5 comments about Perennials for Washington and Oregon.

1. I found this book very useful. I especially enjoyed the rear section that graphically showed the comparision between each plant. Plenty of photos and more specific than other books. Highy recomended.



2. This is an excellent book for novice perennial gardeners. The photos are great for identifying unknown plants. I would recommend this to anyone thinking of developing their own perennial garden--it definitely takes the guesswork out of choosing, planting, and growing them!



3. This book and its companion volume: "annuals" are my current garden favorites. I am a long-time fan of Marianne Binetti and these books are like taking her expertise as a "lazy gardener" to FlowerWorld or the garden show with you. I save money by not buying tempting plants that won't work here. The seed starting tips are also excellent.

   One suggestion for future editions: I had Kinkos cut and spiral bind my copies of these two books so they stay open on the table when I am reviewing catalogs or making lists or planting seeds. This 8.00 investment really makes them perfect.




4. I've bought a number of different gardening reference books over the years, but none has been as helpful as this book. Only 96 perenials are covered (not counting the variations of each plant.) Every one of them can be grown in the Pacific Northwest.

   Last week I decided that would finally get around to planting in the rocks around my little backyard pond. It didn't take long for me to identify a number of plants suitable for the rocks that could be planted in fall. Sure enough, I was able to find them all at the local garden center! This would have been an overwhelming task if I were using one of my big, more complete garden reference books.

   While most of the book is about the plants, the first sixty pages of the book has general information on gardening. The information is simple enough for the beginner, but comprehensive enough that all but the most advance gardener won't find something to consider. This section also has mini lists of plants suitable for some basic conditions, like sandy soil, or shade.

   I have absolutely no problems recommending this book to every homeowner in Washington and Oregon, especially those west of the Cascades.




5. It is informative on what perennials work well in the PNW and what extra care you need to know about them to make gardening a success.

1 comments about Private Gardens of Charleston.

1. If you haven't had the opportunity to see the beautiful gardens of Charleston in person, then this book should suffice until you can get there. Twenty-five private gardens are presented here with color photos and an essay for each. All of the elements that make these gardens so special - brick walls and pathways, neat boxwood hedges, colorful flowers like azaleas and camellias, fountains, wrought-iron gates and cobblestoned courtyards - are on delicious display. Various garden styles are represented here - classical, contemporary, an atrium garden and the garden of a palm collector are just a few examples. The author's own garden, featuring neat brick-edged beds filled with roses and perennials is included.

5 comments about American Cutting Garden: A Primer For Growing Cut Flowers Where Summers Are Hot And Winters Are Cold.

1. An American Cutting Garden provides in depth information for anyone interested in growing his own cut flowers. Whether you are a novice or a pro, this book offers practical advice that gardeners of all experience levels will enjoy. You'll no longer have to pour through book after book to decide what to grow and how to grow it. Everything you need to know about a cutting garden is contained in these pages.



2. Finally a book that helps me navigate through the garden with a bit of information that is useful.I had great success using this text as a tool to prepare my beds for spring and summer. My garden looked beautiful. I experimented with new plants well.



3. The new paperback has 28 new color photos with loads of different flowers in them, all identified in the captions and mentioned in the text!



4. Sensibly organized, this book was a terrific guide for a new grower like me. Though I've long been a gardening fan, I've rarely grown flowers for cutting and never with a plan. This helped make it managable and fun.



5. So many garden books so little time! Yet take time for McIntire's hands on common sense. McIntire has spent 14 years experimenting and learning. It's as if your friend had decided to help you get started. And she can write. No matter where you are gardening, McIntire's got tips to get you started and to increase your expertise if you have already begun. If you are a real novice get a copy of the American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants (ISBN 8789419432) which has all the pictures of all the plants. But, if you want to learn what to plant under what conditions and how to succeed no matter how small, how shaded, how unfavorable your conditions might be, McIntire will, with writing which approaches the garden writing greats in style, lead you in the right direction. Skill is not the secret. But McIntire will provide you with the skills she has developed and the love for the process of gardening that nurtures every gardener, new or old. Best of all she will not send you out to buy 18 irises at $18.00 each. You can start with packets of seed. She follows in the footsteps of Henry Mitchel and Elenor Perenyi. Yet she provides simple access. Any latin or common name can be found in her Index of Plants. If you wonder how to coordinate various plants so that you have things in bloom over the season, there is a Sequence of Bloom for all the plants mentioned. Now the paperback has 28 color pictures (buy the A to Z). Gardening is much more than the photos in books and catalogues. We don't have Vita Sackville West's gardeners. We don't live at White Flower Farm. We have a small plot of mediocre soil and hope. Suzanne McIntire will provide you with both the knowledge and the intangible sprit to produce a cutting garden with flowers you will love and cherish. Try it. Try it. You will see!

