Product Description
In this all-new edition of a Sunset classic, where the containers go is as important as what goes in the containers. Large photos illustrate the concept of "landscaping" with potted containers; step-by-step directions show how to create containers with maximum visual impact. The book also describes the best plants for certain container situations, such as compact fruits and herbs for an edible garden on a balcony, or night-blooming flowers for a romantic evening garden. Focusing on areas typically used for planted containers—rooftops, courtyards, and decks—it guides readers through the challenges of each and explores new ways to push creative potential. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Even Evolutionary
I have always loved Sunset books for their thoroughness, great explanations--and drawings.I have the old version of this same title and bought this one sight unseen, assuming it had been improved.It hasn't been, in my estimation.It is focused primarily upon what other people have done with container gardening (lots of photos) rather than explaining the "how-to".

I'm not sure why the editoral staff at Sunset has shifted the emphasis of the books, but this seems to be true for all of the new versions.My dissatisfaction with this change has caused me to relegate Sunset to a lower echelon.I will now try to find previous editions of their titles on Amazon or ABE books if there is a subject I do not currently have in my collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

a confused an confusing guide
This book doesn't know what it wants to be. I found it not helpful and even daunting--something a gardening book should never be!Even the list of plants to plant is incomplete and hard to use.

There are other wonderful books out there. This one is for people who want to make a real architectural change to their patios . . .not gardens.

An Excellent overall Guide!
Nothing gives me a greater challenge, or more joy than container gardening.As a city girl, having the ability to create both flower and vegetable gardens in limited space is a blessing.HOW to go about the planning, choice of plant material, and care of a container garden or raised bed left me with many unanswered questions.This book answered all of them.

The first thing that the authors do is to challenge your thinking about just what consitutes a garden.Increasingly, people who live in apartments or townhouses with small areas have been able to transform their surroundings with the use of planters and containers & householders who have patios can add an instant garden simply by building raised beds.Those who do have the space to plant anything that they want can ALSO opt for a container garden because of the CONTROL that it offers.Living in N.Y.C., I have seen fire escapes, patios, roof gardens & porches transformed into beautiful, colorful, inviting spaces by using these methods.As someone who prizes fresh fruits and vegetables, containers have been my method of gardening.The authors give you options too: you can have a container garden that you can move from one area to another or permanent planters that are builtto fit a house's architecture.This book gives you excellent samples of the various materials available for this purpose, and how to preserve and finish them.

The rest of the book shows you the various types of pots and planters which are available, and samples of various raised beds.The color photos are quite good and give you many excellent plant combinations. My favorite was on page 47, which showed a stunning example of Conifers, Japanese Maples, blubs, Annuals, and Perennials.Again, the Crandall's prove that the only limits are those that you put on your own imagination.

The last section deals with soil mixes & fertilizers and superbly handles the organic vs. chemical fertilizer debate.Maintaining your garden is well addressed with a chapter on pests and how to eliminate them. I was impressed with the straightforward manner in which the authors present all of this material.Reading this book was truly enjoyable, and will make anyone a gardener! ... Read more

Product Description
The City Gardener's Handbook is the definitive guide to gardening in small spaces - whether on a balcony, in a container, or in a small yard - covering planting, design, and maintenance.

The problems and challenges facing gardeners in cities, suburban condos, or apartment complexes are unique, and Linda Yang has personally experienced every small-space gardening situation she writes about. Yang offers a wealth of practical advice on planning a garden that will be attractive all year long; selecting wind-, heat-, moisture-, or drought-tolerant species; and coping with pollutants, insects, and more. Charts and lists supply information on the best city plants for flowers, foliage, and fragrance, as well as ground covers, small weeping trees and dwarf shrubs, soil mixes for containers, and practical mulches. The updated mail-order source list is an essential tool for gardeners who find it difficult to locate plants and supplies. The City Gardener's Handbook is an invaluable resource for any gardener facing the challenge of growing plants where space is limited, whether in the dooryard of a suburban townhouse or on a mid-city rooftop. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Nice book.
Good overview, exactly what I was looking for, since I just moved into an apartment in the city with a deck, and have looked for a book that would help me pick and care for outdoor plants.

