How can anyone resist? The new AHS (American Horticultural Society) Encyclopedia of Perennials (DK Publishing, Inc 2006) has it all: 5000 plants, 1400 color pictures, all arranged in an A to Z directory of botanical names, with an index to common names as well.
Edited by British author Graham Rice and first published in the UK, this US edition contains plenty of advice from US experts, including contributing editor Kurt Bluemel, C. Colston Burrell, Tovah Martin, David Ellis, Daniel Hinkley, Dr. Steven Still and many others.
What distinguishes this volume from other plant encyclopedias is its careful attention to detail. There's a short description of each genus, along with notes on cultivation, propagation, and special problems -- the diseases and pests that afflict each one.
(click on image to purchase book)
Throughout the book, there are special "notes" on a wide variety of subjects: how the plants were named, their origins, how to combine them with other plants, and much more. You'll learn about noctural daylilies, many of which are fragrant; which irises are dependable re-bloomers; the Barhaven strains of primroses developed by Florence Bellis in Oregon.
Every designer and dedicated gardener will value this book for its wealth of information and the many beautiful images showing different cultivars. The book is filled with photos of plants in successful combination -- colors, shapes, and textures that work together particularly well.
Nothing, however, is perfect, and despite the book's claim to be the "definitive" illustrated reference guide to perennials, there are always some plants that get left out. I don't know if its because the book was first published in Britain, but you'd think the US edition would include some of our standard natives such as gaura, bearberry, Indian grass, rose mallow, and many more. And how could they have left out my own very favorite -- the Indian pink, (Spigelia marilandica).
But in all, a great garden Christmas gift.
Great suggestion! I need to start identifying all of the flowers I've photographed, especially the ones from France. http://digitalartphotographyfordummies.blogspot.com
Posted by: Digital Traveler | November 10, 2006 at 03:25 PM