3 comments about Smart Garden Regional Guide: Southeast (American Horticultural Society Smartgarden Regional Garden Guides).

1. South-eastern gardeners won't want to miss the Society's Southeast Smartgarden Regional Guide, a reference to over 3,000 plants which grow well in the Southeast. With literally thousands of color photos accompanied by step-by-step gardening sequences and techniques, this is packed with fine detail.



2. This is a gorgeous book overflowing with beautiful color photos and sure to motivate any gardener. The intent is to help gardeners select plants that are compatible with specific growing conditions. It is comprised of three parts: Part 1 features "The Ten SmartGarden Tenets" which includes detailed sections on factors like assessing your site, choosing the best plants, working with nature, managing pests, keeping a garden journal, etc. The bulk of the book is Part 2 which is a plant selection catalog and features plants in every conceivable category (examples are "Drought Tolerant Trees," "Winter Flowering Shrubs," "Shrubs with Gray or Blue Foliage," "Vines for Small Arbors," etc.) Every plant has a photo and basic, general information is designated by a symbol. Part 3 covers gardening techniques with excellent step-by-step photos and directions on selecting plants, planting, pruning and propagation. Appendices includes gardening resources, web sites, horticultural organizations, and botanical gardens and arboreta in the U.S. The only issue I have from giving the book 5 stars is that even though the plant categories are endless, each section contains only about 8 or 10 plants and sometimes that just isn't enough to choose from. Still, the photos along are worth the price - this is a beautifully designed book.



3. Beautiful and very helpful book. I am very happy to have it in my reference book colection

No comments about Dank: the Quest for the Very Best Marijuana: A Breeder's Tale.

3 comments about Pink Ladies & Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses.

1. This little book is a delight and a treasure! I have read and re-read it several times, not to mention gifting it to several rose friends.
   
   The writing is informative, yet entertaining. The photographs are gorgeous and guaranteed to set a rose-lover off on a search for plants of their own. I recommend this one for your own collection, the night table in the guest room and to give to friends.



2. I bought this book as a gift for a flower loving friend. Even though she is not particularly into roses, it was such a beautifully illustrated and interestingly annotated piece that it was a real success. I just might get one for myself. It makes a great small coffee table book as each easily read description can be finished in just a few minutes. Its a truly wonderful little book.



3. Bought this for my mom as a gift after seeing it mentioned in Victoria magazine. It is a BEAUTIFUL book! Not too large, but with the nice paper and beautiful photos of a coffee table type book. She loved it - and that's what really counts!

2 comments about The Bird-Friendly Backyard: Natural Gardening for Birds : Simple Ways to Create a Bird Haven (Rodale Organic Gardening Book).

1. Gardeners who want their gardens to appear as a welcome mat for birds will find Natural Gardening For Birds provides basic tips on how to lay out a garden rich with food, water, and shelter for birds. Especially intriguing are the various charts showing the bird-friendly features of specific types of regional plants ranging from hedgerows to wildflowers, and making it easy for even novice gardeners to pair desired birds with desired gardens.



2. I have to admit, I was surprised to see the emphasis on native plants and was so glad I did. In past books by Rodale Press they didn't pay attention to this and it really bothered me. This book is great though- it talks to all sorts of different needs of birds - from nesting areas to food/water. It has lots and lots of fun facts about birds and their lifestyles/needs and info on feeders. And of course its packed with all sorts of great gardening ideas (bushes, hedgerows, "weeds", benefits of leaf piles, etc). Attention is given to different regions of the country as well. Super book for any bird lover!!

5 comments about Xeriscape Plant Guide: 100 Water-Wise Plants for Gardens and Landscapes.

1. This book rates a 5 star rating in regions other than the Desert. Xeriscape normally would indicate Desert plantings, however, this book is for the Denver, Rocky mtn. area. It is of little assistance to Desert Dwellers desire to landscape, however, it will be a nice addition to my plant library. As a Desert Dweller I give it a 1 star rating.



2. One myth about xeric design is that it requires the use of only cactus and rock. Not true! In fact, there are seven xeric concepts and these concepts can be applied in any landscape. They are;

   1. Pland and design for water conservation from the start. 2. Create practical turf areas. 3. Use plants that are appropriate for your area. 4. Consider adding soil improvements such as compost, manure, etc. 5. Use mulches where possible, such as wood chips, rock, etc. 6. Irrigate efficiently. 7. Plan for an appropriate maintenance system for your landscape.