Loads of ideas and practical information!
Although specifically designed for city gardeners, this book is great for anyone with little space to garden. Full of useful information and ideas for any gardener.

This City Gardener gives it a green thumbs up...
I live in the city and I love to get my hands dirty.Too many books focus on abstract design concepts and forget about the most practical aspect of gardening - the plants.Linda Yang does an excellent job of discussing basic design and also recommending plants that do well in urban conditions (as well as explaining details such as how large certain plants will grow, whether they need constant watering, amount of sun desired).

I've owned the book for more than a year now and have dog-eared several pages for reference.I find the seasonal tips invaluable.

My only real complaint is that there was a bit too much emphasis on rooftop gardening.

Do not recommend as First book of this series
Did not meet the expectation as indicated in the title. Do not recommend it as first collection of this series. You need to be rather professional to enjoy ths book.

How to find or buy the best plants for a city environment
The City Gardener's Handbook: The Definitive Guide To Small-Space Gardening by gardening columnist and expert Linda Yang is a true garden-lover's guide to raising one's choice of plants in an urban or other limited-size environment. Intended for gardeners of all experience and skill levels from neophyte to expert, The City Gardener's Handbook addresses how to find or buy the best plants for a city environment, managing one's garden through the four seasons, dealing with plant parasites and pests, and much more. Gorgeous insert sections with color plates of flourishing city gardens highlight the straightforward text and useful black-and-white diagrams. The City Gardener's Handbook will prove an invaluable addition to any personal, professional, or community library gardening reference collection. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Somebody has to do it!
Thanks to a small press being sold to a larger press then that press sold to another press, here's just one of the hundreds of books every year that are lost to a deserving readership because of corporate greed. Loewer has been writing about and illustrating plants since 1973, has won dozens of awards for both activities, and this isn't the first time he--like many others--has gone by the book wayside. This is a great book and if you don't want to spend the money, go to your local library. ... Read more

Product Description
Illustrated with 125 photographs and watercolors, colorful and informative handbook guides beginners and experts alike through the principles and techniques of flowering bulb gardening and design for a variety of climates and indoor settings. Garden Bk Club Alt. ... Read more

Product Description
90 pages in color! Turn your entire house into an aromatic paradise! Imagine walking through your living room and whiffing the rich perfume of a pot of lilies; then, as you cross the dining room, pausing to crush a few leaves of calamint in your fingers to release their pungent, minty aroma; then, strolling into the kitchen to inhale the scent of a few stems of sweetpeas; and, before heading for your bedroom, luxuriating in the evening aroma of gleaming white tobacco plants. A host of ideas and instructions show you how to arrange scented containers--"portable perfume"--indoors and outdoors, for every season and mood.
Trim size: 8 1/4 x 10 1/4.Amazon.com Review
Scented Containers comes to us from the garden authorSue Fisher(also known from radio and TV) who began writing following a career inthe nursery and garden-center business.

In the modern world,visual images and technology tend to dominate, so that sight and soundbecome the chief senses, leaving smell lurking in the background. Thisis a shame, especially where gardening is concerned, as scent is oftenthe most delightful of the pleasures that plants and flowersoffer. This book sets out to redress this imbalance by showing howplants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage can be easily grown inportable containers to give ever-changing, year-round enjoyment indifferent positions in the garden. Whether you are new to gardening orare a seasoned gardener looking for fresh ideas, you will find anabundance of information here, ranging from which plants to choose and howto grow them to tips, projects, and seasonal reminders offeringencouragement to gardeners of all abilities.

