Product Description

The authors, keepers of the National Hydrangea Collection in the U.K., have consulted with growers in the U.S. and Europe to suggest the most desirable cultivars of these handsome, long-flowering shrubs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1149214 in Books
• Published on: 1995-07-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

From Booklist
Introductory chapters deal with the plant's long history, natural distribution, and cultivation (planting, feeding, mulching, pruning, pests and diseases, and propagation). The bulk of the text is a descriptive list of 60 cultivars, offering information on each plant's height, flowering time, and flower and leaf, all in meticulous detail. Each listing has a color photograph and an illustration of leaves and sepals. Concluding is a glossary and a list of public gardens worldwide that feature hydrangeas. George Cohen

Review
"First-rate ... definitive and irresistible tribute to one of America's favorite shrubs."
—Publishers Weekly, May 31, 2004 (Publishers Weekly )

"The book is full of great photographs and discusses propagation, hydrangeas as potted plants, drying the flowers, and lists a full description of the cultivars and species."
—Linda Cobb, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, March 15, 2005 (Spartanburg Herald-Journal )

"Valuable."
—Verlyn Klinkenborg, New York Times, June 6, 2004 (The New York Times )

First-rate ... definitive and irresistible tribute to one of America's favorite shrubs. Publishers Weekly, May 31, 2004 (Publishers Weekly )

The book is full of great photographs and discusses propagation, hydrangeas as potted plants, drying the flowers, and lists a full description of the cultivars and species. Linda Cobb, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, March 15, 2005 (Spartanburg Herald-Journal )

Valuable. Verlyn Klinkenborg, New York Times, June 6, 2004 (The New York Times )

About the Author
Toni Lawson-Hall is a hydrangea enthusiast who (with Brian Rothera) built up the National Hydrangea Collection at the Lakeland Horticultural Society's garden in Windermere, Cumbria, England. This new edition is the result of her continued personal and professional experience. She has had the benefit of extensive contacts not only in Britain, but worldwide: the USA, France and Belgium have been particularly important sources of information.

Customer Reviews

A valuable reference for hydrangea lovers
This is the most comprehensive source of information on hydrangeas that I have ever seen. There is detailed advice on every aspect of growing hydrangeas, including soil preparation, watering, and the effects of color in hydrangeas due to soil content. Generous illustrations show the different types of leaves on the various types of hydrangeas. The most valuable part of the book is a section devoting a full page to specific varieties and shows a photo, characteristics in chart format and a detailed narrative description. This book is well worth the price!

Most comprehensive authority on Hydrangeas
This is the best book on hydrangeas in print today. Only one other (Hydrangeas, by Millet) even comes close. Because this book is so well organized, it is extemely easy to learning all about hydrangeas - their botanical structure, the different species and how they grow. One can immediately see the differences between hydrangeas - how large they will get, how large their blooms will be, what colors they might become, and the shape of the bloom. The illustrations are beautiful and leave one dreaming of a garden full of these beauties.

Hydrangeas
I like this book, but don't love it. I would have liked to have more information on an extended variety of Hydrangeas. However, not knowing the species names maybe I misunderstood. It is useful in how to care for, plant, and choose the right plant. I would recommend it for a Hydrangea lover.