5 comments about Botanica's Gardening Encyclopedia.

1. This is a great reference book! The photos are beautiful and very clear. The book is arranged by plant groups which is very helpful. I am very happy with my purchase!



2. This is the most useful gardening reference book on our shelf -- in great part, because you can actually carry it with you and (mostly) find what you are looking for in it -- with useful pictures!

   I use this book when attending horticultural plant sales, etc., where a wide variety of species are available, and some culture info (how much sun, how much water, what kind of soil) is a critical success factor. This book has helped me avoid extreme errors on both ends of the spectum -- seduction by a beautiful but impossible (and expensive) plant, and overlooking a humble-on-the-shelf but PERFECT in the garden new addition.

   In order to be portable, the book HAS to leave some stuff out, and that can be annoying in today's world of endless varieties and hybrids. There's an intro section on garden planning (and a good zone map), but the meat of this thing is the plant listings. Go for it -- this is a good one.




3. This is a great gardening tool. This book is filled from cover to cover with fantastic colour photos and great details on width and height of growth, seasons of bloom, where to plant (sun or shade...), zones. This books has everything you need.
   Chapters include:
   Chapter 1 Creating your Garden.
   Chapter 2 Annuals and perennials.
   Chapter 3 Shrubs
   Chapter 4 Trees
   Chapter 5 Lawns, groundcovers, ornamental grasses and Bamboos.
   Chapter 6 Fruit trees, Nut trees, and other fruit.
   Chapter 7 Bulbs, corms and tubers.
   Chapter 8 Cacti and Succulents.
   Chapter 9 Vegetable and Herbs.
   Chapter 10 Climber and creepers.
   Chapter 11 Orchids.
   Chapter 12 Ferns, Palms and cycads.
   As you can see this book covers everything and more...



4. This is a great gardening tool. This book is filled from cover to cover with fantastic colour photos and great details on width and height of growth, seasons of bloom, where to plant (sun or shade...), zones. This books has everything you need.
   Chapters include:
   Chapter 1 Creating your Garden.
   Chapter 2 Annuals and perennials.
   Chapter 3 Shrubs
   Chapter 4 Trees
   Chapter 5 Lawns, groundcovers, ornamental grasses and Bamboos.
   Chapter 6 Fruit trees, Nut trees, and other fruit.
   Chapter 7 Bulbs, corms and tubers.
   Chapter 8 Cacti and Succulents.
   Chapter 9 Vegetable and Herbs.
   Chapter 10 Climber and creepers.
   Chapter 11 Orchids.
   Chapter 12 Ferns, Palms and cycads.
   As you can see this book covers everything and more...



5. Filled from cover to cover with beautiful, full-color photographs, Botanica's Gardening Encyclopedia is an invaluable, indispensable, "user friendly", 1,008-page core reference work listing 2,000 plants and designed for the serious gardener or horticulturalist in search of just the right look for the garden or landscaping project. From flowers and shrubs to trees, lawns, cacti, ferns, and more, an immense variety of plants is listed, pictured, and described with a presentation of basic botanical facts and need-to-know information about growing each. A highly recommended reference for gardeners and plant lovers everywhere, Botanica's Gardening Encyclopedia should be found on the gardening reference shelf of every personal and community library collection.

No comments about Small Private Gardens.

5 comments about Plants of the Metroplex.

1. This is a wonderful gardening guide for the DFW area. I highly recommend it. The ideas are aplenty and next to none should fail you. I love it.



2. A great book in an easy to read format, good for quick reference and deeper study. Great pictures and info on locating local specimens to see how the plants look in a real setting.



3. Impressive! This is the most comprehensive and informative plant guides for this part of Texas and anywhere else with a similar climate. The categories include: "Trees", "Shrubs", "Flowers", and "Groundcovers, Vines and Grasses". Many photos! The category "Trees" alone has over 150 photos! Soils vary quite a bit here, so this includes a lot of plants! It even names the plants and trees you DO NOT want to plant and gives the reasons why. The book illustrates the proper way to plant and has fantastic recommendations on how to manage various problems with pests, "weeds", etc. Highly recommended!



