Pots in the Garden: Expert Design and Planting

Book Description

No longer a technique just for apartment dwellers or novice gardeners, the use of ornamental containers on decks, patios, terraces, and in the garden itself can save time, space, and money, while offering experienced home gardeners unique creative challenges, site flexibility, and experimental fun. Author and award-winning horticulturist Ray Rogers takes you on an engaging exploration into basic design principles as well as how to create focal points, use water, exploit the potential of empty containers, and more. Stunning photographs by Richard Hartlage provide guidance and inspiration, as well as visually explaining each principle. Gardeners at every level of experience will find inspiration and instruction in this comprehensive book.

Customer Reviews:

Pure inspiration.......2007-08-21

Yet another really fine book from Timber Press. I'll spend long, dark winter evenings wandering through these pages, absorbing the wisdom of the writers and generating ideas for next spring. Gorgeous photographs, too.

Gorgeous book and inspired arrangements.......2007-07-30

I purchased several gardening books together and this one was the highlight. Not only beautifully photographed but full of interesting suggestions and writing. My husband and I were able to immediately use some of the arrangements as inspiration for a new bed in our garden. Turned out beautifully!

Enjoyed it all.......2007-05-14

The book is an excellent reference source. Photos are beautiful. Numbering the pictures with the description very helpful. Lovely coffee table book. I have told other gardeners to seek the book out.

container gardening.......2007-03-14

(This review focuses on the photographs in "Pots in the Garden.")
Picture quality is very good throughout the book, and in parts I and II ("the elements of design" and "bringing it all together") the picture content is excellent as well.
Unlike most container gardening books this one neither details container plantings nor uses captions, instead it inconspicuosly numbers each picture and then conspicuosly puts the number in the text with its corresponding description. Garden styles represented vary but the bold, Little-and-Lewis-type modernists lead the way, and even if this isn't your favorite style of garden you will probably love the containers featured in them!
What really sets this book apart is the variety of pots featured. Terra cotta and stone/concrete are great, and the English gardening books display some wonderful copper and lead, but those of you who especially love high quality glazed/rustic containers and know that it is not all that easy to find good examples of them will be happy to add this book to your collection.
The reasons I didn't give 5 stars are the book's slightly smallish size (9 1/4 x 8 1/2) and its 3rd part ("plant groups for containers") which, though it has some very interesting and unique plant picks (dark purple/black perennial clematis?), does not show most of them in containers; admittedly difficult to do, but David Joyce's "The Complete Container Garden" sure did it well. That's about eighty pages where pots are rarely pictured.
Overall a beautiful and inspiring book at a very good price.

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques

Average customer rating:

Very helpful
Well worth having
A wonderful book I refer to it constantly
Garden lover's delight
The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques
Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs
Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start
Encyclopedia of Perennials
Caring for Perennials: What to Do and When to Do it
Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

ASIN: 0881928038

Book Description

With more than 130,000 copies sold since its original publication, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden has proven itself to be one of the most useful tools a gardener can have. Now, in this expanded edition, there's even more to learn from and enjoy. This is the first, and still the most thorough, book to detail essential practices of perennial care such as deadheading, pinching, cutting back, thinning, disbudding, and deadleafing, all of which are thoroughly explained and illustrated. More than 200 new color photographs have been added to this revised edition, showing perennials in various border situations and providing images for each of the entries in the A-to-Z encyclopedia of important perennial species. In addition, there is a new 32-page journal section, in which you can enter details, notes, and observations about the requirements and performance of perennials in your own garden. Thousands of readers have commented that The Well-Tended Perennial Garden is one of the most useful and frequently consulted books in their gardening libraries. This new, expanded edition promises to be an even more effective ally in your quest to create a beautiful, healthy, well-maintained perennial garden.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful.......2007-10-05

I have only had this a few weeks but already have referred to it many times. It gives very practical information in a forthright manner. Definitely a great addition to my gardening library.

