Flowers Books

Audubon Wildflowers Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)

National Audubon Society

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Editorial Review:

A mountain meadow splashed scarlet with Indian Paintbrush. A trio of Pasqueflowers. Bright Parralena bursting from a crack in parched mud, Brittlebrush blanketing a lush palm grove. Intrepid and hardy, beautiful yet fleeting, wildflowers illuminate America's landscape, from forest to field to desert to coastline. Featuring twelve species in their native habitats, Audubon Wildflowers is a showcase for nature's most extraordinary blooms.

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques

Tracy DiSabato-Aust

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fabu! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great overview of perennial care. Easy to read. Great pruning, growing, staking, fertilizing, and overall care tips. Great for novice to expert gardeners.

Editorial Review:

With more than 130,000 copies sold since the original publication, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden has proven itself to be one of the most useful tools a gardener can have. In this expanded edition more than 200 color photographs have been added, showing perennials in various border situations and providing images for each of the entries in the A–Z encyclopedia. In addition, there is a new 32-page journal section with room to 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.

Planthropology: The Myths, Mysteries, and Miracles of My Garden Favorites

Ken Druse

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Editorial Review:

Ken Druse, one of today’s most acclaimed and popular garden writers, takes us on a ceaselessly fascinating stroll through the life of the garden, from the botanical marvels displayed by virtually any plant to the exploits of the plant explorers who once—and still do—race across the globe like Indiana Jones in search of rare and exotic specimens, to the need to conserve the threatened diversity of the natural world. Ripe with facts, punctured myths, serious investigation, and practical gardening wisdom, this is a gloriously illustrated and enlightening celebration of the plants that delight and sustain us. For Ken Druse, the garden provides both a refuge from the world and an irresistible invitation to explore the wonders of nature.

In planthropology, Druse celebrates the secret stories of plants and explains their im-portance within daily life, now and since ancient times. A pleasingly random and ever delightful garden stroll of a book, it uncovers scientific facts, dispels myths, exposes controversies, tells some rollicking good anecdotes, and, along the way, casually dispenses an abundance of practical gardening wisdom.

Using many of his own favorite plants as examples, Druse reveals little-known facts about both rare and common beauties. For instance, if you like winding down on a terrace or patio after work, Druse suggests planting petunias. Why? Because they are evening fragrant—their pollinators only come out at night. Perhaps you may not have noticed the beautiful spiraling patterns on sunflower heads; Druse explains that all plants feature such spirals, and that they correspond exactly to mathematical principles that have captivated great thinkers (and artists) throughout history.

With the authority and assurance of someone who demonstrates both deep passion and uncommon ex-pertise, Druse takes us chapter by chapter through the history, biology, economics, and cultural significance of plants. We meet bumblebees who literally shake pollen free from flowers with sonic vibrations. (Druse can’t recommend petting the fuzzy little apian teddy bears as they sleep in a sheltering blossom, but he has tried it!) Here too are the adventures of the plant explorers who sailed and trekked across the world in search of new and exotic specimens, and whose exploits were far more harrowing than you might imagine. Some plants even factored into the instigation of war. But Druse then gives us a handy primer on the language of flowers (a single gardenia says, “I love you in secret,” and acacia blossoms say, “Let us be friends”). He considers the influence of plants on the history of fine and decorative arts, the way we garden now with stalwart, low-maintenance plants, and the ever more critical need for conservation.

