Product Description
The acclaimed author of Step by Step Organic Vegetable Gardening provides a comprehensive guide to planting and growing flowers without harmful fertilizers and pesticides, offering advice on soil preparation, choosing equipment, placing flowers, and preventing disease. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Broad coverage of the topic!
I first read this book last summer. It gave me a better understanding of mulches, companion planting, and the use of color. In fact, a strength of this book is coverage of using ornamentals year round. This author was ahead of her time, and the detail about mulches is hard to find.
... Read more

Product Description
Texans tend to do most things with their own special flare, and gardening is no exception.Expert Alan Dean Franz offers a guide for gardeners hoping to create a truly Texas plot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

best gardening book
purchased this book for my daughter living in Austin, TX.She has had only good things to say about it.The book has many ideas for different types of gardens, including shade, sun, flowers and veggies.

A great resource
I recently moved to Texas and left a wonderful garden in the pacific northwest. Now I'm starting from scratch in an area I know nothing about. Climate, soil conditions, everything is different. The new property has nothing butspots of weedy grass here and there. I guess I can look at it as a blank slate. This book was exactly what I was looking for. I prefer perennials and this book appears to have the exact information I need to help me start my new gardens and landscaping and lead me to another showcase garden like I used to have. I feel this book will be educational and a great resource and will help me choose exactly what I need that will thrive in my new yard.

an excellent addition to Texas gardening literature
The best new gardening book I've seen in a while. Instead of being a repeat of other high-quality Texas books (Native Texas Plants by Wasowski being the best IMO), a large part of the book is devoted to categorizing the plants by their forms (clumping, trailing, climbing, etc.), their prefered habitat (shade, boggy, etc.), by color, and by their ability to attract bees, birds, and other wildlife to your yard. I found these categorizations to be extremely useful. For further information about the plants, you can then look at the alphabetical listing of all the species mentioned in the book. The pictures in Wasowski's book are better, but the categorizations makes this book more useful for selecting plants for your particular landscape.

Simply beautiful
This book offers a mountain of useful information on technical, environmental, and artistic aspects of perennial gardening,
presented in a manner that is simple and understandable, without being condescending.

This could almost be a "coffee table" book, the pictures are so beautiful! There needs to be a paperback version that can be taken outside.

Gardeners (and gardener "wannabes" - like me) all over the midwest can use this book. ... Read more

Product Description
An entertaining survey of 80 plant genera, with a multitude of references to, and extracts from, myth and literature from the earliest times to the recent past. Based on prodigious research, it includes much literature that has fallen into undeserved obscurity, as well as selections from the great poets. For plant lovers, it is a delightful study of the influence of the world's flora on humanity, from the mundane to the mystical. It is a perfect bedside book for the literate gardener.Amazon.com Review

"The snowdrop, in purest white arraie,
First rears her hedde on Candlemas daie;"
From an early church calendar of English flowers, ca. 1500

As you pick up spade and shovel and head out into the garden, you mightwant to offer up a prayer for sunny days and rainy nights to one of thepatron saints of gardening described by Bobby Ward in this fascinatingcompilation of horticultural wit and whimsy.

Have you ever wondered how flowers get their names, both common andscientific, or what Shakespeare or Milton had to say about roses orhoneysuckle? Collected in this fat, satisfying volume are quotations frompoetry, plays, and stories written by the ancient Greeks up through theVictorians that trace the rich history of the natural world as captured inmyth and literature.Symbolism, traditional medicinal uses, and most of alllyrical tributes to favorite plants from acanthus to zinnia fill the pagesof this book, to be read for sheer pleasure or dipped into for informationabout specific flowers.The book is easy to use compared to many suchcompilations, in part because it is arranged by type of plant, and becauseWard has masterfully woven it all together with a blend of historical andbotanical commentary for context.

You won't learn from this book how to plant a bulb or grow a tomato, butthere are more than enough books on the practical matters of gardening.Rather, folk tales, myths, legends, and lore of the flowers, in the words ofsages, saints, herbalists, and poets provide inspiration, humor, and finereading. --Valerie Easton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

plant/flower lore
Packed with a rich amount of myths, facts, history, & lore. Both scientific & mystical.If you love this sort of thing, you will not be disappointed here. So much amusing fact & fancy about each flower & plant, whether it's uses in health & cures, or said to give courage. uses in perfume, flavoring food. Legends of fairy queens, herbalists, monks, American Indians are only some of this great folk lore. the author is not stingy with information, he gives a goodly amount in a cheerfull manner with tenderness & respect for our flowers. I enjoy it immensly & will keep it around for future reference.