Well worth having.......2007-10-01

Tracy's use of the latin name as opposed to the common name is a little un-nerving for a begginer- like me - but it is one way to drum it into you so that when you go to the nursery you will find what you truly want... plus the detail to specific plants is amazing. Appendix C is worth the price of the book alone...

A wonderful book I refer to it constantly.......2007-09-30

I bought this book for my Mother-in-law and she wrote 'The information is set out in a concise format which is easily referenced. It is packed with information to help you get the most from your perennials. It is a wonderful book and I refer to it constantly.'

Garden lover's delight.......2007-09-07

I love this book! It is as beautiful as it is informational. It is delightful to read to the work of a master who can convey her heart as well as her technical skills. I am pleased to add it to my gardening book treasures.

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques.......2007-09-07

I really like this book. It is very informative and was what I was looking for.

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening

Average customer rating:

A Must Have for the Gardner's Library
Katy loves "Carrots love Tomatoes "
Notthing special
useful reference book
... and veggie gardeners just love companion planting!

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening
Louise Riotte
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Roses Love Garlic: Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers
Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
All New Square Foot Gardening
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener

ASIN: 1580170277

Amazon.com

This gardening classic was first published in 1975, and now a second generation of gardeners who prefer pest-resistant planning to chemicals will find a place for it on the shelves. Not only does it tell what to plant with what, but also how to use herbal sprays to control insects, what wild plants to encourage in the garden, how to grow fruit and nut trees, how to start small plots or window-box gardens, and much more. It's one of the most practical books around for any gardener of edibles, no matter how serious or casual.

Book Description

This classic has now taught generations of gardeners how to use the natural benefits of plants to protect and support each other. Here is a reader's complete reference to which plants nourish the soil, which keep away bugs and pests, and which plants just don't get along. Here is a complete guide to using companion planting to grow a better garden. 555,000 copies in print.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have for the Gardner's Library.......2007-07-19

Great book. Very informative. I highly recommend anyone who likes to garden, or even those who just want to landscape their yards.

Katy loves "Carrots love Tomatoes ".......2007-06-14

Really A good Guide... I work hard in my garden.. so I want the best results
this book helps me to do this!

Notthing special.......2007-06-09

I was disappointed that this book offered no scientific evidence for companion planting, and offered little more information than you could easily find for free on the internet. I read this book, took a few notes and then sold it immediately. Not one for the shelf.

useful reference book.......2007-05-23

I was hoping for a book that would be an interesting read. This one is more like reference book. It is comprehensive, but kind of like reading a dictionary. I would recommend it because it has useful knowledge, but if you want a gardening book that you can read and relax with, this one probably won't do it.

... and veggie gardeners just love companion planting!.......2007-05-23

True, there are many edible plants and herbs that Louise Riotte does not mention in her wonderful 'Carrots love tomatoes', and true again, her hot and humid part of the world is not the same as the cool, flat countryside
of Holland's extreme North (where I live). So, she doesn't write about witlof (white chicory roots) or our wonderful brands of kale, but what she DOES write about it absolutely amazing. In my view companion planting is one of the basic principles - and such a sympathetic one! - to create a healthy garden. And what better haven, to enjoy everyday, by yourself and with others? Good on you, Louise!
Alma
[...].

The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World

Average customer rating:

A tour around the best gardens in the world
The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World
Great Private Gardens of the World
The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World
Big book, big gardens, big budgets

The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World
Dominique Browning , and The Editors of House & Garden
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Gardens in the Spirit of Place
The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World
English Gardens of the Twentieth Century: From the Archives of Country Life
Great Gardens of the World: In Search of Paradise
Robert A. M. Stern: Houses and Gardens

ASIN: 0393059391

Book Description

A celebration in words and breathtaking images of thirty-five landscapes created for private clients by today's preeminent designers.

