Product Description

All gardeners have favorite plants, but they often get stumped when it comes to knowing which plants to put beside those favorites. Confidence in which combinations work can mean the difference between a mediocre garden and one that sings. The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations is the perfect tool to help gardeners create a stunning garden.

This inspiring planting guide features: - More than 4,000 combinations for beautiful and successful plantings - Over 1,000 plant descriptions with full color photographs and cultivation needs - Extensive information on suggested combinations and complementary plants, all fully cross-referenced - At-a-glance symbols - How to assess a site, choose plants and plant borders - How to combine form, color, texture, size and foliage - How to combine plants according to location, soil, climate and seasons

With authoritative and imaginative text, superb photographs and hundreds of planting combinations, The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations is an exciting sourcebook for gardeners of all experience levels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1297151 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

From Library Journal
Lord (Designing with Roses) and Lawson (Great English Gardens) have produced a stunning book that is destined to become an essential reference on combining plants. A practical introduction to that art covers analyzing the site; choosing plants with form, texture, and color in mind; planting borders; and providing aftercare. More than 1000 individual species are organized into chapters by type: shrubs and small trees, climbers, roses, perennials, bulbs, and annuals. Each entry includes the plant's botanical name, common name, genus, species, and variety. Symbols are used to indicate light level, soil water content, soil conditions, hardiness zones, pH, flowering season, height and spread, and a list of planting partners. Beautiful color photographs show each plant in subtle harmony-or in bold contrast-with one or more plants. Each entry is cross-referenced to other entries illustrating other combinations with this plant. The hardiness zone maps cover North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. One caveat: although most plant combinations are adaptable to diverse U.S. climates, the range of plants is best suited to conditions similar to those of the United Kingdom. Still, books on combining plants are scarce, so this authoritative text is appropriate for horticultural libraries. The clear advice and vivid photographs render it equally suitable for public libraries in the appropriate regions. [Garden Book Club selection.]-Nancy Myers, Univ. of South Dakota Lib., Vermillio.
--Nancy Myers, Univ. of South Dakota Lib., Vermillion
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Perennials paired with trees, trees teamed with shrubs, shrubs surrounded by bulbs: good garden design exists when several elements coexist serendipitously. Achieving such harmony doesn't have to be hard work, according to Lord, who covers all bases with concise yet comprehensive commentaries on the design characteristics of more than 1,000 individual plants. Accompanied by Lawson's crisp photographs of more than 4,000 visually compelling garden combinations, Lord succinctly illustrates each plant's design capabilities, then thoughtfully suggests a roster of complementary plants to take the guesswork out of good design. If there is a better organized gardening book available, its existence is unknown. Indeed, Lord could set a new standard for the term user-friendly, for few guides could rival his treatise for the practicality of its structure or for the quality of its information. Each entry contains at-a-glance information on plant companions and cultural requirements, and helpfully lists photographic cross-references. For professionals and amateurs alike, this guide is a godsend. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Few guides could rival his treatise for the practicality of its structure or for the quality of its information. (Carol Haggas Booklist 20021101)

A door-stopping classic. (Argyle (Globe and Mail Supplement) 20080101)

A stunning book that is destined to become an essential reference on combining plants ... Clear advice and vivid photographs. (Nancy Meyers Library Journal 20021015)

Very good reference book whether or not you are trying to find successful combinations ... a book of exceptional value. (Paul Williams Gardens Illustrated 200306)

A visual delight... informative to read, and offers first-rate suggestions for making one's garden truly a work of art. (Paul Mogren American Reference Books Annual, Volume 35 2004)

Concise text and abundant, gorgeous photos ... make this reference source ... essential for libraries and aspiring gardeners everywhere. (S.C. Awe Choice 200301)

Wow! This is a stunning book ... shows how a simple garden can be turned into a work of art. (David Hobson Kitchener-Waterloo Record 20021116)

[An] unusual reference that is both inspirational and practical, for the photos are beautiful and the writing clear and detailed. (Valerie Easton Seattle Times 20021020)

Form, whether in flower or foliage, is paramount to creating perfect plant pairings. (Christina Selby Canadian Gardening 200211)

Unique among gardening books available today with its practical recognition of what makes garden-scapes beautifully tranquil. (William Johnson E-Streams Vol. 6, No. 4 20021123)

A book of rare quality, this tome ought to be in every serious gardener's library. (Globe and Mail 20021215)

A brilliant gardening resource. Make no mistake. This is no ordinary encyclopedia. (Susanna Reid Neil Sperry's Gardens Magazine 20021129)

[Andrew Lawson's] exceptional images alone make this plant encyclopedia a pleasure to own. (Steve Whysall Vancouver Sun 200309)

What a wonderful resource... truly encyclopedic. (Kerry Moore Vancouver Province 20080601)

A wealth of creative ideas... enough innovative combinations to be of value to more experienced gardeners and landscape designers. (Mark Miller The American Gardener 200808)

The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations is a lively and authoritative book, packed with information. (Linda Turk Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay) )

[A] comprehensive guide for both novice and experienced gardeners. (National Garden Clubs, Inc. www.gardenclub.org )