A dipping book
A Contemplation upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature. Bobby Ward. Timber Press. 1999.

In his introduction Bobby Ward, botanist and environmental scientist asserts that writers have contemplated upon flowers since the beginning of written history, and his well-researched book proves his point.

This book neatly manages to balance science and art, keeping in mind both botanical accuracy and the poetic licence taken by some of the more fanciful Victorian poets. Mr Ward has researched some 82 varieties of flowers and arranged them alphabetically by their common name. You can read it in sequence if you like an orderly approach. I found myself picking out my favourite plants and discovering their ancient history as well as the way in which poets and playwrights had portrayed them. You'll always find treasures:

- the name `lilac' comes from Persian and Arabic words describing its color. Its Latin name `syringa' comes from a Greek word meaning `pipe' and refers to its hollow stem. Our word `syringe' comes from the same root.

- an ancient legend says that peonies were only to be picked at night. The woodpecker guarding them would attack the eyes of anyone picking them during the day.

This is that rare treat, a "dipping book". You pick out the parts that grab your interest immediately, then keep it beside your armchair to dip into as time goes on.If you enjoy discovering more about the lore and literature of the plants in your garden you'll find "A Contemplation upon Flowers"a treasure to be added to your bookshelf.

Rare book that explains each flower�s role in the history
There are many books that tell gardeners the growing conditions and requirements of different flowers. However, rare is the book that explains each flower's role in the world's history and literature, as well as their medicinal uses and, the roots of each flower's botanical and common names. That is why Bobby Ward's A Contemplation Upon Flowers, which traces the history of eighty plants from the time of the Greek's to today, is such a treasure.

This book is a must have for any serious gardener. Bobby Ward reveals long lost secretes about some of the world's favorite gardening plants that until now where lost and hidden in books and manuscripts that have been out of print for ages. Just when I thought I knew almost everything about some of my favorite plants, this book revealed a wealth of information about their long lost histories.

Dainty young thing....
Bobby Ward, a retired environmental scientist who now edits and writes books on gardening, has assembled a nice compendium on selected literature and folk lore associated with some of our most beloved flowers. He covers Daffodils (Wordsworth) and Pansies (that's for thoughts) and other familiar blossoms, as well as a few not so familiar plants.

My favorite essay is about the Honeysuckle, literally a flower from which one sucks honey. Also known as Woodbine, this little plant has over 180 species, primarily native to the Northern Hemisphere, but there is at least one that grows in England ... "I know a place where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite overcanopied with luscious Woodbine.." where of Tatania the Queen of the Fairies sleeps. The Honeysuckle belongs to the genus "Lonicera" in the family "Caprifoliaceae" literally goat's leaves--probably because they loved to eat them.

We learn of the patron saints of gardeners, and specific flowers, like Saint John's Wort named for saints. The Crocus is the Queen, with it's many religious associations ranging from Lupercalia to Saint Valentines Day. Many poets and writers have created verse and prose to honor the little Crocus, harbinger of spring.

Mr. Ward used secondary material to develop his book, so heperpetuates some myths -- pagans were not likely to have built fires to ward off witches and devils since Christians invented the latter long after the pagens came into being. If the local country folk built fires to ward off witches and devils they were practicing a 'Santaria' type religion (mixture of Christian and pagan beliefs).

Mr. Ward edited a book of essays by Elizabeth Lawrence entitled, "A Garden of One's Own" and is a fellow North Carolinian.So I was quite surprised to see that he did not include her very fine book "Through the Garden Gate" in his bibliography.Lawrence's book covers much of the same material found in Ward's book, and she wrote it some 20-30 years earlier.

All in all, this is a nice book, and since it brings together material from a variety of sources it's a good place to start if you're interested in the connections between flora, folk tales, English literature, and Latin names. ... Read more

Product Description
An essential reference for amateur and professional flower arrangers and florists, The Complete Book of Cut Flower Care lists nearly 250 types of flowers and foliage grown for cutting.Published at $19.95 Our last copies available at $9.98 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Review For The Artist
This is an excellent book for cut flower care! Drawing from life is important. So extending the life of cut flowers is essential. This book lists close to 250 types of plants! The contents include home care for all cut flowers/cut foliage/berries and ornamental fruit, retail care for all cut flowers, special care for orchids and tropical flowers, myths and facts, drying flowers, flower arranging, flower food and preservatives, refrigeration, water quality, a glossary, and more! This is a dictionary-style type of book. Plants are arranged alphabetically by their botanical genus name (EX: Agapanthus) followed by their common name (EX: African Lily). Each entry includes family name, botanical name, plant description, best time to buy, availability, vase life, special home care, trade care, and whether it is suitable or not suitable for drying. Includes artwork of the majority of plants listed which is an extra bonus for artists trying to learn to draw plants! The artwork is done in monochrome (black and white) and it resembles graphite pencil or watercolor. There are also a few color photographs of actual plants.

fantastic book
What an increible book, full of great information, and a pleasure to read.
It has a detailed information on all mayor cut flowers. I considered it the bible of cut flower handling.

