Product Description

With their incredibly hardy and low maintenance nature and their distinctly beautiful characteristics, it's no surprise that succulents are favorites among many people. With over 1,000 full-color photographs, this comprehensive volume details the botany and classification of cacti and succulents, and examines their diversity. Included in this informative resource are designs for growing succulent plants indoors and out with tips and ides for hanging baskets, patios and terraces, garden settings, and container cultivation. The photographic plant directory provides a definitive reference section for over 400 varieties of cacti and their care. The cultivation section provides guidance on all aspects of buying, planting and maintaining cacti and succulents and techniques for planting, propagation, grafting and maintenance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #726725 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Customer Reviews

Good reference for many hard to find and unique succulents.
A very succinct listing of many common and some rare cacti and succulents. The best thing about this book is the vibrant and beautiful pictures that accompany the sometimes sparse text. The author gives a good general background on cacti and succulent origins, makeup, and care. One of the better books that I have come across in this genre.

Kill Your Lawn - Part 1
For many years my students heard me say that when I bought my own house, I would kill my lawn and plant a cactus garden. Three years ago, I bought my very own California bungalow here in Whittier and began to convert the front yard into a cactus garden. One of the most helpful references in the process has been The Ultimate Book Of Cacti And Succulents by Miles Anderson. This book is not an encyclopedia nor is it meant to be. This book is a comprehensive introduction to cacti and succulents. It covers subjects such as planting and care and it also covers a selection of representative plants. The style of the book is similar to all the great books put out by DK. The garden is still a work in progress, but if you saw it you'd know how much this great book has helped.

Ultimate? Not Quite
To give this book the title "Ultimate" is stretching the point a little. The subject of cacti is far too vast for any book on the subject to call itself ultimate. OK they had to call it something.
On the serious side the book is excellently produced, well layed out and informative. The author knows his subject and presents it in an enjoyable and easily readable format. For those cactophiles who like their photographs, the ones in this book are hard to beat. The genera that are described in the book are described in some depth (not one species from each genus, a style I personally hate). There are symbols to tell you whether the plants are suitable for outdoors, greenhouse or windowsill. Each description of a species gives the natural habitat for the plant, average size the plant may attain and flower colour.
The Cacti and Succulents have separate sections (good idea), and there are chapters on grafting (excellent photographs); pests and diseases; seed sowing and soil mixtures etc.
Because the book covers both Cacti and Succulents, only the more popular species are catered for, but there are many specialist books on single genera for those who need them. After all a book is similar to a dog, a friend for life, and you can't have too many of those.
This book contains all the information any hobbyist would need to grow cacti successfully and to keep them looking healthy for many years to come. It's in my collection.
P.S. This book has appeared under several titles, so check before you buy, you may find you already own it.