Product Description

An exquisite, full-color encyclopedia of annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees, and shrubs that takes the guess-work out of creating a garden. Descriptions of each plant, suggestions for use, and easy-to-follow instructions for cultivation and maintenance are listed in four categories. Over 425 color illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2327973 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 431 pages

Amazon.com Review
This fully comprehensive guide to the outstanding garden plants of every season should be on the book shelves of both novice gardeners and green-fingered experts. More than 425 full-color photographs illustrate detailed listings for specific varieties of annuals, perennials, bulbs, and trees. Each category features troubleshooting advice, instruction on cultivation and maintenance, tips on garden design, and schedules for garden care in every season. There is also detailed information on bringing outdoor plants into the home so that beautiful plants can be part of life the year round in every climate. Elvin McDonald is a respected expert on horticulture, the author of more than 50 gardening books, and a former editor of House Beautiful magazine. --Nancy Starr

Customer Reviews

An all around great plant refernce book!!!
This is a great book for the novice as well as the expert. Itis divided into 4 categories and contains many excellent pictures ofthe plants listed. For each plant, there is a description including height/habit, leaves, and flower; detailed instructions on how and when to plant and propagate; light, soil and fertilizer needs; and pruning requirements. The plants are listed with their scientific and common names and indexed accordingly. Overall, it is one of the best reference books I've seen.

On the money
This book is very good for it's price. Some of the photos are a little close, so it's hard to picture how the plant will look mixed into your garden. There are also some plants that I've looked up and this book doesn't cover. Also, there aren't a lot of ideas for shadey areas. However, I would honestly recommend this book. There are hundreds (400 to be exact) great plants in it. It also gives detailed information on how to care for the plants both before and after planting. This book is great for beginning and seasoned gardners alike!

Great beginner's guide, but not a complete encyclopedia.
Book contains about 425 pages divided into 4 major sections: Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Trees & Shrubs. Each section describes 100 plants (hence the title, "400 Best Garden Plants").

Each plant is described by habit, leaves, flowers, light, soil, fertilizer, pruning, propagation, uses, etc. The information is fairly meager, about one sentence per item. Many of the sentences are repetitive and extremely general. For example, "fertilize with 5-10-5", is listed as advice for 97 out of 100 annuals. I'm not saying the advice is wrong, I just wonder why it must be repeated 97 times. At the beginning of the annual section, couldn't they say "fertilize most annual with 5-10-5", then go into details about the three plants that get treated differently. (By the way, the 3 special case plants are Amaranthus, Basil, and Flowering Maple).

The photography is a high point. Images are crisp and clear, most pictures are large (6 inches height). Unfortunately, the species or variety in the photograph is never identified.

The information is very general. For example, one of the 100 Best Perennials is listed as Anemone (Windflower, European Pasqueflower, Japanese Anemone). Egads! There is an extreme difference between two inch tall Windflower and three feet tall Japanese Anemone. Then they list uses as "cut flowers". Yeah, right! I can just see them now, on their hands and knees, harvesting the tiny flowers from the two inch tall plant. Listing characteristics of Windflower, European Pasqueflower, and Japanese Anemone in the same discussion is not useful gardening advice.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's a great beginner's guide, but not a complete encyclopedia. Expert gardeners will find little of value in the book. For beginners, it's a 5 star book. For garden experts, it's only a 3 star.