Thank You Mary Jane.

Good!
Good book!Shows you how to tend to your flowers and make your arrangments last. ... Read more

Product Description
The Complete Encyclopedia of Garden Flowers offers a host of ideas and advice about a vast range of flowering plants. This handy, all-encompassing reference with over 1400 photographs covers every flowering plant imaginable and provides a guide to growing both traditional plants as well as more unusual varieties. Useful tips show how to get the most from any plant in the garden and detailed descriptions and cultivation requirements make even a beginning gardener shine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great overview but not enough details
I found this book quite helpful in idenitifying plants in my new yard.Since I did not have the luxury of asking the previous home owner what was planted, I have had to rely heavily on this book to tell me what I have.The down side is that while the book has beautiful photos, it does not give many details.So if you you are looking to know every little thing about a plant then this is not the book for you.

Great pictures but .................
Given the fact that the publication is dated 2003, I would have thought that the book would at a minimum reference most plants in existence today.I have many plants in my garden which are yet to be found in the book...Being from the Caribbean, I thought for a moment that the word American was missing from the title however, many of the plants to which I refer are found in the USA ... in particular in Florida...strange!

The content under the heading 'Cultivation' is very general and extremely high level, not sufficient to properly guide one in growing flowers, as we all know in many instances the requirements do differ depending on the hybrid..

Great book for pictures and perhaps for persons who just need an overview of types of flowers in existence but not for a serious gardener.....lots more work needed

alot of plants
the book shows alot of plants that are not in all books ... Read more

Product Description
The Old Farmer's Almanac has entertained and educated its readers with tried-and-true gardening tips for more than 200 years. Flower Gardening Secrets brings together the best of that material for backyard gardeners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Maybe small but pack with lots of useful information/
A first glance this book maybe overlooked, and what a shame because it is packed with information. Information about what, you ask? Well, the reader is given information on soil types, the useful tools that are needed for gardening, what flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, a list of favorite annuals with planting and care instructions, a list of perinnials with planting and care instructions, suggestions for color combinations for flower gardens, info on planting and care of bulbs and lots more. I found it very enjoyable to read and learned a lot of helpful tips. It is a book that I will return to time and time again for information on flower gardening. ... Read more

Product Description

Simon & Schuster's Guide to Plants and Flowers is the most useful book gardeners can own -- whether they have a few indoor houseplants on the windowsill or endless acres of flowering trees, flowers, and shrubs. Arranged in sixteen sections with convenient alphabetical headings, Simon & Schuster's Guide to Plants and Flowers characterizes each plant as to place of origin, propagation, flowering season, best soil type, and amount of water and sunlight needed for healthy growth. Included are all kinds of houseplants, shrubs, vines, cacti, roses, lilies, annuals and perennials. There are also sections devoted to plants for balconies and terraces, plants for borders and rock gardens, medicinal and aromatic plants, wildflowers, orchids, succulents, bulbs, herbs, and aquatic plants. Edited by a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, the book has been especially designed for American gardeners, providing accurate descriptions of plants that thrive in various parts of the country -- the Northeast, Southwest, Midwest, and so on. There is no comparable book available on the market today. This is a must for indoor gardeners, outdoor gardeners, and all those who want to learn more about the wonderful world of plants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Reference Book!
I love having this on hand to go back to, plus I enjoy reading it!Very good book for people who love plants and flowers!

Guide to Plant and Flowers
It is a great reference andgreat help when deciding what to put in your yard!

Simon & Shuster's Guide To Plants And Flowers
The content of the book was helpful.Would recommend to anyone that is interested in plants and flowers.

One of the Best!
I have been a semi-professional gardener for 25 years and this is one of the best plant and flower guides you can buy.This book has all the features a beginner or accomplished gardener can ask for -- concise information, a photo of every listed plant, compact size, well organized, very reasonable price, and a large, varied selection.I own many gardening books but this is the first I turn to when I'm looking for plant information.