This is a time of renewed originality in garden design. The last twenty years have seen a lucky confluence of money and talent lavished on gardening, and the results are surprising, enchanting, sometimes even controversial. The range of possibilities suggested by these thirty-five gardens is extraordinary: from Jacques Wirtz's undulating beech hedges that recede mysteriously into the mist to Penelope Hobhouse's latest interpretation of the traditional English garden, to Martha Schwartz's Texas creation of red, yellow, and pink painted garden rooms.

These hidden masterworks of modern gardening are unlocked for us by the authority, experience, and resources of House & Garden magazine. Every page is an invitation to explore landscapes that have never before been seen by the public—and may never be seen again. International in scope and lavish in its production, this book is the last word on the state of design in the garden world. 340 color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

A tour around the best gardens in the world.......2007-05-08

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.

The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World.......2007-05-07

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

Great Private Gardens of the World.......2007-01-29

This is a beautiful book anyone would be pleased to have. The quality of the photos is splendid. Most enjoyable.

The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World.......2007-01-03

Book is really interesting and has a lot of beautiful full-page photographs. Makes a great gift for everybody, not only for gardening fans!

Big book, big gardens, big budgets.......2006-02-28

This coffee table book features private gardens and estates of the wealthy who have the funds to hire the most talented garden designers in the world to realize their visions. Most of the gardens featured are in the U.S. although a few are in England and Japan. Chapters are divided by varying styles, such as classicism, traditionalism, naturalism, cottage garden, modernism, etc. It is an eclectic collection, from minimalist elegance to lush romantic woodlands. Sculptures, art work, water features and stone work are a feature in many.

Chapter names tout the garden designer which includes such talents as Patrick Chasse, Dan Pearson, Jacques Wirtz, Dan Kiley, Piet Oudolf, Martha Swartz, Sarah Raven, Christian Louboutin, Isabelle Greene, Penelope Hobhouse, Topher Delaney and Steve Martino. The owners of the gardens are rarely mentioned (with the exception of actors Brad Pitt and Tim Curry and a few others). Although the text is often stuffy and oft-putting, the photographs alone are reason enough to purchase the book. This beautiful book is wonderful for garden dreamers who will find gardens such as these unattainable.

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Inspiring but no help implementing
All western landscapes types, many photos & diagrams

Sunset Western Landscaping Book

Manufacturer: Sunset Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Sunset Western Garden Book
Sunset Hillside Landscaping
California Native Plants for the Garden
California Top 10 Garden Guide (Sunset Books)
California Home Landscaping

ASIN: 0376039159

Book Description

This all-new second edition, the companion book to the much-beloved Western Garden Book, promises to be just as successful as the first. Packed with expert advice from landscape designers, gardeners, and others, it addresses climatic, soil, and topographical challengesand solutionsfor Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and southwestern Canada. Features nThe only landscaping guide designed specifically for Western gardeners nOver 600 photographs and dozens of ready-to-use landscape plans nStep-by-step illustrations and exploded views show easy, do-it-yourself solutions nSeasonal gardening guides and checklists ensure year-round success for experienced and novice gardeners alike nEasy-to-understand plant selection and growing instructions

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2001-12-09

The best garden book overall. A smart book. Creative. Great pics. VERY Comprensive. Wish Id bought hardback.Complete. Very readable. Projects are suberb. Voluminous. A must for every serious gardener.

Inspiring but no help implementing.......2001-08-22

I expected more for the price. There are some nice ideas and a few plans, but the plans don't contain measurements. This is not very professional and makes implementation very difficult. Nice for dreaming, but no real help planning.

All western landscapes types, many photos & diagrams.......2001-02-15

This is a very comprehensive book describing all western regions including the low and high desert, the Pacific Northwest and southern California. The book includes many landscape ideas with diagrams and suggested plant types and many plant photos. Ideas for special needs such as privacy, patio & small spaces , desert areas, swimming pools, decks, lots for shade, low water and other requirements are covered. Types of fencing and decking are also covered. If you are starting out with a bare backyard, as I am, this is the book for you!