   The Xeriscape Plant guide provides a lot of good information on low-water use plants for dry areas, which are not only found in the Sonoran Desert but in many other places in the west as well. The book provide details on companion plants, advantages and disadvantages of specific plants and even offers photos of specific plants in different seasons. It is part of a 3-book series,and all three are worth having if you are interested in specific information on low water plants, designing a xeric garden and providing the right kind of care.




3. I live in Colorado, 11 miles north of New Mexico. This book has been a wonderful resource for my xeric gardening. Each plant/tree/vine is decribed by: landscape use, form, native range, characteristics, culture (soil type, etc.), best features, companion plants, disadvantages, and related species. There are pictures of each plant in all 4 seasons.
   
   I take this book with me to plant nurseries and find that people are coming over to look at it and read about their possible purchases.
   
   I agree this is not a resource for the desert southwest but it is excellent for those living in the area from Denver to the middle of New Mexico who wish to learn about water-wise planting.



4. This is one of my favorite resources for adding plants to my garden in Albuquerque. While I have other plant guides that are better simply because they are more specific to my region, none match this one for beauty. This book is clearly a labor of love from a group of people who are hoping to advance xeric gardening in the Denver area. The information extends pretty well to planting zones 4-7, especially for dry, high altitude climates.
   
   The number of plants listed is a little low compared to other guides that I use, but the coverage of each plant is excellent - one or two full pages of text and pictures. The two-page entries generally include several pictures, including pictures from different seasons. There is also a color drawing of each plant, which makes it easier to see significant details and is helpful with identification. The text is also useful and well organized, but it is the pictures that I spend the most time browsing through.



5. This is one of the best books to reference for Colorado climates!! Or any xeric garden. Easy to read, great pictures, and descriptions. A+++

5 comments about Garden Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby.

1. I have bought seceral books on this subject. This book shines WAY above the rest that I have seen. On almost every page I am amazed with the great ideas and things I never thought of.
   If you get any book about how to get it done, get this one!!



2. This is a collection of beginner-oriented articles from Garden Railroading magazine. This is not a single "how-to" source as much as it is a source of encouragement. It is also a great companion to Allan Miller's book, as it fills in some of the (admittedly small) gaps and shows a few alternative ways to accomplish things. Many people appreciate the great photos, which also appeared in Garden Railways magazine at one time. Authors include Jack Verducci, Pat Hayward, Marc Horovitz, Kevin Strong and many other best-known writers on the subject of Garden Railroading.
   
   -Paul Race, editor for Family Garden Trains (tm)



3. Garden Railroading is a good place to start. It gave me some great general knowledge, but I have to admit it was missing some much needed information. I know nothing about small trains and was looking for more information as to the sizes available. Off to the hobby store (an hour away).



4. It is a good basic book for someone new to the hobby. And I'm about as new as you can get.I also found Getting Started in garden Railroading by Allan Miller, very helpful.



5. I bought this as part of a four book purchase including "Getting Started in Garden Railroading: Build the Railroad of Your Dreams... in Your Own Backyard" by Allan Miller (5 stars), Gorgeous Garden Railways" by Marc Horovitz and Pat Hayward (4 starts), and "Practical Garden Railways" by Peter Jones (2 stars).
   
   After ordering I found I already owned this book having bought it a few years ago and stored it in the basement when we moved. This book does a lot well. Lots of subject matter, plenty of pictures, and, despite the small print, an easy read. This almost got 5 stars but then I read Allan Miller's book and that was my new standard. Of the two however this is probably the better book for the beginner.

4 comments about Marijuana Outdoors : Guerilla Growing.

1. What a great book, easy to understand and I am a person who has to have it for my health. I found this book to be very helpful and I have been very successful in my growing because of his help. Jorge Cervantes is very smart and I hope more people with major health problems will concider buying this helpful manual.



2. What a great book, easy to understand and I am a person who has to have it for my health. I found this book to be very helpful and I have been very successful in my growing because of his help. Jorge Cervantes is very smart and I hope more people with major health problems will concider buying this helpful manual.



3. THIS BOOK IS THE PERFECT WAY TO START OFF. IF YOU HAVE NEVER CULTURED YOUR OWN MARIJUANA BEFORE



4. This is probably the most ill-formed book in general I have ever read, not to mention the worst grow book, period. The illustrations are CHEESY.
   The photographs are of poor quality, you can barely discern them. The information is general, contradictory, unorganized... I wouln't trust a thing in it, which is strange because Jorge Cervantes is a genius, and his previous publications prove his skill. But this book is a no-no. Go for another, and don't be afraid to spend the bucks. You want climate matched with plant variety with specific feeding instructions, and plenty of do's and dont's. If your info is poor then your fruit will suffer.