Fabulous Book
An enormous variety of plants and flowers to learn about. Beautiful photos and helpful information of the orginality. A wonderful start to earning a green thumb! ... Read more

Product Description
Acclaimed garden writer Georgeanne Brennan makes growing flowers for intimate bouquets a simple pleasure everyone can enjoy. Illustrated with photographs by Kathryn Kleinman and filled with inspiring ideas from floral stylist Ethel Brennan, Backyard Bouquets is both a how-to gardening book and a guide to the rewarding art of flower arrangement. From disk- and dome-shaped blossoms to wildflowers to "stately stems" and "artful forms," Georgeanne Brennan explains the role each kind of flower plays in a bouquet, then gives step-by-step directions for growing each type in its many variations. The idea is to cultivate a selection of hearty, fast-growing flowers, fillers, and vines -- in a variety of complementary shapes, colors, and sizes -- so there's always something fresh and pretty on hand, all through the year. Sunflowers, cosmos, lupines, nasturtiums, irises, sweetpeas, daffodils, and tulips are just the beginning. Uncomplicated and spontaneous, this book gives gardeners the tools they need to brighten any room in the house with wonderful flowers.Amazon.com Review
A lot of flower arranging books are intimidating: the pictures are beautiful and the instructions may even be good, but if you don't have a Limoges vase and an armful of perfect rosebuds, you'll never be able to achieve similar results.Backyard Bouquets is a book for people who have, or want, gloriously messy real-life gardens full of inexpensive annuals and (whisper) even a few pretty weeds, and who put their flowers in anything that won't leak.It's a beautiful and friendly book, with good planting, watering, and cutting directions.While only the color principles of flower arranging are addressed in the text, the many bouquets pictured are uniformly gorgeous in texture and proportion, whether they're placed in old jelly glasses, coffee cans, or the occasional ceramic ginger jar--textbook examples of what you imagine while you're putting the seeds in the ground.--Barrie Trinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Plain Plain Plain Except for the Cover
The cover bouquet is the only thing worthy and inspiring out of all the arrangements.Most are plain with only one or two different kinds of plants in them.And even the few that has more variety still looks ordinary and not that pretty.Sigh, at least the cover is really good to look at.

Pretty book for coffee table gardeners
This is a very nice book with lots of beautifully styled photographs of common flowers in folksy arrangements.Lovely as a source of inspiration for what to grow next.The text covers about 20 perennial, annual and bulb flowers and their varieties with the chapters grouped by the flower shape.The orientation here is on the "Bouquet" part of the title rather than the "Backyard" part. Pretty minimalist gardening techniques.Here's a sample on how to grow bulbs: "Plant them touching each other, water them and wait for the green shoots to show."If you see what I mean.

The book is beautifully bound in the new soft cover style with attached dust jacket.The photographs are clear and display well on the non-reflective paper.The type face is small and difficult to read with only a single column on each wide page.

Buy the book for inspiration but you'll be relying on something else for how to plant and grow. ... Read more

Product Description
Favorite old varieties of plants are a lot like old friends: easy-going, dependable, and enduring. Even with all of the dazzling new flowers that appear every spring in catalogs and garden centers, most gardeners still treasure those time-honored plants that have proven their worth over many years and earned an abiding place in our hearts.

Heirloom Flower Gardens celebrates more than 300 classic ornamental plants, and explores their uses in the landscape and the home. This charming and influential book is now back in print, and even better than before. It features more than 25 additional plant portraits, as well as expanded information on growing, landscaping, and preserving flowers and herbs for culinary and craft use. Other new sections provide information on creating period plantings and designing specialty or theme gardens.

Author JoAnn Gardner defines the word "heirloom" broadly, and includes a wide variety of plants—flowers, herbs, shrubs, and vines—that were introduced to North America between 1600 and the 1950s. All of them have a simplicity and elegance that make them valuable additions to the home landscape. Most are also known for their hardiness and undemanding natures. Sections on growing under each plant portrait give specific instructions that will ensure success.

