Product Description

Ornamental grasses surpass all other garden plants in their luminous qualities. Their colors are softly sophisticated, varied, and subtle. They include a striking array of textures, forms, sizes, and flowering times and have appeal in the garden throughout the year. Grasses’ ethereal quality, sound, and movement make them ideal choices for gardeners and landscape designers alike.

The Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses provides an accessible and comprehensive reference to the wide range of grasses available to the gardener. Building on Darke’s best-selling Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, the guide describes many new species and cultivars, includes dozens of new photographs, and presents cultivation information and descriptions in a handy, compact format.

Covering 530 species and cultivars and illustrated with more than 330 color photographs, the Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses is a valuable complement to Darke’s Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses. Its convenient format makes it an ideal reference to take to the nursery or gardencenter.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66852 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 228 pages

From Booklist
Darke's voice is one of the most authoritative and pleasing to read in the world of horticulture, and in this small-format compendium on myriad grasses, his exceptional photographs provide an alluring complement. As availability of new species and cultivars continues to increase at an amazing pace, gardeners require updated resources. In this handy guide, Darke extends the material and research from his Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses (1999), adding descriptions of the most current plant choices. The use of ornamental grasses in garden designs has greatly beautified and enlivened personal and public landscapes in recent years. Darke's latest effort, including a source list, provides essential and helpful advice for selecting and cultivating a breathtaking range of grasses for every situation. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A thorough, scholarly handbook that's valuable for identification and information."
—Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post, August 20, 2005 (The Washington Post )

"It's the perfect size for trips to the nursery and provides quick reference to help you 'weed' through the varietal fields of grasses."
—ohn Bagnasco, Garden Compass, April 2005 (Garden Compass )

"This easy-to-use pocket size edition of colorful ornamental grasses with color photos taken by the author is a great help to any gardener planning on adding them to the garden design."
—Joanne S. Carpender, National Gardener, November 2004 (National Gardener )

A thorough, scholarly handbook that's valuable for identification and information. Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post, August 20, 2005 (The Washington Post )

It's the perfect size for trips to the nursery and provides quick reference to help you 'weed' through the varietal fields of grasses. ohn Bagnasco, Garden Compass, April 2005 (Garden Compass )

This easy-to-use pocket size edition of colorful ornamental grasses with color photos taken by the author is a great help to any gardener planning on adding them to the garden design. Joanne S. Carpender, National Gardener, November 2004 (National Gardener )

About the Author
Rick Darke is a landscape design consultant, author, and photographer based in Landenberg, Pennsylvania. He was a member of Longwood Gardens’ staff for twenty years, first as assistant taxonomist and then as curator of plants. Darke received the Scientific Award of the American Horticultural Society, and his landmark work, The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, earned a Book Award from the American Horticultural Society (AHS). Rick Darke is also the 2004 winner of the AHS Horticultural Writing Award.

Customer Reviews

Handy illustrated guide to all kinds of grasses for gardener
TIMBER PRESS POCKET GUIDE TO ORNAMENTAL GRASSES by Rick Darke. Timber Press, 133 S.W. Second Ave. - Site 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527. 2004. 226 pp. $19.95 flexible hardcover, ISBN 0-88192-653-1. color photographs, glossary, index.
Over 330 bright, sharp color photographs illustrate as many different kinds of ornamental grasses. The grasses are cataloged alphabetically. But 32 categories preceding the encyclopedic catalog group the hundreds of kinds according to different characteristics. A few of these are clumping ornamental grasses, cool-season ornamental grasses, ornamental grasses for cut flowers, ornamental grasses for dry sites (and woodlands, dry shade, fragrance, etc.), and ornamental grasses for movement in breezes. Ornamental grasses are becoming increasing popular with today's gardeners because of their textures, variety, and adaptability. And because, as the numerous photographs show, they make for attractive gardens and landscapes that do not appear overly manicured. Darke is a landscape design consultant who has won awards in the field. His "Pocket Guide" is a ideal reference for anyone interested in ornamental grasses, particularly gardeners at all levels.

Excellent Book!
I checked this book out from my local library in order to preview it before buy it on Amazon. I was not disappointed which comes as no surprise especially since I am one of the fortunate ones who, about 10 years ago, had the chance to study Ornamental Grasses at Longwood Gardens with Rich Darke. He knows his stuff. The book is well written, concise and intespersed throughout with the author's personal observations on specific genera and individual species. Excellent photography supports the text. Rich Darke is one of the best garden/horticultural writers of his time. I also highly recommend another of his books, "The American Woodland Garden" for his well written prose and the ability to articulate the beauty and nuances of each scene photographed as well as a plant's more endearing or not so endearing aspects. Stunning photography.

Ornamentals for the home landscape
The author writes from a very strong background gained from having planted many of the ornamentals described and photographed in this excellent book. There is much helpfull detail that greatly aids the reader in selecting plants.