The Art of Landscape Detail: Fundamentals, Practices, and Case Studies

Average customer rating:

LAM REVIEW

The Art of Landscape Detail: Fundamentals, Practices, and Case Studies
Niall Kirkwood
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Architecture | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

Landscape | Architecture | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Outdoors & Nature | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Outdoors & Nature | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Look Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors, Second Edition
Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture
Site Design and Construction Detailing, 3rd Edition
California Native Plants for the Garden
Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual

ASIN: 0471140449

Book Description

Introducing a revolutionary new approach to detail design in landscape architecture

In this groundbreaking book, Niall Kirkwood of the Harvard Graduate School of Design takes a fresh,holistic approach to the theories, approaches, and practices of landscape detail. With the support of a wealth of graphic and written material taken from historic and contemporary landscape designwork, he clearly demonstrates the role that landscape detail plays in the design process. Going beyond theoretical considerations, Professor Kirkwood outlines landscape detail as a primary design activity, both pragmatic and poetic, using a range of built landscape design examples.

A valuable resource for professionals and students in landscape architecture, architecture, urban design, and environmental design, The Art of Landscape Detail:
* Provides a practical introduction to the aesthetic concerns, form, language, and expression of landscape detail
* Explores a wide range of detail issues-including materials, climate, durability, implementation, and failure-and their influence on the overall detail design process
* Examines detail design processes and research approaches that designers can apply in the analysis and development of their own work
* Contains in-depth case studies of eight award-winning landscape architecture design projects, including provocative discussions with the designers on the establishment and evolution of their detail design philosophy
* Features more than 150 images illustrating forms and site detail from national and international built landscapes

Customer Reviews:

LAM REVIEW.......2001-02-17

"The lexicon of landscape architectural design literature has a wonderful new addition in The Art of Landscape Detail.......with this book, the critical literature of the field has taken another solid step forward" Deborah Dalton, ASLA Landscape Architecture Magazine, February 2000

Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden

Average customer rating:

Love this book
Great reference - great gift
This is the book you want
Great book for the organic home gardener!
How does common sense get published?

Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden
Sally Jean Cunningham
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Vegetables | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening
All New Square Foot Gardening
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long

ASIN: 0875968473

Book Description

Discover the secrets of a naturally pest-proof vegetable garden with Great Garden Companions. Let master gardener Sally Jean Cunningham show you how to keep pests and diseases at bay with her unique companion-gardening system. By planting special combinations of vegetables, flowers, and herbs, you can minimize pest and disease problems and create a high-yielding, beautiful garden!

Customer Reviews:

Love this book.......2007-10-01

Love, love, love this book. I garden nowhere near the same amount, but I am in zone 6 too -- so the advice is spot on for me.

Great reference - great gift.......2007-07-05

I really appreciated the extensive research the author did for each section - she separates the folklore from the things that have been tested and documented, but presents both. I also like the suggestions and options she gives...if you want to follow a pre-designed plan you may, or you can pull together your own combinations that appeal to you or that work better for your situation. I have read my own copy cover to cover many times and have given this book as a gift to several like minded people. The two aspects of her system that really appeal to me are the reduction in weeding and the principle of "no sprays"...I really disklike the idea of putting poison on my food!

This is the book you want.......2007-06-27

Perfect. I've looked at a number of books on companion gardening and this is the one I'd recommend. Friendly, easy to read with nice illustrations and photographs. This is a book written by a woman who loves gardening for people who love gardening.

Great book for the organic home gardener!.......2007-06-06

I read this book from cover to cover. The author's style of writing is conversational and very easy to read. I bought a couple of other organic gardening books but I liked this one the best. Her love of nature and plants really comes across. I understand now how the balance in nature takes care of pests with some planning from us. She shares a lot of really good, easy-to-do tips on how to garden organically. I've implemented many of her ideas in my own garden and can see them working already. Most of all, this book has made me aware of how important the insects and bugs in my garden really are. I recommend this book to anyone who really wants to garden organically.