4. I bought this along with Neil Sperry's Texas Gardenining. This is a simple book with excellent pictures for planting in the DFW area. I wouldn't recommend this book as guide/reference, but it is a very nice accessory for deciding what to plant.



5. A must book for residents of the Dallas area. Has a good outline style with the high points on plants for Dallas. For a very detailed look this reference may come up short.

1 comments about Breaking Ground.

1. I enjoyed reading about the different styles of garden designers. It broadens the possibilities in your own garden. Beautiful pictures. It's not for the beginner gardener.

1 comments about Peter Walker And Partners Landscape Architecture: Defining The Craft.

1. Peter Walker and Partners.
   Landscape Architecture: Defining the Craft.
   Thames and Hudson
   531 Illustrations and diagrams 431 in colour.
   2005 London
   ISBN-13 978-0-500-34207-7
   
   Based in Berkeley, Peter Walker and Partners (PWP) is, in conventional terms, a fantastically successful practice and this book documents their signature projects since 1997. Although with only three open competition wins to their name, the practice has received an extraordinary 110 industry awards since 1960. Not only that, everyone knows Peter Walker is a champion of quality, a leader who has bridged academic and professional spheres and networked the world to his practice. In Australia, as elsewhere, Walker is greatly admired; indeed, he is called upon to preface our books and help us design things like the Sydney Olympics. That we couldn't do this alone is not his problem. These are the halcyon days of Walker's career.
   
   As described in his first monograph "Minimalist Gardens" (1997), Walker somewhat unconvincingly indebts his work to the mid to late 20th century art movement, Minimalism. He also acknowledges the influence of Japanese gardens and (environmental) artists such as the late Isamu Noguchi as well as drawing a line between himself and the 17th century French master, Andre Le Notre but anyone buying this book out of interest in these connections or Walker's intellectual or creative maturation in general will be disappointed.
   
   Despite this being implicitly his book, Walker, insofar as one can tell, doesn't contribute a single reflective word. Like a corporate annual report, this book has no identifiable author except the generic entity, PWP. Perhaps, as an established figure, Walker feels he no longer has to speak too much about the work. Maybe he has nothing new to add to his well publicised views. Or perhaps, after years of arguing for landscape architecture to be appreciated as a meaningful art he's changed his mind and concluded that- as this book's title suggests -it is now craft that really matters; and craft, unlike art, speaks for itself. But he (i.e, PWP) couldn't have played into the old squabbles between art and craft unconsciously, and yet such things are not addressed. There is, in fact, only one theme in this book and that is that PWP delivers quality. Accordingly, this book looks and feels like an Expression of Interest, in other words- an ad, albeit one with the imprimatur of Thames and Hudson. Having said that, what text there is, is relatively lighter on spin than we have become accustomed to.
   
   There are 37 posh projects collected in this volume and they are categorised into: Recently Completed Projects; Projects in Progress; Site Planning and Urban Design; and Competitions. The projects are prestigious, big and lush, an extraordinary range of work amassed over just a few years. Accompanying each project is a straightforward (if not reductive) explanation of the brief and PWP's subsequent design strategy. This is where the consumer of this book, if he or she unpacks each design, stands to learn something of value because, irrespective of whether you like or dislike their styling, PWP projects are exemplary in terms of accurately responding to a project's priority needs.
   
   Typical to the corporate monograph there is a perfunctory essay up front by Jane Brown Gillette. Rather than engaging with Walker's oeuvre or matters aesthetic, her essay is essentially a cursory description of the mechanics of the practice. She toasts PWP's loyal workers (apparently the best students from the best universities) and lauds its diplomatic project managers. Her essay reads not as if written for the international landscape community that PWP has so effectively used as it's global conduit, rather, the essay seems directed at prospective clients. She forewarns but also allures them to the culture of excellence that is PWP and makes that excellence seem user friendly. Apart from a brief notation of the firm's position in North American landscape architecture and the occasional but typical landscape architectural inanity such as telling us that PWP can make "nature visible and meaningful" there is nothing critical, analytical, theoretical, insightful or even polemical in this book. In this regard, academics or anyone interested in the intellectual "craft" of landscape architecture will have no use for this book.
   
