Product Description

Rock Garden Plants: A Color Encyclopedia is a unique resource, invaluable for beginning and expert rock gardeners alike. From Abies balsamea to Zinnia grandiflora, Mineo mentions more than 1300 plants, none of which grow to more than 24 inches (60 centimeters). He describes plants that have extremely diverse characteristicsperennial, herbaceous, succulent, shrubby, woody, and more. They have very different requirements for sun, soil, and temperature; included are true alpines, plants for dry or desert areas, woodland plants, Mediterranean plants, and plants for other climates. A thorough appendix lists rock garden plants for specific purposes and locations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314890 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 284 pages

Review
"A truly inspiring book."
—National Gardener, October 2002 (National Gardener )

"Beginning or fully-matured rock gardeners can benefit here. More than 1,300 plants are mentioned along with 1,350 color photos."
—Dale Langford, Rocky Mountain News, October 3, 2000 (Denver Rocky Mountain News )

"The information is encyclopedic, and the illustrations superb."
—John Van de Water, Newark Star-Ledger, November 5, 2000 (Newark Star-Ledger )

A book for browsing as well as for the reference shelf. -- Mary Davies, Irish Garden, March 2000

A truly inspiring book. National Gardener, October 2002 (National Gardener )

Beginning or fully-matured rock gardeners can benefit here. More than 1,300 plants are mentioned along with 1,350 color photos. Dale Langford, Rocky Mountain News, October 3, 2000 (Denver Rocky Mountain News )

For all interested in small but beautiful plants, this book will prove invaluable. The text abounds with snippets of interest. -- John E. Bryan, Gardening Newsletter, March 2000

Lust over Baldassare Mineos Rock Garden Plants slowly, because there are nearly 1400 fascinating, little known plants described and illustrated in this book. It is impossible to appreciate them all in just a few readings. -- Patricia A. Taylor, The Trenton Times, 2/27/ 2000

Rock Garden Plants offers excellent coverage on gardening in various regions and climates. -- Don Humphrey, The American Gardener 2000

Rock Garden Plants: A Color Encyclopedia has got to be the definitive work for the West Coast on this arcane topic. -- Sharon Lovejoy, Los Angeles Times, 4/6/2000

The information is encyclopedic, and the illustrations superb. John Van de Water, Newark Star-Ledger, November 5, 2000 (Newark Star-Ledger )

This is a welcome addition to the bookshelf, especially for the numerous colour photographs…which should help entice more gardeners into trying them. -- Christopher Grey-Wilson, The (RHS) Garden, June 2000

What a delight to the eye, with its hundreds of maginificent color photographs!…Yes, it is a 'comprehensive visual fest' -- Fred Winterowd, The Gardener, May/June 2000

From the Publisher
It has been said that all passionate gardeners eventually become rock gardeners. For those gardeners with limited space or who run out of room for new plants (and who doesnt?), the rock garden is the ideal solution. Rock garden plantswhether perennials, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, or groundcoversgenerally mature to a height of less than 24 inches (60 cm), and typically have a compact or dwarf habit. The experienced rock gardener can fit hundreds of intriguing plants in an area that would be filled by only a dozen larger perennials. The building and planting of a rock garden allows the gardener to create an interaction of rock, soil, and plant, bringing a natural harmony to the landscape. Despite their reputation for being difficult, choice rock garden plants are easy or demanding in the same proportions as other garden plants.

About the Author
Baldassare Mineo has been the managing owner of Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery in Medford, Oregon, since 1978. He has helped to solidify Siskiyous reputation as the premier alpine and rock gardening nursery in the United States, and he is a member of the North American Rock Garden Society and the Alpine Garden Society, as well as other plant-related organizations.

Customer Reviews

Seeing is believing
One of the most difficult parts of selecting rock garden plants is anticipating what they will look like in one's own rock garden. The pictures and descriptions in Baldassare Mineo's book are extraordinarily accurate, interesting and authoritative. We've seen Mineo's thrilling gardens and know that he understands his subject from the scree up! This book will become a classic.

Very Beautiful Book
Clearly a work of long effort and love, this magnificent volume shows what'you've always wanted to grow in your rock garden'...including some very rare, very astonishing plants. The pics are truly beautiful and show the plants as well as the flowers. The only thing it seems to lack is a discussion of some of the finer points of culture of some of these gems, but then again this isn't purely a book about rock garden culture. For that, look for Linc Foster's Rock Gardening or Reginald Farrer's classic The English Rock Garden.