How does common sense get published?.......2007-05-24

Great Garden Companions may be a suitable book for some, but I found it very disappointing. The book is aimed toward a very general audience--one without an organic gardening, scientific or ecological background--and is consequently dumbed down, brief and incomplete. The title is misleading, and really just seems like an excuse for the author to talk about her own garden (and which plants she likes to put together, seemingly on a whim). It should be marketed as a gardening journal or introduction to organic gardening for kids, if anything.

Hardly any useful information about companion planting is found in this book--what little exists is there without any sort of explanation or reference. Even common information about well-researched companion plants is missing. The book is, instead, about which plants look nice planted together, have been grown together for centuries, or allow you to conveniently pick crops. The author provides detailed information about which plants she likes to group together in her own garden, including planting maps, but never explains why. It is a book littered with old wives' tales and inaccurate and unresearched information, with just a little bit of useful information that is generalized and brief. And then a bunch of other stuff that has nothing to do with companion planting, which may actually prove useful if you've never read a decent gardening book before.

The book itself is rather poorly written and targeted toward the lowest common denominator of gardeners, but the photographs are nice and the author's practical, organic and naturalistic approach are right on. The book stresses ecological balance within the garden, but doesn't include much information outside of the realm of common sense and common knowledge, and I expect more out of a book.

Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start

Average customer rating:

a huge help for one new to gardening
Decent book, lousy photos
No Juice
Love This Book
perennial combos

Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start
C. Colston Burrell
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Perennial All-Stars: The 150 Best Perennials for Great-Looking, Trouble-Free Gardens
The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs
Creating Beds and Borders: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides)
The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials: 10th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Edition

ASIN: 0875968066

Book Description

Perennial combinations are the building blocks of beautiful, successful gardens. Choosing perennials that look great and grow well together is a skill that can take years to develop, but with this book, you're guaranteed to make perfect plant choices right from the start. In Perennial Combinations, expert plantsman, C. Colston Burrell hand-selects 120 of the best perennial combinations for homeowners, then offers his expert advice on how to grow and use the combinations to create great gardens.Each combination is featured in a stunning color photograph accompanied by a numbered photo key and plant list, so it's easy to find and buy exactly the right plants to re-create the combination in your own garden. Each combination features just two to six plants, so they're perfect for even the smallest garden space. You can plant each combination just as it appears in the book, or for a bigger color splash, just repeat the combination or mix it with others that are suited to the same conditions. You'll find combinations for stunning bloom from spring through fall; combinations especially suited to challenging sites like heavy clay soil or seaside gardens; and combinations just for fun, like fragrant combinations and combinations that attract butterflies.C. Colston Burrell has lived and gardened in different climates across America, so he's made sure this book is useful to gardeners from California to Maine. He's also a professional garden designer, and he's applied his talents to create 22 original garden designs that feature the book's individual combinations. Plus every page includes his personal gardening wisdom, so you'll not only know which perennials to plant together, you'll know how to maintain those perennials so your garden will look beautiful year after year.

Customer Reviews:

a huge help for one new to gardening.......2007-09-21

Being pretty new to perennials but having read many books I was having sort of a writers block when it came to WHAT to put in my new garden.

I knew all about HOW but with so many choices I was overwhelmed!

This book has a good number of templates to give you a jump start and many outstanding photos of combinations of flowers that work together. In fact this has some of the best photos I have ever seen in a garden book.

It also covers difficult situations like what works in Heavy Clay and wet sites an so forth.

My plan was a butterfly garden and they had the perfect template for a 12x8 garden.

Excellent book for beginners or people that are looking for new combinations!! My fav book so far. (out of the 30 I have looked at).