   In Gillette's essay there are references to, and quotes referring to "ideas" in the designs, but for mine they are not actually ideas; they are solutions. More often than not these solutions rely on a somewhat formulaic geometric elegance which creates structure, followed by superimpositions of pattern to form surface. To be "ideas" they need to have meaning, not just efficacy, and meaning is a question this book ignores. For Walker, minimalism has been a way around the problem of representation, but, at some level, there is no way around representation, no way around meaning. Since the text in this book is so lazy, the images of the PWP craft have to do most of the talking. Hence, the book is literally stuffed full of super gloss photos, 531 to be exact. But many are cliché's, relatively vacuous images of greener-than-green trees, sparkling water, and an awful lot of nice people generally looking content in PWP's sanitised, high-resolution Arcadia.
   
   Although they have reason to be, PWP doesn't come across as smug. As Gillette says, if there is one word that describes the practice its "earnest". Be that as it may, one also gets the feeling that despite having a studio full of the best people the office culture of PWP might lack internal critique. Of course, it is an exceptional achievement to have created a global practice and maintained such high standards; but, the book, in failing to offer anything but promotional material, feels disingenuous. Apart from an excess of photos the book doesn't really explore or zoom in on the details of construction and project management that PWP are so good at. In other words it doesn't deliver what it promised - a `definition of the craft". So, whilst it will no doubt bring in more work, it wont go down well in history and therefore I think we can expect a third monograph on Mr Peter Walker et al.

5 comments about The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession.

1. Anyone interested in how lawns came to be the "norm" and a standard signifier of upward mobility in America will find this book fascinating. For those who would like to encourage a different urban form (less lawns, houses closer to the street, new urbanism or smart growth) the book offers some hope by its demonstration of how something so "natural" was constructed over the last 80-100 years. The roles of technology, science, and gender politics, as well as class issues and environmental concerns are covered in a way that makes the story more entertaining and underscores the numerous fronts through which the lawn aesthetic was reinforced. I found this to be a great contribution to our understanding of how one element of the bigger picture contributes to larger trends affecting human settlement patterns, the ways we interact with each other and experience community, and even our public health. Now I need to read the history "air conditioning in america" to understand the role of that element....most cultural and social histories certainly cite issues like lawns and air conditioning as part of the dynamics, but don't have the time or space to examine the issue in depth-- its great that Jenkins does this, even if it was a dissertation (and heck, that's one of the things dissertations are actually useful for...).



2. This book's title is very appropriate. You will have no questions about how houses all came to be surrounded by lawns after reading this. It explains how agriculture, chemical companies, the garden industry, golfing, housing developments, world wars, etc... and the advent of new inventions have come together to result in an entire lifestyle revolving around 'the lawn.' The writing is smooth and it goes down easy, from cover to cover. Written in language anyone can understand, yet factual enough to hold the interest of those with some existing knowledge. There are about 20 pictures of vintage advertisements for lawn products, which I enjoyed seeing very much. There is also a good bit of detail about what used to grow on the property surrounding most homes before lawns.

   Please also see, "Redesigning the American Lawn; A search for Environmental Harmony," by F. Herbert Bormann, Diana Balmori, Gordon T. Geballe. This book takes up where we leave off. What is the impact of millions of monoculture lawns on the lifestyles and wallets of those who tend them, and on the environment? How can I change my yard to look better, and spend less time and money tending it (and to have less of a negative impact on the environment.)