Planthropology is a wondrous ac-knowledgment, from one plant lover to his fellow devotees, of the limitless pleasure and deep wisdom to be found in the garden.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers--E: Eastern Region - Revised Edition (National Audubon Society Field Guide)

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This compact guidebook, produced to the National Audubon Society's high standards of quality, gives full descriptions of more than 650 species found east of the Rocky Mountains, along with notes on several hundred more. The eminently sensible organization relies on first-impression visible characteristics rather than the elaborate keys of some older texts--a format well suited to beginning wildflower enthusiasts. If, for instance, you wanted to identify a long-stemmed, tubular red flower that you found in a grove of loblolly pines, you would first turn to the color plates, find the section devoted to red flowers, find a likely match from the 30-odd choices, and then turn to the text to see that the flower's habitat and range made a good fit, ruling out those species that do not. After a few minutes' looking, you'll have identified a trumpet honeysuckle. Well written and richly illustrated, this peerless guide makes the ideal companion for an expedition to eastern wood or prairie. --Gregory McNamee

The New Encyclopedia of Orchids: 1500 Species in Cultivation

Isobyl la Croix

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Amazing photography 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Just received this new book and am very impressed with the photographs. Good selection of species, some common in cultivation but many that you probably never have nor will see at any nursery or orchid show. Compared to the other big encyclopedias out there this one has mostly better photographs and more in depth descriptions of the plants and flowers but cultural information may be less complete. If you already have several of these general tomes then this one is not mandatory to purchase but will make a good addition to any library. A very nice book and good value.

Editorial Review:

1500 orchid species are profiled in this authoritative, detailed, and carefully researched encyclopedia. Infinitely varied and hugely interesting, these strikingly beautiful plants are sumptuously illustrated with over 1000 photographs in a reference that no orchid lover can afford to be without. Isobyl la Croix is a scientist, plant hunter, and horticulturalist; her deep passion for orchids informs the plant selection and adds depth to the plant descriptions. The cultivation advice includes information about the orchid's native habitat—including elevation, geography, and climate. Recent developments in DNA analysis have led to some surprising findings with regard to the relationships between orchids, and the author has undertaken an extensive effort to bring all orchid names up-to-date to reflect the latest scientific thinking and taxonomy. From Acampe to Zygostates, no other serious reference approaches the depth and authority of this remarkable book.

Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification

Thomas J. Elpel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Looking for a faster, easier, and fun way to identify plants? Botany in a Day teaches you the patterns method of plant identification, so that you can discover the wonderful world of plants around you, wherever you go.

Instead of trying to identify plants one-at-a-time, Botany in a Day give you a way to learn them by the hundreds, based on the principle that related plants have similar patterns for indentification, and they often have similar uses.

The one-day tutorial included in the text teaches you seven key patterns to recognize more than 45,000 species of plants worldwide. Master these seven patterns and you will be ready to use the included reference guide--Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families of North America. Here you will find the patterns for indentification and the patterns of uses for the majority of plants across the continent.

Botany in a Day is used as a guide by thousands of individuals, plus herbal schools and universities across North America.

Flowers, A Universe Revealed 2009 Wall Calendar

Christopher Gruver

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Editorial Review:

Christopher Gruver's stunning photography presents a wildly beautiful and vivid experience of the universe of flowers. An avid lover of nature and the outdoors, Mr. Gruver marries skill with instinct. Drawing on his intuitive link to aesthetic and essence, Gruver creates striking compositions that reveal the delicacy and vibrancy of nature. Each month is accompanied by a poetic interlude connecting our human voyage with the living intimacy of a flower.

A Field Guide to Wildflowers : Northeastern and North-Central North America (Peterson Field Guides)

Margaret McKenny

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A great help to flower identification 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have used this book for many years and it is the easiest most comprehensive book on the subject. It is never esay to identify a flower you do not know, but with a little practice, this book is a big help.

indispensable! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have used Petersons books for decades, and continue to update to new
issues while cherishing my issue from the 1970's. Anyone seeking to
comprehensively identify wildflowers from color plate photographs alone
is not only missing the point of field work, but may miss the flower as
well- colors look different in different light and in different photo- op's.
There are many other features to consider in correct plant ID.
The relevant ID features are often more obscure, yet are dutifully pointed
out in the Peterson guides - characteristics such as "mottled stems",
"fringed bracts", various leaf attachment features, size and range of
plant, and so on. As the director of a high quality school dealing in
herbal studies and nature research, as well as a college level teacher,
this and a small cadre of supplemental ID resources, including Steve
Brill's book, are going to remain on my list of required books for
all students , one they will use , along with their friends and family,
again and again.

