with close up views of specifics that assist the gardener in identifying each tree. Then at the end of this large volume considerable space is devoted to landscape placements of these magnificent trees that not only offer suggestions to planners, but also can be viewed as fine art photography. Highly Recommended volume. Grady Harp, January 2005



3. Enjoyed this book. Look forward to other plant books by this author. Especially if he does Viburnums as stated on the flap of the Maple book.



4. This is a wonderful book that provides more pictures than text. It was just perfect, showing close up pictures of the leaves, seeds, fruit, branches and trunks for the different seasons. The pictures assist with the identification of the species (or subspecies). The pictures are full gloss on a high quality paper.