Even the common names of these plants sound poetic and evocative, from the airy foliage of love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) to the delightfully descriptive flower known as policeman’s-helmet (Impatiens glandulifera). From foxglove to primrose, bee balm to sneezewort, these heirloom flowers offer a living link to our rich garden heritage, and they exhibit a grace and beauty that never grows old. ... Read more

Product Description
One Hundred Flowers features 100 exquisite colour portraits of dahlias, roses, anemones, poppies, pansies, orchids, tulips, azaleas, peonies, and other flowers in luscious detail. Each variety is coupled with a brief description, including tips about cultivation, as well as comprehensive notes about the major flower groups, all written by a distinguished botanistmaking the book as useful as it is beautiful. One Hundred Flowers also includes an introduction by popular garden author and lecturer Sydney Eddison and a critical essay by celebrated photography critic A.D. Coleman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Lovely book
This book was purchased as a gift for a special person who was retiring and who loves to garden.It has gorgeous pictures and she was extremely happy with the gift.

wonderful big pictures of flowers in bloom
I am an artist and saw the book in the doctor's office and was blown away by the photographs, mostly because they are quite detailed and full of "flower information.

Love this book!
The book has wonderful clear pictures that pop off the pages.I actually bought the book to cut out pictures and frame.They all have black backgrounds, so I framed 6 of them in black frames with white matting (8x10 opening).I put them in a block - 3 across, and 3 underneath and everyone who walks in the room comments immediately on these pictures as they really pop out.Some of the pictures are 10x10 and are wonderful, but I've had difficulty finding frames for these.This is an inexpensive decorating idea - bought frames at Michaels on sale.

Gave it as a gift
This was a gift for my mom on her birthday. She seemed very impressed with the pictures and thought they were just beautiful. She said the pictures were inspiring. I feel good about this purchase although I wish I had a copy myself!

From a good photogrpher to a great photographer
Zen of Watering Your GardenHi I am the Author and editor of a book that has good to great photographs. All are not as great as these.But my book has a wide array of not just flowers but other wonders to be found in Mother Nature's vegetation.Each photo is paired with an aphorism, poem or thought to encourage the viewer to see where one can easily immerse themselves in the garden process and achieve an inner peace. Matt Cohen ... Read more

Product Description
Everyone who loves flowers will revel in The Complete Book of Flowers. Veteran horticulturalist Denise Diamond's magnificent compendium describes hundreds of creative ways to use flowers grown in home gardens or gathered in the countryside. This new updated edition includes 16 pages of color photographs; recipes which use flowers for taste and beauty; planting, growing, arranging, and drying advice; a rich lore of easy-to-understand botanical information; and lovely home decorating ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
For the past 35 years, thousands of Wisconsin gardeners have relied on the The Wisconsin Garden Guide. Now for the first time in full color, this revised and updated guide should be your one dependable reference to gardening the Badger State.

Whether your garden is in a small backyard or on several acres, you will find just what you need to know to be a successful gardener in Wisconsin s challenging climate.

Jerry Minnich is the Wisconsin garden expert. With more than forty years of gardening experience, and as the author of countless books and articles on gardening, there is no better source of information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Outstanding reference and written for all audiences
Excellent tips, easy organization, a few nice anecdotes,
and written with a positive and independent spirit.

Exceptionally well written and superbly presented compendium
When the Wisconsin Garden Guide first debuted in 1975 it achieved an impressive status with home gardeners, professional landscapers and horticulturalists throughout the state. Now in an updated third edition and again available to Wisconsin's gardening enthusiasts, Jerry Minnich's exceptionally well written and superbly presented compendium is a complete and total guide to growing flowers, lawns, herbs, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Jerry covers every aspect of the gardening experience from soil evaluation, composting and mulching, to weather, insects, pets, and disease control (without having to resort to herbicides). Of special note is the informative chapter dedicated to indoor gardening. The Wisconsin Garden Guide is further enhanced with a segment on tools and sources, as well as a "gardener friendly" index. The Wisconsin Garden Guide is a core, essential, invaluable, comprehensive reference for every personal or professionalWisconsin gardening collection. ... 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

Product Description
The art of drying and preserving flowers has a long tradition. In this guide to the whole subject, the home drying and preserving process is explained with step-by-step pictures. A catalogue shows the different types of flowers, grasses and seed heads available and how to arrange them. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

fantastic gardening book!!
this is by far my favorite gardening book! i love how it could be dead of winter and you have an itchin to plant something, all you need to do is grab this book and it has very detailed chapters on the seasons and how and what you can plant!! it also has tons of information about bugs(pests)(close up pictures too), soil,plant diseases, and things to do to fix the problems! it was tons of beautiful pictures i just love looking at it and in fact its used very much as a guide and a coffee table book! everyone who comes over wants one!! i highly doubt anybody would be dissapointed if they bought this book, its a must have for gardeners of all experiences and of all ways to garden(pots, soil) it talks about watering its almost like a text book because of all the information that it contains oh it also tells you about cutting flowers how to preserve them the best way for the type they are and about different types of "drying" flowers. splitting bulbs.which i had no idea how to do and it gives extremly detailed information on how to do so.it also has information on herbs!! ground covers, trees and shrubs(it goes into details about different kinds and pruning.) an entire chapter with lists of flowers with their page numbers where they are explained in more detail and it has the blooming schedulesand a glossary. so the book is great. i would recommend it to anyone even young kids!!