Decent book, lousy photos.......2007-04-25

One of the drawbacks of buying gardening books online is that you can't see the photos. If I had thumbed through this book I don't think I would have purchased it. Not that it doesn't have a lot of good information and ideas. It's just that the photos are, for the most part, awful. The color is garish and over-saturated and the images actually look blurry. Also, many of the plant combo photos are very close up, which doesn't help when you are trying to figure out how to place your perennials when planting. For me, a good gardening book has to not only give useful information and how-tos (which this book does for the most part), but it has to inspire with lovely photos! And that is where this book fails.

No Juice.......2007-03-29

This book was (is) a big disappointment, containing as it does nothing new regarding perennnial combining that isn't covered in at least a dozen or more recent and more interesting books, not to mention the classics. This is perennial combining 202 with no spark of imagination in the pairings that can make a garden jump for joy. The photography is so ordinary and the color is extremly garish. Is that due to the Digital Imaging Specialists Dale Mack and Jane Ramsey or what? I can find no photographic credits (except for the cover) which is probably just as well. Obviously in a book this size (351 pages), from someone who is as accomplished as Mr. Burrell, there is useful information to be gleaned but I already have books that serve that purpose. If I had seen this in a book store, having thumbed through it for a few moments, I would never have bought it. However, if you are just beginning your library of perennial books this one may be useful to you.

Love This Book.......2007-03-22

Although I have a plethora of gardening books, this one stands out as one of my favorites. It shows a picture example on every page. It has planting diagrams (garden plans) so you can duplicate what you see and it gives a lot of information about the plants. It's the best of both worlds - you can use the information and get creative, or follow the plans and duplicate what you see. Either way, you'll have a great garden!
Although I've been gardening for a good many years, it's nice to have a reference as to how things will look together, instead of my usual "plant it here and hope for the best" approach! I'm tired of moving my plants every year.
I bought my book over the winter and it's a great "dream" book. Now I can't wait till I can get out there and put it all to good use!

perennial combos.......2007-02-16

This is a wonderful guide to planning and developing a perennial garden. The author gives examples for numerous planting condition,such as shade, sand, clay. I can't wait for spring!

Average customer rating:

A serious attempt on a difficult subject
Good for Beginners, but...
Nice examples of successful Green Roofs
Organic Architecture with Plants

Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls
Nigel Dunnett , and Noel Kingsbury
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Green Roofs: Ecological Design And Construction
Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide
Roof Gardens: History, Design, and Construction (Norton Books for Architects & Designers)
Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors, Second Edition
Rain Gardens: Bringing Water to Life in the Designed Landscape

ASIN: 088192640X

Book Description

This book introduces a revolutionary new concept to gardeners. Planting on roofs and walls began in Europe, but it is now becoming popular all over the world. Green roofs and walls reduce pollution and run-off, and also help insulate and reduce the maintenance needs of buildings. Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls discusses the practical techniques required to make planting on roofs and walls a reality. It describes how roofs may be modified to bear the weight of vegetation, considers the different options for drainage layers and growing media, and lists the plants suitable for different climates and environments. This informative book will encourage gardeners everywhere to consider the enormous benefits to be gained from planting on their roofs and walls.

Customer Reviews:

A serious attempt on a difficult subject.......2007-06-06

I am a big advocate on using plants to create green walls and roofs. They can reduce the urban "heat island" effect and create usable green open spaces. I found this book's discussions on Intensive Green Roof, Extensive Green Roof, , Ecoroof, Brown Roof, etc interesting. This book is a serious attempt on a difficult subject. The color photos inside the book are helpful also.

There are still technical difficulties in using green walls and roofs: water proofing, how to handle the structural weight of large trees, how to integrate large plants with building structure, etc. All these technical discussions are needed, and they could be the subject of another book.

Gang Chen, author of Planting Design Illustrated

Good for Beginners, but..........2007-01-11

Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls is an excellent book for any landscape architect who has not yet designed and detailed either. For myself, the most helpful bit of information was the data collected and presented from various green roofs.

