American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants

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Collecting contributions from 100 distinguished horticulturists, the handsome and lavishly illustrated American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is a truly definitive gardening reference. With its 1,092 tiny-print pages, this may not be the book to tuck into your pocket as you weed and mulch, but what this encyclopedia lacks in portability, it certainly makes up for in scope. Hardy and tender plants, heirloom varieties and the latest hybrids--they're all accounted for here, with growing tips and background information about native habitats and ornamental features. You'll also find a fascinating section about botany, as well as information about basic gardening techniques such as mulching, staking, pruning, propagating, and protecting plants for winter. But the encyclopedia's main attraction is the individual plant entries--more than 15,000 of them, embellished with 6,000 full-color photographs and illustrations. From the visual glossary of leaves to the map of growing regions, The American Horticultural Society A-Z of Garden Plants provides an unsurpassed wealth of botanical information, making it the yardstick by which all other gardening references must be measured.


From Library Journal
If they can afford it, libraries should have both editions of this invaluable one-volume reference. For gardeners seeking the right plant for the right place but with no knowledge of the specific name, the 1989 title arranges its catalog of 8000 plants not alphabetically by name but by season and color. It starts with color photos and descriptions of large trees, separating them by seasonal interest and by color within each season. It does the same for smaller trees, then for shrubs, climbers, perennials, annuals, rock plants, bulbs, and succulents. Expanding its coverage to over 15,000 plants, the 1997 encyclopedia is organized alphabetically, making it an ideal reference for patrons who want to know what a particular plant looks like, how it grows, and its hardiness zones. Its descriptions of popular plant species, like Narcissus, Primula, and Rhododendron, are a real strength. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
The most comprehensive, detailed, and lavishly illustrated guide to garden plants ever published, first published in 1997, has now been completely revised to include nearly 250 new plants and photos. The AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is an essential reference for all gardeners, from novices to experts.


About the Author
Dr. H. Marc Cathey is a renowned research horticulturist and President Emeritus of the AHS and Christopher Brickell has contributed to many DK gardening reference works. The mission of the AHS is to open the eyes of all Americans to the vital connection between people and plants, and to inspire people to become responsible caretakers of the Earth.


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Edited by Brickell (chair, International Commission for the Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants) and Cathey (president emeritus, American Horticultural Society), this lavishly illustrated revision of the 1997 authoritative edition covers over 2000 genera with more than 15,000 individual entries of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, climbers, rock plants, biennials, bulbs, orchids, and much more. The volume's heart is an extensive encyclopedia of garden plants, which is preceded by the introductory section on plant morphology, general culture, and plant types. Arranged by genus, each entry includes family name, a description of the genus, native habitat, garden uses, cultivation, propagation, and pests and diseases. The entries contain a description, height, width, USDA hardiness zones, heat zones, and cultivars. While some new cultivars and species descriptions are included, the introductory material is the same as in the previous edition. In fact, apart from the addition of heat zones to entries, much of the volume is virtually identical to the first edition. Bottom Line Libraries outside of tropical and subtropical regions that have a limited budget should consider Taylor's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants as a cheaper, if less comprehensive, alternative. Libraries owning the 1997 edition need to decide whether the addition of heat zones and the limited changes justify the $80 expenditure.-Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.


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