Product Description

Once the subject of snobbery and derision, variegated plants are now among the more sought-after and collected treasures of garden connoisseurs. Whether marbled, dotted, splashed, or veined, variegated foliage never fails to catch the eye and to add excitement whatever the flowering season. Variegated Trees and Shrubs (which includes woody ground covers and vines as well) fills an important gap in the literature and provides valuable information on selections that provide long-lasting specimen and accent plantings for years of garden pleasure. Written under the sponsorship of the Netherlands' prestigious Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society, this book describes in detail nearly 800 variegated trees, shrubs, and vines available internationally from nurseries. Painstaking in the accuracy of its nomenclature — variegated plants are notorious for being misnamed in commerce — this volume also includes a scientific discussion of the reasons for variegation as well as an essay on how to design with variegated plants in any garden. More than 760 garden photographs have been assembled from the author's collection and from contributors around the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #762212 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 340 pages

From Booklist
Not so long ago, variegated leaves were disliked, but no more. Today the passionate attachment gardeners have for yellow spots, colorful stripes, and creamy splashes seems boundless. A plant breeder in the Netherlands and all-around expert in the field of horticulture, Houtman brings a trained eye and keen understanding of variegation to this beautifully illustrated compendium of woody plants. By devoting an entire encyclopedia exclusively to a trove of variegated cultivars and species, Houtman provides professionals and avid gardeners with a stimulating selection of garden specimens to choose from, whether it's a shrub to lighten up a shady area or a stunning tree as one element in an interesting composition with denser green foliage plants. Bevies of plants just starting to show up in nursery catalogs or beginning to appear at garden centers are included here, making Houtman's effort invaluable to anyone needing to stay current. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"I practically guarantee that you'll be blissfully overwhelmed by the striking beauty and number of varigated plants — from deciduous to evergreen and groundcovers to towering conifers. Up it goes onto my reference shelf."
—Susan Crittenden, Dig: The Magazine for Northwest Gardeners, May 2005 (Dig: The Magazine for Northwest Gardeners )

"Sure to tempt even the most diehard of gardeners."
—Valerie Easton, Seattle Times, September 8, 2004 (Seattle Times )

"This is a well-written book worthy of placement in any lbrary."
—James H. Flynn Jr., American Reference Books Annual, 2005 (American Reference Books Annual )

I practically guarantee that you'll be blissfully overwhelmed by the striking beauty and number of varigated plants from deciduous to evergreen and groundcovers to towering conifers. Up it goes onto my reference shelf. Susan Crittenden, Dig: The Magazine for Northwest Gardeners, May 2005 (Dig: The Magazine for Northwest Gardeners )

Sure to tempt even the most diehard of gardeners. Valerie Easton, Seattle Times, September 8, 2004 (Seattle Times )

This is a well-written book worthy of placement in any lbrary. James H. Flynn Jr., American Reference Books Annual, 2005 (American Reference Books Annual )

From the Author
Ronald Houtman is currently secretary of the Trials Committee of the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society (RBHS).

Customer Reviews

Not perfect, but a welcome addition to the literature.
The legion of plant enthusiasts that prizes showy foliage -- especially that which is striped, splattered, spotted or stippled -- has swelled greatly in recent years. Collectors of such mutants are frequently frustrated, however, by the lack of consistency concerning nomenclature and the sparse literature that addresses these special plants. For this reason it is clear this book would be embraced by hobbyists and professionals even if it was rife with errors and omissions. Thankfully, the situation is not so dire. High quality pictures supplement the alphabetical cultivar descriptions. The author should be applauded for the research time invested in determining the origin and true identity of many of the plants he covers. The supplemental essays on topics such as the origin of variegation are also useful. Despite these positive attributes, the book nonetheless suffers from a sharp focus on European (and especially Dutch) cultivars to the exclusion of many American introductions. Even when U.S. plants are discussed, the information is sometimes incomplete. While such bias is perhaps understandable given the author's nationality and position, these gaps detract from the book's quality. The content is so unique, however, that these faults should not prevent potential buyers from adding this tome to their library.

Not only definitive, but attractive with its large size
Ronald Houtman is secretary of the Trials Committee of the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society in the Netherlands. This encyclopedic work has more than 760 sharp color photos enabling the reader to distinguish the numerous kinds of variegated trees and shrubs, many of which have gained popularity with modern gardeners. More than 800 varieties are catalogued with special attention given to their correct names, which are often confused by greenhouses and other places selling types of them. Short sections on the hundreds of trees and shrubs also describe them to go along with the photographs and note favorable areas of growth and problems arising from planting in an improper place. An introductory chapter by W. M. van Nicrop, another member of Houtman's Dutch horticultural group, discusses "Using Variegated Plants in a Garden." Variegated Trees And Shrubs: The Illustrated Encyclopedia is not only definitive, but attractive with its large size, glossy pages, and hundreds of fine, useful color photographs. For many gardeners, landscape architects, botanists, and the like, this will be the only text they want or need in this area of plants.