Complete book of gardening.
I bought this book for a friend with a new house. I wish I'd had it when I started my garden. It has everything you need to know: soil types, colors, blooming times, etc. If you can only get one gardening book, this is it.

The Gardening Book for All Seasons+
I was looking for a creative gardening book on flowers.And this one explains the basics on how to bloom and cultivate the ideal flower garden.It has a worth of profiles on some 165 plants and flowers.Plus 780 color photos and illustrations,on the plants and garden lay-outs.How best to care for your annuals and perennials,is firstly explained.The bulk of the book,four chapters on caring for plants through the four seasons.The last section covers over herbal gardens,ground covers,trees and shrubs.This gardening book has many good suggestions,eventhough some are basic,that's still sound advise for all serious gardeners. ... Read more

Product Description
Rediscover the language of flowers, and the art of making them speak. A celebration of craft, lore, and language, TUSSIE MUSSIES is a stunning, full-color guide to tussie mussies, how to make them, and how the symbolic meanings of flowers and herbs have developed over centuries. A floral poet, Geri Laufer shows how to make 60 bouquets--tussie mussies to declare Ardent Love, say Happy Birthday, wish Congratulations, express Sympathy, celebrate a Newborn, mark an Anniversary, or honor a Mentor. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, Newbridge Book Club, and the Garden Book Club.

Photographs by Starr Ockenga and Chipp Jamison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Tussie-Mussies by Author
Hi, I'm the author of Tussie-Mussies, Expressing Yourself in the Victorian Language of Flowers. My book is intended to encourage readers to make tussie-mussies! I delved into the history of the Language of Flowers as well as the myriad ways flowers were carried and worn through the ages, then gave a "how-to". The 60 examples of fresh tussie-mussies with themes for all occasions had my editors calling me a "Floral Poet". You can pretty much say anything with flowers, so give it a whirl! Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers

Tussie Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers
Got this book to help plan our wedding and the flower arangements to choose the right flowers for the event. Wow, it has a lot of information and is great for making a statment in flowers. It gives you the Victorian meaning and the present day use of each flower a long with some history.

Good choice.

Inspiring and enchanting!
I have used this delightful book for reference and inspiration countless times since buying it several years ago. It's paid for itself and then some!Tussie-mussies never fail to provide a gracious touch to the giving of flowers.Anyone can merely present flowers, but to customize the bouquet to the recipient or occasion?Truly impressive and touching!I once attended a luncheon honoring a well-known philanthropist.The hostess spent a fortune on catering for the event and decorated the banquet table with an enormous [$] floral arrangement of spring flowers.The well-traveled multimillionairess was cordial but a trifle bored (been there/done that)until I presented my tussie-mussie, assembled just for her, with a hand-lettered scroll listing the flowers and their definitions.She was astonished and fascinated.That's all she talked about afterwards--the table arrangement could have been dandilions and crab grass.Even if you don't actually make up a tussie-mussie from real flowers, Laufer's book has other terrific uses.I used it to design a bouquet in watercolors for my aunt's memorial service program. You will relish this book!

Tussie Mussies!
My friend and I used this book as a source for a program for my garden club. We did this in January when our gardens were bare, or so we thought.After looking, we were able to find lots of things that were useful as wellas meaningful.With a few dollars worth of flowers from the grocery storewe made several examples from the book (with a few substitutions).We weredelighted at how beautifully they turned out. I talked about the languageof flowers and then showed everybody our samples. We had assembled avariety of ingredients and then each of our 15 members created her ownTussie Mussie.Each one turned out differently and each was charming. Icannot wait for a reason to make another one.We had a hoot of a time.Myonly complaint with the book was that there were not enough sources ofmaterials such as holders, etc.Thank you for such a beautiful book.