3. This book describes the history of how lawns were first introduced to American, became popular, and then became a necessity. Jenkins traces the early history of lawns as importations of the English country garden concept, as found in Jefferson's gardens in Monticello. She also explains the influences that garden clubs, the golf industry, and the USDA had on the popularization of lawns. The book is not just about lawns, however. It also provides a very interesting analysis of how advertising was used to create demand for completely unnecessary products, and how those products, such as lawn mowers and weed whackers, later came to be thought of as indispensable. This book will be of interest to historians of landscape architecture as well as to researchers of material culture.



4. I thought Ms. Jenkins' historical research was thorough enough (Would you expect less from a Smithsonian publication?), but her book reads like (and quite possibly is) a doctoral dissertation. Don't let the pink and green cover with the flamingo fool you.

   But if your an American lawn history junkie like me, it's required reading.




5. a fun insightful look at the western fascination with the lawn

5 comments about How to Build Wooden Gates and Picket Fences: 100 Classic Designs.

1. The Title of this book is totally misleading; it shows how to build the most basic of all gates the "Z" Frame, big deal. It does not show how to build any other style of Gate of any of the pitfalls one could encounter.
   This book is very poor in content and uses a lot of old style drawings obviously copied form some ancient book or something.
   DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK; I am thoroughly disgusted with myself that
   I trusted the Title.
   This is the worst book I have ever purchased.
   Noel R.



2. This book was really fun to browse through and look at all the different styles. I'm sure I saw some of the fences in the book when on vacation in colonial Williamsburg. In the end, we decided on a pretty simple picket style and used some of the techniques suggested in the book to add interest by using varying heights and accents on the gate posts and gate itself. It turned out beautifully and the book was a big help in finding the style.



3. This book is great! I've never seen a book with so many styles of fences that would go with so many different types of architecture. I also like how the material and illustrations are presented to allow the reader to easily see and compare the many different styles. The first fence books I bought had a few nice photos with trees and flowers, but, the fences themselves were not that special.
   
   I think it is much easier to see the fences for their own style and appearance the way they are presented in this book. If you are looking for an abundance of design ideas, this book has no equal.



4. It's a very nicely drawn & explained book but if you have any other style home other than Victorian, there are limited styles that would match. Also, you have to order patterns separately.



5. I own a Victorian Cottage in Texas and purchased this book hoping for some ideas on building my own unique picket fence. The book has tons of pictures and drawings of fence designs. We actually used two different designs and came up with a "one of a kind" fence around our yard. It became the talk of the town for a while and now our house is known as "the one with the fence"!
   The book is a little short on details of building the fences, but if you are skilled with tools, you will figure it out. We are starting our second fence with it this month, which we hope is a masterpiece. I recommend this book if you need Victorian fence ideas.

No comments about Changes in Scenery: Contemporary Landscape Architecture in Europe.

1 comments about How to Price Landscape & Irrigation Projects (Greenback Series).

1. This is an invaluable resource for landscape contractors and anyone else who wishes to be successful in the landscaping business. Huston, an MBA who specializes in coaching landscaping companies of all sizes and specializations, explains the process of bidding jobs according to a pre-formulated yearly budget. His three phase bidding method is clearly explained and illustrated in numerous applications from residential landscape installation jobs, to large commercial maintenance jobs, to time and materials irrigation projects, and much more. In addition to these clear "how to" sections, it contains a wealth of information such as production rates and industry benchmarks, which will make it a valuable tool for the owner or estimator of any company throughout the company's lifetime. With this, as well as valuable explanations of company expansion scenarios and "exit strategies", I feel well equipped for success. I will never again be one of those creative types who must confess that I am "an expert in my art but I know nothing about business". Now I know a lot about both.

1 comments about Start-to-Finish Paths & Walkways (Ortho Books).

1. Start-To-Finish Paths & Walkways is a straightforward how-to guide to designing, planning, and building functional and decorative brick, stone, wood, concrete, grass, or natural materials paths and walkways as part of a planned landscaping of the home. Step-by-step instructions, full color illustrations, tips, tricks, techniques, exacting measurements, guidelines on tool usage and much more fill the pages of this excellent and highly recommended guide specifically designed for do-it-yourself projects by the non-specialist general reader.