Product Description

Perhaps the most uncommon color among plants, blue echoes the sky and adds a welcome accent to any garden. Greatly sought after by plant breeders, blues from pale lavender to powder blue add depth and tranquility to the gardener’s palette.

Noting that blue flowers are more common in high-altitude meadows and stream beds, the author suggests that this may account for their popularity in the cool gardens of northern Europe. Their rarity in warmer climates such as the southeastern United States is not inevitable, however, as there are suitable choices for every climate in the hundreds of blue-flowered plants available. This helpful survey is illustrated with more than 150 color photos of blue flowers from gardens around the world, making it both a practical and an inspirational book for gardeners everywhere.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1714420 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 328 pages

From Booklist
Gather together a group of eager gardeners, and a voluble discussion about the color blue has been known to follow. Geneve's handbook addresses the types of color issues that interest garden planners and curious gardeners alike; from systems used to classify colors, to relationships within plant families and the technical aspects of the color blue as manifested in flowers. On an aesthetic level, Geneve looks at the ornamental value of blue porcelain berry, hosta foliage, and the needles on blue-hued conifers to exemplify the flora that can enhance our gardens. An alphabetical listing--by genus--makes up the greater part of the book. Entries encompass a wealth of easy-to-obtain plants, along with less-common selections. Beautiful color photographs illustrate Geneve's handsome, highly accessible resource, offering valuable guidance and lots of ideas for gardeners of all levels. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Every gardener can use this book to get the most blue flower color into beds and borders." -- Fine Gardening, May/June 2001

"If blue is the color you seek in garden flowers, this book has plenty of ideas for you." -- American Gardener, July/August 2001

"Packed with details gardeners will appreciate." -- Bookwatch, January 2000

"By including plants from the USA, Australia, Asia, and Europe the author has ensured that this book's appeal is wide-ranging."—Christine Shaw, Gardens Illustrated, September 2001 (Christine Shaw Gardens Illustrated )

"Every gardener can use this book to get the most blue flower color into beds and borders."—Barbara Blossom Ashmun, Fine Gardening, May/June 2001 (Barbara Blossom Ashmun Fine Gardening )

"If blue is the color you seek in garden flowers, this book has plenty of ideas for you."—American Gardener, July/August 2001 (American Gardener )

By including plants from the USA, Australia, Asia, and Europe the author has ensured that this book's appeal is wide-ranging.Christine Shaw, Gardens Illustrated, September 2001 (Gardens Illustrated )

Every gardener can use this book to get the most blue flower color into beds and borders.Barbara Blossom Ashmun, Fine Gardening, May/June 2001 (Fine Gardening )

If blue is the color you seek in garden flowers, this book has plenty of ideas for you.American Gardener, July/August 2001 (American Gardener )

From the Publisher
Perhaps the most uncommon hue in the plant kingdom, the color blue strikes a distinctive note in any garden. In this fascinating book, the author provides a wide selection of blue flowers that will help readers expand the range of colors in their gardens.

Customer Reviews

Packed with details gardeners will appreciate
Blue is a rare, sought after color in the gardening world and this provides a review of those hybridized species which provide blue flower. Robert Geneve's Book of Blue Flowers presents over 150 genera whose flowers cover all types of blue hues: while many would be better described as 'purple', some ' as menconopsis horridula - are pure blue. Packed with details gardeners will appreciate.