The text is clearlyset out, straightforward, easy to follow, and liberally interspersedwith truly magnificent color photographs, watercolors, andblack-and-white diagrams. Of particular interest are the projects, themost glorious of which is the creation of a fragrant eveninggarden. Others include making herb hanging baskets and constructingand growing a cone of spring bulbs. The book concludes with acomprehensive directory of scented plants and herbs for easyreference, containing practical information on how to plant and carefor your containers in order to obtain maximum results with minimumwork. Scented Containers succeeds in providing fragrantinspiration for any gardener. --Susan Naylor ... Read more

Product Description
Fantastic color photographs and excellent writing make this an inspirational and accessible guide for specialty plant collectors, alpine and rock gardeners, and city gardeners, as well as anyone gardening in small spaces. Readers will learn about the ease and practicality of growing bulbs in containers—bringing year-round color and interest to one’s home. Popular classic bulbs are included, as well as a range of more unusual varieties such as the delicate-looking but surprisingly unfussy corydalis, and graceful, late-spring-flowering scillas. The book details how to plan and prepare for a year of flowering bulbs—how to store bulbs during the dormant period and get them ready for planting, how to make homemade shelters to protect plants during the growing season before they begin to flower, and how to create simple accessories that show off the final display. Detailed advice on seed propagation provides gardeners an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and satisfying method of increasing their range of species bulbs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

May be okay for reading, but photographs are too dark
I know I'm not the only person who buys books for the purposes of drawing/painting reference material.That's why I'm doing this review.

The photographs are okay except they're so dark that it's hard to see a lot of detail.If I had a scanner, I'd scan them in and try to brighten them up a bit. I don't know how that would work, though.Maybe someone else would like to try. I think they'd be good photos and just what I was looking for if I could see more detail.

As for the text content of the book, that may be excellent--I don't know.I just bought the book for the photographs and that's all I'm reviewing.Started to give it fewer stars but decided that wouldn't be fair.Won't give it five because the photos are, after all, part of the book.

P.S. Incidentally, if you've looked "inside the book" and you wonder why I think the photos are dark, it's because the ones in the book I received don't look quite the same as on the screen.I guess it's something to do with the printing process.

Makes you want to buy some bulbs and get started
I'm not a bulb gardener, but this is one outstanding bulb book, it doesn't mince words in advocating one species or variety over another, and I find out that some tulips don't just look like all the other tulips and reading this book could lead someone into some very interesting areas of bulb growing.Makes me want to get some bulbs and try it.Photos outstanding.British.

Wonderful book...
BULBS IN CONTAINERS by Rod Leeds, is a wonderful little book filled with all sorts of ideas for containing your bulb collection, and the most entrancing work on bulbs since Elizabeth Lawrence wrote her book 'The Little Bulbs'. Filled with illustrations showing a variety of containers holding relatively uncommon bulbs such as various South African Hypoxis plants, this book provided me with many ideas. Bulbs aside, the second most intriguing aspect of Leeds' bulb arrangements are the containers themselves. He includes the ubiquitous clay pot in many interesting displays, along with unique pots such as a `shallow hypertufa sink'.Leeds suggests using various pots for free-standing specimens placed on tables, rocks or in the garden, or in displays with other pots, or in larger pots as a contrasting highlight with a shrub backdrop.

Leeds includes many beautiful photos of his own collection as well as explanatory text including a section of about 80 pages of text where he discusses various bulb genera suitable for containers.

Unfortunately for some of us, Leeds is based in England and the bulb suppliers he sources in an appendix are located in his home country for the most part, however, many have an email address and/or internet site. Although I have not ordered any bulbs from these sources, I suspect at least one of them might ship to the US, however, the USDA may prohibit transport some of the more exotic items. On the other hand, I know I can find some of the less exotic bulbs such as Galanthus through US bulb suppliers like Scheepers and Herronwood. Caveats aside, Leeds' bookis an excellent addition to the garden library.
... Read more

Product Description
This is an essential guide to successful gardening in containers, outside and inside the home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Useful and informative for a Container Gardening Newbie
The Ulimate Container Garden spent more time discussing what pot(s) to use than container gardening per se. For me being new to container gardening (left my cutting gardens and flower beds when we moved to the city) I found this book extremely useful.The use of photos also was a plus helping me transition from flowerbeds to containers.

Useful gardening source for urban dwellers
Being someone who lives in the city but still enjoys seasonal flowers, I like this book because it appears to take the guess work out of what plants work well together in containers.With reasonable care as prescibed in the book, anyone can have a nice looking balcony or patio.