Editorial Review:

Grouped by color and by plant characteristics, 1,293 species in 84 families are described and illustrated. Included here are all the flowers you're most likely to encounter in the eastern and north-central U.S., westward to the Dakotas and southward to North Carolina and Arkansas, as well as the adjacent parts of Canada.

Orchids for Dummies

Steven Frowine, National Gardening Association

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A VERY INFORMATIVE AND READABLE WORK. 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is actually a pretty good starter book. There are a vast number of books out there addressing the subjects of growing, identification, history, etc. of these wonderful plants, but for those that just bought their first orchid, or are contemplating such, then this is as good a book to start with as any. Needless to say, no book can do it all for you and as you grow in this wonderful hobby, you will want to check on more of the wonderful resources available. When I first began raising orchids, it was hard to find anything that was meant for the general public, and most orchid books were unreadable (if you could even find them) unless you had a degree on horticulture. I killed off quite a few of these plants in my learning process, still do for that matter, but that is what is so fascinating about this hobby, i.e. there is always so much more to learn.

As with all the idiot books, this one covers your basic informational needs, from selecting a good starter plant on to its care and maintenance. It has humor thrown in here and there, which makes for a pleasing read. Now this in not a "picture book" of orchids nor is it meant to be. Goodness knows there are many high dollar books out there to fulfill this need. I liked this particular work as it does well illustrate that orchids are not as difficult to raise as many feel they are. Yes, some have very specialized needs, but for the most part, the orchids you have access to are not all that difficult if you just know what you are doing. This book gives you that basic knowledge to get you started. It uses simple terms and written in an easy style that does not send you running to the dictionary with every turned page. The illustrations are quite well done.

Now as for this being a book only for beginners, hmmm, I am not quite sure what to say about that. Granted, much of the information found here is basic and the entire work is not written in the dry, academic mode so often found in these works. I am certainly no expert myself, but have been messing with these plants for quite a number of years now, and to be quite frank, I learned a few things myself. Some of the stuff I thought I knew, I did not know. It may be just me, but I have found that as with most things you need to beware of "experts" and their advice. It is nice to hear their opinion, but you always need to check the facts our for yourself and from multiple sources.

I highly recommend this one for beginners and feel that a lot of the "old timers" could probably benefit from giving this one a read.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Editorial Review:

The fun and easy way to grow orchids
Orchids, as anyone who has read Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief or has seen the movie Adaptation knows, inspire a passionate following. And their popularity is rising: according to the USDA, more than 12.7 million orchids were sold in the U.S. last year. Brimming with black-and-white illustrations and 8 pages of color photos, this friendly guide introduces would-be orchid fanciers to today's most popular and intriguing orchid varieties—and shows step by step how to select healthy plants at a nursery or commercial grower, cultivate them successfully at home, promote blooms, create beautiful orchid displays, and even produce hybrids.

Alan Koch (Lincoln, CA) is owner of Gold Country Orchids, a company that breeds award-winning miniature and compact Cattleyas and Phalanopsis. His orchids appear regularly at North American orchid shows, and he delivers talks at orchid societies worldwide.

Wildflowers Bookmarks: 12 Designs

Annika Bernhard

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Deal 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

You really can't beat this price, and these particular bookmarks (although VERY small) have really well done, beautiful illustrations and would make a wonderful gift (and can easily be mailed with a card!).

Editorial Review:

Each of these colorful placekeepers features a realistically rendered wildflower, among them evening primrose, clover, wild lupine, Indian paintbrush, wild rose, and black-eyed Susan. Ideal for flower lovers, each bookmark includes interesting details about the plant on the reverse side.