Product Description

It is hard to imagine gardens without peonies, flowering peaches, camellias, gardenias, azaleas, wisteria, forsythia, crabapples, and the host of other ornamentals that were introduced first in Chinese gardens. And the development of the modern repeat-flowering roses would not have occurred had the so-called monthly roses not been brought to Europe from China. In spite of the romance and excitement generated by the discoveries of the famous plant hunters in the wilds of China, the Chinese plants with the greatest impact on the gardens of the world have actually come from Chinese gardens and nurseries.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #289522 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Amazon.com
Gardens have long been an integral part of Chinese culture, written about by scholars and prized by emperors and priests; think of Chinese scrolls traced with plum blossoms and wood-block prints etched with pine branches or bamboo. The West has not only received a great number of fine plants from China, it's also been influenced by the Chinese appreciation of plants, by their ideas on striving to have something in bloom year-round, and by their treasuring shape as well as bloom. A surprising number of our showiest and favorite plants are native to China, brought to the Western world by early plant explorers. Many varieties of crabapples, chrysanthemums, lilacs, wisteria, azaleas, rhododendron, camellias, and peonies originated in China, where they have been important in gardens, literature, and art for centuries.

Peter Valder's discussion of more than 400 garden-worthy plants includes color photographs, history, information on native habitat, and cultural suggestions. The photos are large and lovely, the information thorough and useful, and to help us remember the origin of each plant he has included the Chinese letters and common names, which are charming. The Chinese name for mock orange (Philadelphus) translates as "peace and tranquility flower"; "beautiful woman banana" is the translated common name for canna lilies. No matter what the name, Chinese plants deserve space in our gardens, and Valder has written a book that intrigues us with their history and educates us about how best to grow them. --Valerie Easton

The Boston Globe, December 16, 1999
Vader gives us a window on a sophisticated garden ethic very different from Europe's, and an encyclopedia of more than 4000 Chinese garden plants.

Review
"This is a splendid and detailed book, profusely illustrated in colour with excellent modern photographs and a few reproductions from early Chinese and classic European journals."—Martyn Rix, Gardens Illustrated, July 2000

"Outstanding academic title."—Choice, January 2000

"Valder gives us a window on a sophisticated garden ethic very different from Europe's, and an encyclopedia of more than 4000 Chinese garden plants. Many will inevitably become more widely seen here because of their natural resistance to pests and diseases now arriving from Asia via global trade."—Boston Globe, December 1, 1999

Customer Reviews

Beautiful presentation for horticultural collections.
400 pages and over four hundred color photos pack an in-depth examination of plants used in Chinese gardens for ornamental purposes. Listings appear using both Latin and common names and Chinese names, presenting the history, myths, horticultural information and uses of the plants. A beautiful presentation recommended for horticulture collections.

Beautiful photographs, great historical info
This is a fabulous, beautifully photographed, survey of the decorative plants native to China. The book opens with details of China's rich horticultural heritage and the role of plants in Chinese culture.

Further chapters are broken down by type of plant. These include bamboos, fruit trees, orchids, roses, chrysanthemums, aquatic plants and more. Items both familiar and exotic to the western gardener will be found here.

Many specific varieties are described in each chapter, with Latin, Chinese and common names. History, native habitat, and uses for each plant are described.

The photography is outstanding with several close-up color photos on each page. There is also a nice smattering of old botanical illustrations and Chinese art. I highly recommend this book.

Garden Book of the Year
This is a beautifully produced and immensely readable work of considerable scholarship . Its subject matter is intriguing and the author writes in a style where one finds oneself going quickly from one section to another. The wonderful photography certainly enhances the text. My views would seem to have been borne out by the recent decision of the British Gardens Writers Guild who have just awarded it the Reference Garden Book of the Year. I'm sure this will become the standard reference work for this engrossing subject for many years to come. I highly recommend it.