The living wall section on the other hand was thin. There was no mention of the living wall system Patrick Blanc developed which is much more interesting than putting up a wire trellis and planting vines next to it. The other comment i would have is that almost all of the examples are from Europe. We have fabulous examples in the US with more relevant plant materials and weather conditions.

Finally I would say that the authors didn't seem interested in exploring native plant materials and instead focused on a few cookie cutter plants commonly planted all over the northern hemisphere. Not unlike McDonalds.

Nice examples of successful Green Roofs.......2006-11-10

This book is great for those who may have trouble visualizing the possibilities of what you can do with a green roof. There are many examples of what you can grow, and what types of vegetation are suitable. The book is however not very technical about the architectural detailing considerations involved. Some sections and detail drawings would make this book much more valuable as a design resource.

Organic Architecture with Plants .......2004-09-28

Greenroof professionals and enthusiasts alike will be delighted with the easy reading and scope of content offered in "Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls" by Nigel Dunnett and Noël Kingsbury. Very well organized, the book's forte and major value is as an essential resource - especially in terms of plant description, characteristics and specification. It's also a great bargain in that the book is filled with color photos, drawings, charts and reference material. This indispensable hard cover reference guide contains a truly massive collection of appropriate plant information, and perhaps most importantly, extensive plant directories are provided for both greenroofs and façade greening.

Organic Architecture with Plants
Greenroofs, living walls, and various other bio-engineering techniques are introduced and the authors cite the associated benefits and reasons why we should be integrating these measures of organic architecture into our built environments. The authors refer to current international research and technology; background and history are touched on; and benefits and applications of these "ecotechnologies" are discussed at length. Yet, a "How-To Build" book this is not; basic principles are set out and tools for further research are provided.

Benefits at a Range of Scales
The section "Why Build Green Roofs?" explores hard evidence and the various benefits operating at a range of scales from amenity and aesthetic values to economic and environmental aspects. Increased roof life, insulation and energy efficiency, green building assessment and public relations, biodiversity and wildlife value, water management, air pollution, and fire prevention and risks are discussed with supporting evidence.

Although previously well known, the biodiversity and wildlife value of greenroofs is expanded upon here, including the new British models of "brown" or "rubble" greenroofs - those which recreate the thin, infertile landscapes of disturbed brownfield sites. Spontaneous colonization is presented as an important natural occurrence.

A Vast Array of Planting Opportunities
The authors rightly note that "The majority of guides to green roofs and roof greening concentrate on the technical and construction aspects but have relatively little to say about planting opportunities - mainly because most authors are not plant specialists." Well, Noël - a well known writer of plants and gardens, and Nigel - a senior lecturer in the Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield, most certainly are plant experts, and an entire 47-page chapter is devoted to the wide range of planting opportunities for extensive greenroofs, beyond the ubiquitous albeit hugely successful use of Sedum species.

Prevailing site conditions will always dictate the plant selection, so designers need to know what plant species will not only survive but thrive in extreme local conditions. Desirable physical attributes of plants and how they may be established and managed are presented. Considerations of monocultures, single plant combinations and mixtures, and plant communities are useful as planting design tools. The form and physiology of suitable greenroof plants are nicely covered from a botanical as well as functional and aesthetic perspective. Issues of viewing considerations are pondered and design solutions are offered relating to the roof function and visual criteria. "Methods of vegetation establishment" is particularly detailed and thus extremely valuable. The authors point out, however, that current research is insufficient to show how long each species will live and how each species will interact over the years atop roofs.

The very important aspect of different growing medium properties and functions is addressed in-depth, and comments are provided about particular types of materials, substrate depths, and accompanying vegetative possibilities. Maintenance issues and requirements are briefly noted, touching on feeding, plant protection, drainage, and weeding.