Pretty and inspiring
Lots of great ideas here-- interesting color and plant combinations, and a wide variety of containers. They are grouped into different categories, such as different seasons, edible plantings, even a section of kids' projects. The photos are beautiful, and the directions are very clear, with photos of each step. There's not a lot of advice on how to care for plants, the emphasis is on matching the plants to the containers.

A word of warning: If you already own a container gardening book by this author, check inside before you buy! I have seen this book with three different covers, all with different titles. "The Complete Guide to Container Gardening" (also available on Amazon) is the same book inside, but there is nothing in the item descripton to indicate this. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring more than 2000 photographs, clear advice and step-by-step projects, this comprehensive and practical guide is for anyone wishing to transform even the smallest corner with flair and confidence. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a season-by-season approach for the all-weather container gardener. The book gives a survey of the range of containers available and the plants best suited to container gardening, and catalogues planting projects for every conceivable type of container. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Extremely Helpful Primer, Full of Ideas
A gift from a mother to her newbie gardener son, this is the best text I've sampled so far on container gardening how-to.It's essentially an ornate lesson planner slash visual catalog.Being overwhelmed by the variety of choices available to a novice, this book takes the direction of showing you the authors own display ideas, along w/ information on number of plants needed, initial planting steps, container size information, and how large the display will get. Granted, my choices are a bit light starting my garden in the winter chapter, I'm still very enthusiastic about recreating some of his pieces: minty evergreens and red winter berries.The large, glossy, full color photos effectively help to give an idea of size, scope, and often texture of the displays, as they contrast their containers. As mentioned in another review, his eye for color, and his knack for matching the pots to their plants are very impressive.The printing I have is from 1995; perhaps the 1998 version has added a few new items.I found this an excellent primer for the beginner.

Fantastic
Best container gardening book I've ever seen.The way the Author uses colors can be reapplied not only to containers but also in your backyard.The way the author classifies the book into seasons are also enjoyable.

Roof Garden
I am interested every thing about Roof Garden forexample about soil,irregation,countaner,new system,all phd teses program,etc .

This pretty book delighted me!
Mr. Hillier revealed an entirely new aspect of gardening to me.His container plantings are works of art, and his creativity in the varied containers,locations and plantings is wonderful.For example, he makes a simple group of cream- colored pansies in terra cotta pots on a brick window ledge look fantastic. His work can be imitated or it can inspire new combinations if one does not have access to the diverse types of plants he uses.I savored this book over the winter, and my garden is much enhanced this summer! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Container Gardening
I didn't know that I loved container gardening until I read this book!
I don't even like gardening, but Container Gardening make me realize that I could have all the beauty with minimum fuss and dirt. So now I am a convert! In my enthusiasm I have bought five more books to give to friends who ARE garden experts, and they loved it!!!

Handy Pocket Reference for Container Gardeners
Container Gardening for California is brimming with full color, detailed photos of plants that you will be able to find in California garden centers and can successfully grow in a pot or some other container. The layout of the book is fantastic. It starts with a "The Plants at a Glace" section, where a thumbnail photo of every plant in the book is shown, along with its name and the page where you can find more info about it. Then comes a 38 page introduction to container gardening that briefly discusses all sorts of useful topics, like how to combine colors for a visually appealing container, using drought tolerant plants, grouping multiple pots together, etc.

The meat of the book is made up of 1 to 2 page "reports" on approximately 120 plants. Each listing is thorough but concise. You'll find at least one large, full-color photo and often as many 4 or 5 photos that show the plant in container designs with other plants (great if you need combination ideas!). Also provided are growing information (what amount of sun, what type of soil, etc), tips for how to use the plant in a container, and recommended varieties of the plant.

The back of the book has a glossary, quick reference guide, and index. The quick reference guide is extremely useful, and I find myself flipping to it often. It is a chart that shows every plant in the book, and quickly lists what type of sun it requires, the soil mix to use, what special features that plant is known for, how often to water it, how much fertilizer it needs, the shape of the plant (upright, bushy, trailing, architectural), and the page number where you can find more information.