Excellent information and a wonderful pictorial book.
I have read this book and use it as a ref guide in our work shop. We manufacture tussies. The only wrong thing about this book is it does not have a glossery of where one can purchase the things they would need tomake these wonderfultussies. As in WHERE could you purchase the holders?or who makes holders like this? Also where can you purchase specialribbons. and so on.We make these as our job, but for the home gardenperson who perhaps would like to dabble into this as a gift making ideawill not find much in the way of suppliers.Anyone can use lace anddoilies, but the real EYECATCHERS are the hand casted resin containers! Too bad they didnt say or give a list of suppliers.Other Than that.... itis a well photographed book. Patricia Anne's Ltd. ... Read more

Product Description
William Robinson has been described as "one of the greatest gardeners of all time". Indeed, the word "Robinsonian" has entered the language to describe the natural-informal and even the "wild" garden that were his favourite themes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sacred Gardens.....
THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN by William Robinson, was first published in 1883 and republished a number of times afterward.The current version available from Amazon is a reprint of the 15th Edition Robinson edited shortly before he died in the 1930s. This new reprint of the 15th Edition contains the "Botanical Revisions" prepared by Graham Stuart Thomas for the 1984 Edition, as well as a Forward by Henry Mitchell, and an introduction by Deborah Nevins.

The book is set in old style type and contains numerous black and white illustrations--etchings of photos and prints of sketches. Some of them are a bit grainy, but many are not, and even the grainy ones have their good points.The content of each photo is quite interesting, and the sketches provide the "personal" touch one seldom sees in text books these days.

In one print, taken at Gravetye Manor over 100 years ago, a climbing tea rose clings to a bamboo split-rail post fence surrounded by bush roses. The sunlight reflects from the walkway and warms the flowers and a huge clay pot sitting in a corner. In another photo, pots of 'Chimney Campanula' guard an old Jacobin chest sitting in a hall at Staunton Court. Sketches and photos are used to illustrate flowers all through the last half of the book--a flower dictionary with anectdotal and literary "blurbs" written by Robinson himself.

Mitchell says Robinson "for all practical purposes invented gardening as we know it."Robinson's garden, 'Gravetye Manor' is a hop, skip and a jump from Sissinghurst, but few know of it's existence. Yet, Robinson is the "grandfather" of Sissinghurst, because Gertrude Jekyll who helped Mrs. Nichols design Sissinghurst, was Robinson's disciple. She literally followed in his footsteps and emulated his style.

Robinson found most of the gardens of his day deplorable (19th Century Victorian). Those of the wealthy were modeled after the French and Italian formal plan, loaded with clipped Yews and bedded out every spring with ribbons of color provided by geraniums and marigolds. The walkways were lined with ornate scupture and surrounded by towering "imprisoned" evergreen shrubs and trees including clipped Yews which he loathed. He said these gardens reminded him of graveyards.

His ideal was the cottage garden.He considered the garden a sacred space. He said one had to visit the houses of the poor to find truly beautiful gardens. Henry Mitchell reflecting on this says, "The thing that separates the true gardener from the mere architect or designer (and there is something extremely suspicious in the airs they give themselves nowadays) is that the gardener stands in awe before his violets, while others think of them in terms of [sic] plant materials."

Robinson's ideas grew out of the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th Century. His designs and thinking were reflected in the Arts and Crafts movement based on the importance of reconnecting to nature. His contemporaries in thinking were Ruskin, Morris, Stickly, Frank Lloyd Wright, and others we identify with this movement. If you're a Stickly, cantilevered, picturesque kind of person, you'll like this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Nico De Swert's fantastic floral arrangements are anything but traditional bouquets. They are more likely to resemble the bustle of an haute couture evening gown, an art installation, or an abstract explosion of colors and textures. Shunning traditional romantic floral design and instead striving for gorgeous artifice, De Swert challenges the viewer to see flowers and plants in a new light: as a medium, much like fabric or paint, for creating art.

In Living with Flowers, the accomplished floral designer and interior stylist offers a dazzling collection of new ideas for extraordinary floral arrangements: a sphere of tightly packed crimson roses overlaid with perfectly flat dark green leaves, mimicking a watermelon; or a dome-shaped tower of tiny mauve and lavender blossoms rising out of a pewter bowl. With color as its organizing principle, this exquisite book provides captions listing the wide range of flowers and plants used, as well as tips on how to extend their life and show them off to best advantage. A source guide for the best flowers and materials rounds out this exceptional volume.AUTHOR BIO: Belgian-born Nico De Swert has lived and worked in New York for seven years as a floral designer and interior stylist. His floral arrangements have appeared in leading magazines such as Martha Stewart Living; O, the Oprah Magazine; and InStyle. Wendell T. Webber shoots for a variety of publications, such as Martha Stewart Living and InStyle, as well as such companies as the Gap, American Express, and Mercedes-Benz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

