The Complete Book of Garden Flowers: How to Grow over 300 of the Best Performing Varieties

by Graham Strong (editor)

A garden is the sum of its plants and with this book's mix of the very best annuals, perennials and bulbs, you can add flower upon flower to create a beautiful, well-planned garden. This lavishly illustrated, handy reference book gives you everything you need to know about over 300 popular annuals, bulbs and perennials and contains special sections on roses, clematis, tulips and daffodils. Find the flowers that you are already growing and then choose further exciting plants to complement your flowering display. Look inside to find - What? Choose from over 300 top garden plants and their best varieties - Where? Dozens of plants to suit sunny, shady, damp, and dry or combination gardens - When? A monthly checklist of tasks and treats, from planting to picking, to keep you in control of the garden

Genres: Gardening, Reference, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best pictures and short synopsis of each plant that I could find at the library.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

What? What is this book? Where is it from? The publisher, Whitecap Books, is out of Vancouver, Canada. How could the author and the publisher miss the obvious major errors in this book? It makes you wonder what other errors exist which are less obvious. But every flower entry has a zone specified. Living in zone 4b, I noted dozens of my hardy perennials listed as hardy to zone 7. What? I have yet to find a perennial listed for colder climates than zone 6 yet so many are thriving in zone 4 and probably below. Was this book written only for the Vancouver area? I don't understand. If you can pick this book up for 50 cents like I did, I recommend it despite the errors. The photography is outstanding, the details on each plant are thorough. It provides a lot of valuable information, just don't trust what the author says and do other research before buying and planting.

[Leyla Shuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heavy-weight book at 2350 grams and 800 pgs. Every flower comes with photographic pictures. The grouping comes in annuals, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, climbers, herbs. All plants and flowers include the method of growing. Having said that not much flowers found in the tropics are mentioned.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs with great information.
I reference this book frequently. It's a very large book at 800 pages but there are some sections I skip right over. (some of the less colorful plants for the desert regions)

From the book:
"Each section opens with an introduction to planting, followed by in-depth plant profiles. Each plant profile offers detailed at-a-glance information with a month-by-month reminder on how, when, and where to grow each plant. Easy-to-follow growing advice is included throughout on over 600 plants and the book also explores what can go wrong and how to protect different species."