In addition to the actual content, what is really great about this book is that it is small enough to take with you to the nursery and use to help you decide which plants to select. It also has a great water proof cover, so it is rugged enough to withstand daily use in and around your potting bench.

I'd give it six stars if I could! ... Read more

Product Description
Alan Titchmarsh provides expert advice on hanging baskets, window boxes, patio pots and sink gardens plus advice on compatibility of containers and plants such as bulbs, climbers and fruit and vegetables. ... Read more

Product Description
Any gardener who wants to enliven an entrance with an arrangement of pots or create a pocket of instant color will enjoy the practical and imaginative possibilities for window boxes, hanging baskets, troughs, and all-season planters in Container Gardens, published by Better Homes and Gardens (R). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Who is the editor??
My order said the editor was Cathy Barash, the book says Eleanor Lewis wrote it and Kate Carter Frederick was the editor.

I should have known better than to expect BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS CONTAINER GARDENS would have much of interest to me, but I try to keep an open mind. Unlike many of the "garden magazines" BG relies not on expert garden writers but on its own staff to produce garden copy. Furthermore, the photos in the articles mostly depict overly zestful compositions that distract rather than soothe, which makes me wonder how photography is handled.

In spite of its overall shortcomings (who is in charge? who is writing, i.e. offering advice?), each section of the book has some strengths. In rather detailed chapters, the text discusses, accompanied by photos, the creation of various planting arrangements.

For example, in the "Shallow Bowls" section we are shown which plants to add to the arrangement, how to select and fill the bowl with the planting medium, and how to arrange the plants.In this case an aster, a sedum, a mum, a fern, a variegated ivy,and an ornamental cabbage.Interestingly, although the text explains that the project is "easy" andthe time involved is "1 hour" and the zones where this arrangement will work are "3-10", it does not explain that this is a fall arrangement that it can withstand some dryness but will succumb if over-watered, that it will have full sun requirements, and that it will probably not be easy to locate the listed plants "in bloom", as the text suggests, in the early summer months. Rather the text says you should "engage in a bit of advanced planning" and note when plants are at their peak (fall plants peak in autumn). In other words, this may not be an "easy" project for a beginner, but might prove easier for someone like myself who has been gardening a while.

The next few pages of this section suggest various shallow bowl arrangements for different times of the year (although most shown are for spring), which is useful for someone who has been gardening a while and may not have tried primulas in pots (although I have done pansies, arrangements of sedum, and combinations of tulips).

So, the question is who is the target audience?Is it the novice, the intermediate, or the old-timer?I think the novice could use the book, but don't expect it to tell you everything.You might want to buy McGee and Stuckey's BOUNTIFUL CONTAINER as your first book. Buy this one for the photos which aren't all bad.

IDEAS, IDEAS, IDEAS!
I bought a few different container gardening books through Amazon and this one is my favorite for creative container display ideas.I appreciated that the full color photographs showed different arrangements of containers in yards, on decks, stairs, foyers, and under windows.There were also great tips on creating or modifying 'found' objects into planting containers.The information in the individual plant care section was sparse.However, but there was a key to foliage and fruit colors that is important in making beautiful displays.The strengths of this book are the ideas and photographs.Sometimes a good picture is the only motivation you need to get started!

Excellent container garden ideas
Of all the container garden books I read this spring, this was one of my favorites. The pictures are excellent. The book has "recipes" for containers, plant ideas for different kinds of containers, and also touches a bit on water gardening in containers. Its an all around great book for a beginning container gardener. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Absolutely Beautiful Containers: The ABCs of Creative Container Gardens
I took a garden class at a our local community college and this book was part of the private library of our instructor who is particular about the books she purchases in her library.I was so impressed with the book that I purchased it for my own library.This book contains 200 examples of container gardens and their "recipes" for how to do them.The color pictures as well as the details of the "ABC'S of container gardening are,in my opinion, wonderful.I have already used these ideas for my own container gardening and plan to give container garden gifts to others.It is a practical and very useful book that I will enjoy for many years to come!If you have an interest in container gardening or would like to give someone a nice hostess or new home gift - I would recommend that you consider this book as part of your library.