FLORAL PLAGARISM
MMMMM BEFORE ALL YOU VIWERS GET TOO CARRIED AWAY WITH THE BEAUTY OF THE WORK IN THIS BOOK..DO A LITTLE RESEARCH..DE SWERTSIS BEST AS A COPIER..FOLLOWED BY CHEEK AND CHANCE .....GO LOOK AT THE PUBLISHED WORK OF BELGIAN DESIGNERS DANIEL OST, GEERT PATTYN, IVAN POLEMAN AND MONIQUE VANDEN BERGHE..THERE YOU WILL FIND THE ORIGINALS...NAUGHTY NICO TRYING TO PULL THE WOOL OVER AMERICANVIEWERSEYES.

Flowers as Art by Artist Nico De Swert
For sheer beauty this book of floral designs is one of the finest on the market.Published by Harry N Abrams in that publishing house's usual flair for quality of paper and color reproduction, LIVING WITH FLOWERS is a stunning volume that not only allows the viewer to see creative floral sculptures but also reveals resources not usually accompanying volumes such as this.

Floral designer Nico De Swert shuns the usual minimalist approach or the traditional look of flower arrangement and instead goes for masses of interesting forms and volumes of flowers and greens and plants, color keyed in unusual ways.The book is divided into sections that deal with color: oranges, yellows, blues, whites, reds - all sections are filled with seemingly endless ideas novel to this floral genius' mind.

But an equal part of the success of this book goes to photographer Wendell T. Webber whose skill as a still life photographer and whose sensitivity to lighting and focus make these creations by De Swert sing. This is a book for indulgence of the visual senses, yet it is also a stimulus for gardeners to look at the explosions of colors in the natural state in a new way.Highly recommended.Grady Harp, September 06

Truly gorgeous.
Along with Madderlake's "Flowers Rediscovered", this is one of my favourite book of floral art.The photography is gorgeous and many of the designs are eminently do-able.I wish the vase suppliers were acknowledged individually...........I'm desparate to find the multi-opening vase on page 14.

A MASTERPIECE
I was truly amazed when I first saw this book,
one of the most beautiful books on floral design I have ever seen.
The work in this volume is that of an artist.
A must have for those who love art and floral design.
Congratulations Nico De Swert!

Lovely book
This is a lovely book...very well produced...best of the best. You will not be disappointed if you are looking for an elegant, yet fresh, approach to arranging flowers in your own home or for a special event.I'm glad I got this. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Like this series, just two complaints
I have had the houseplant book from this series for many years,and it is my bible for houseplants.I especially love the section on what can go wrong with each specific plant and how to remedy it.So when I finally had an outside garden, I got other books in the series, including this one on flowers.My major complaint is that it is organized by the latin name of flowers (which I never know).You can look up the common names in the index, but it's annoying.I am also disappointed that there is no per-plant commentary on what can go wrong and how to treat it.Instead that topic is a separate 'chapter' in the back, general to all the plants.It's still a useful book, and it's what I refer to if I have questions.I just wish it were more like the old houseplant book's format.I've noticed a lot of plant books' primary use is to identify what kind of plant it is and not focus on care instructions and 'what can go wrong and how to treat that' instructions.This book is better than many I've seen, but still weak in that area.

The NEW Flower Expert (Millennium Edition)
Though I tried to order this book THREE times, I was sent instead The Flower Expert each time.
The web site shows THE NEW FLOWER EXPERT.... but do you actually have it in stock? After the second wrong book was received, with the outdated/older edition, I called a customer service representative. She personally called shipping to be sure that I would receive the correct edition. Guess what? I got the same old title back again.
Do you have a bunch of i---ts working in shipping?

I am unable to review the book as I have not received the one I ordered.
(and after three tries, yes you have worn me down) I figure this was a bait and switch.
?????????????????

Oh, and contact us doesn't work. How does one get attention to detail and the correct item sent?????
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annuals, perennials and bulbs all in one handy reference
The combination of color drawings and photographs and clear descriptions make this a must for those just getting serious about flower gardening. The fact that annuals, perennials and bulbs are all included in one portablereference is truely great.

An excellent gardening resource!
The Flower Expert is an excellent resource for the avid gardener.Beginners will benefit from the excellent photos, care descriptions and how the book is organized.Experienced gardeners will appreciate the volume of flowers listed in a slender, compact book making it easy to carry to the local nursey.A definite must have for anyamature gardener who wants beautiful, constantly blooming gardens that catch the eye ... Read more