Considerations of Natives and Introduced Species
The unexploited opportunities of testing and using native vegetation are explored, in terms of increasing biodiversity and aesthetic benefits. Regionally native plants should be tested for many reasons, including ecological restoration. Non-native plant species with invasive tendencies can be a problem, therefore careful selection is critical to maintain healthy ecosystems. Yet many introduced species are appropriate, and there are many circumstances where non-natives offer considerable local wildlife value.

Certain natural plant communities and their soil types are explained and presented as an argument for further study as suitable models for successful roof plantings. Trialing of appropriate local plant communities is therefore recommended and encouraged so as ultimately to be able to introduce more natives into the greenroof matrix of plant species.

"The natural habitats of potential roof-greening plants" explores the potential to discover and trial the world's flora found in similar harsh habitats. Mountain, high latitude, coastal, limestone, sclerophyllous woody vegetation, semi-desert environments, and species whose plants are exposed to climatic extremes are regions with potential for testing of new roof greening plants.

The Task Has Just Begun
Philosophy and advice to greenroof plant enthusiasts can be summed up with these reflections by the authors: "With roof greening becoming an important part of the new built environment, it is increasingly important that more attention is paid to sourcing new plant material from habitats in the wild where conditions approximate those on rooftops and other problem urban situations...The task of selecting suitable plant species for roof greening has arguably just begun, and it offers potentially enormous rewards."

They are quick to point out that the globalization of our knowledge base and the ready availability of certain aggressive species can threaten entire ecosystems, and care must be provided to the selection of greenroof environments (just as at ground level) so as to avoid invasive and potentially destructive non-natives or introduced species.

Façade Greening and Living Wall Structures and Surfaces are the final two chapters of the book, offering both visual and ecological climbers, clingers, ramblers and scramblers. New support structures, materials, technologies and details provide practical and interesting information for this older yet equally fascinating design element of green architecture. The authors examine how the design of façade greening can equally disguise unattractive features while at the same time enhance existing surfaces. In either case, education and care are necessary to promote vigorous growth that is supported by a variety of vertical and/or horizontal structures.

At the end of the book, 49 pages are devoted to the Roof-Greening and Façade-Greening Plant Directories, listed by botanical names, common names, cultivars and related species. The horticultural and cultural aspects are presented with definitions and listings of many specific plant characteristics.

A minor grumbling on my part about the book is the absence of identifying greenroof project photo captions for the geographic locations and the building application types. It would be beneficial to know not only where each is located, but also whether the project is commercial, industrial, residential, etc.

A Dovetailing of Living Plants, the Building, and Its Human Users
Whereas Ted Osmundson's excellent 1999 "Roof Gardens: History, Design, and Construction" is considered the bible for the intensive greenroof crowd, Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury's "Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls" is simply a must have for extensive and intensive greenroofers worldwide.

"Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls" is a comprehensive argument for integrating nature and architecture, and I highly recommend it. It's obvious that Kingsbury and Dunnett are first and foremost dedicated, ecologically minded plantspeople; here, then, is a very important work for those of us in the greenroof industry. ~ Linda S. Velazquez, Publisher Greenroofs.com

Average customer rating:

A very nice overview
Best help for planting a new church

Planting Missional Churches
Ed Stetzer
Manufacturer: B&H Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community
The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World (J-B Leadership Network Series)
Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church (The Leadership Network Innovation)
Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples
Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch

ASIN: 0805443703

Book Description

Planting Missional Churches is an instruction book for planting biblically faithful and culturally relevant churches. It addresses the "how-to" and "why" issues of church planting by providing practical guidance through all the phases of a church plant while taking a missional look at existing and emerging cultures.

Customer Reviews:

A very nice overview.......2007-02-12

This book provided a very nice overview of the things to consider in order to plant missional churches. It is not a deep read, but it will give you good food for thought as you look to engage the culture you are in more effectively.

Best help for planting a new church.......2007-01-03

Covers all the bases and gives solid, practical help.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books