Great Book
I recently took a class on container gardening & the instructor passed around this book.I ordered the book as soon as I returned home from the class.I have planted four containers using this book as a guide & so far, so good. The pictures are wonderful.The guide for each container is easy to follow.The author gives plenty of tips and advice on how to get started at the beginning of the book.I would recommend this book for anymore looking for assistance with container gardening.

ABC's of container gardening
This book is grrrreat. Once I started reading and planting in containers I couldn't stop.The instructions made it so easy and the pictures were so beautiful that before I knew it I had planted almost all of the containers that were pictured in the book. The plants listed were very easy to find.What fun..... I am now able to design my own planted containers. My friends and family have ooooo'd and ahhhhhhhh'd over everything I have done in this book. Everyone should have one!

Excellent Book
This book happened to be very helpful on creating containers. It help me get excellent ideas and also discover new plants that I was unaware existed before I read this book. I thought it was well written and complemented by great photos. Simple to use and great conversation piece around a cup of coffee in your garden.

A thinly-veiled marketing tool for Ball Horticultural plants
Don't be fooled--this book is a marketing ploy for Ball Horticultural trademarked plants, from the glowing overview of Ball in the Acknowledgements to the Ball varieties listed in the Index.The author is National Retail Accounts Manager for Ball.All the container recipes use ONLY Ball varieties, over and over.The author subtly encourages you to search from garden center to garden center until you find the exact variety (i.e. Ball variety) you're looking for.And for this hardcover advertisement of Ball plants, they want us to pay $24.95 retail!To be fair, there are some inspiring container gardens in the book.And, to be fair, you could substitute other brands of plants for the Ball plants listed, but the total number of different plants used in the container recipes is limited.
If you want to see dozens and dozens of beautiful container recipes for FREE, go to the Proven Winners Website.Yes, the recipes are advertisements for their own varieties, but at least they're free! ... Read more

Product Description
This book is made up of a series of 14 previously published articles on gardening.These articles cover a wide variety of topics including container gardening, garden pests, herbs, hostas, garden tools and growing zones.As the title says, they contain practical advice on many aspects of home gardening.

The author has been an avid gardener for many years and conducts workshops on growing herbs and hostas.Gardening is one of the favorite pass times of her murder mystery detective, Rachel Myers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Garden Book!
I don't usually do reviews.In fact, this is the first one I have done since my wife got our Kindle a couple of years ago.

I'm a reader first, then a few other things but somewhere along the line I'm a gardener.Practical Gardening is (unlike many gardening books) a fascinating read.

Each article is self-contained which means it's like reading a book of short stories; just choose the one you want to read without having to start at the beginning.I especially liked the one on Voles and Slugs.Very entertaining!

Also, do check out the photographs offered under the Cover Image.Beautiful! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

SO SO
This book at first glance looked like a dream come true. However as I received the book I realized that the photos of topiary were not really inspirational and the information on how to really care for a container topiary was limited. They touch on frames, the touch on the best plant species for containers. It's kind of a just little introductory book to topiary. SO if you are thinking about getting into topiary this is your book. If you are a serious gardner than this is not your book. ... Read more

Product Description
The soothing sight and sound of water is one of the greatest pleasures a garden can offer. Now those with small gardens or even no garden at all, can enjoy the delights of water features with this practical guide to designing, building and planting your own original container water gardens. Here ideas and step-by-step instructions for over 25 small-scale, low-maintenance water features to suit small gardens, patios, balconies and even indoors. All are surprisingly simple to construct and install. From a miniature pond in a shrub tub to a pebble fountain in a pot, or from a free-standing cascade for a patio to a decorated watering-can with water pouring over a paved or pebbled area, there are plenty of ideas for small outside spaces. Projects for indoors include a table feature with flowing water and house plants, and a pedestal rock pool for the conservatory. An illustrated plant directory lists over 80 plants suitable for different types of water garden, with details of propagation and attention required, information on whether it is a floating plant, a border plant or a water-loving plant, and whether it is suitable for indoors or outdoors. ... Read more