Plants and Trees Books

I found this book to be more comprehensive than the comparable Wildflower Guide from the Audubon Society. This book shows more complete drawings of the plant (not just the flowering portion). However, this book does not contain photographs and instead contains artistic representations (black and white line drawings with occassional colored drawings). Additionally, some plants are not catagorized under what I would say is the correct color section... i.e. Western Ironweed has *PURPLE* flowers, but is found in the *PINK* section. I find this book difficult to use for identifying an unknown species. It is most useful to me in identifying the variety when you have some idea of the species. When comparing this book against the one from the Audubon Society, I prefer this one simply because this book shows more of a complete image of the entire plant. This book has limited usefullness for me, but I'm giving it an average rating because I haven't found anything better yet.

This book really helped my son with his wildflower project for science class.
Many of the other books we checked out of the library were too complicated for him (and I) to use and were not detailed enough.
It is organized by flower color which made it easier to get a correct identification. The only down side is that all of the flowers are not pictured in color...some of them are drawn in black and white within a color family.
However, I would recommend this book as it was easy for my 8th grade son to use on his own for the project.

I have used this book for many years and it is the easiest most comprehensive book on the subject. It is never esay to identify a flower you do not know, but with a little practice, this book is a big help.

I have used Petersons books for decades, and continue to update to new
issues while cherishing my issue from the 1970's. Anyone seeking to
comprehensively identify wildflowers from color plate photographs alone
is not only missing the point of field work, but may miss the flower as
well- colors look different in different light and in different photo- op's.
There are many other features to consider in correct plant ID.
The relevant ID features are often more obscure, yet are dutifully pointed
out in the Peterson guides - characteristics such as "mottled stems",
"fringed bracts", various leaf attachment features, size and range of
plant, and so on. As the director of a high quality school dealing in
herbal studies and nature research, as well as a college level teacher,
this and a small cadre of supplemental ID resources, including Steve
Brill's book, are going to remain on my list of required books for
all students , one they will use , along with their friends and family,
again and again.

I've been teaching in the outdoors using field guides with novices for 18 years, so I offer this advice to assist beginners in choosing a wildflower guide. I have used both this book and the Newcomb book and greatly prefer this one, although Newcomb's is very good. Newcomb's uses a series of keys, which I guess some people find more "sophisticated." Although the key in Newcombs isn't hard to use, I find that the Peterson guide is faster and easier to use in the field. I have also observed that beginners are less likely to make mistakes using the Peterson wildflower guide. The big plus of the Peterson book is the identification system. The flowers are first arranged by color and the book is color coded. Although wild plants may not always be showing their flower colors, 9 times out of ten when the amateur is identifying a flowering plant, it will be in bloom. You can use the Peterson guide to learn the key characterisitics of a blooming plant so that later on when it is not blooming you will still be able to find it in the book and recoginze it.

In the next stage of the Peterson wildflower guide's organization, the plants are arranged by similar visual characteristics. There is a simple outline and description of this system at the beginning of the book. The book utilizes helpful icons, which are featured at the tops of all the descriptive pages for quick thumb-through reference. I have found this icon system very helpful in teaching plant identification because it provides a systematic approach that the beginner can pick up quickly and easily. The Peterson system greatly facilitates intial accuracy of identification at the level of plant family. Once you learn the system of what to look for when observing a plant, the icons allow speed and efficiency when using the book in the field.

At the final stage of identification, the species level, the Peterson guide has excellent written descriptions and the important subtle differences between species are well highlighted, with both text and arrows on the drawings. As other reviewers have stated, the Peterson book has more illustrations than Newcomb, and the highlighted habitat/range descriptions also help in quickly placing a plant. The black and white illustrations are not bothersome since you already know the flower color, and line drawings show key characteristics clearly. The use of illustrations instead of photos is always preferred in a field guide, even though photos seem like a good idea at first glance. A good illustrator shows the plant in the best light and makes sure the key features are visible and prominent.

This was not what I wanted. These are great pictures but I want to learn more about my hydrangeas not your's or anyone else's. My bad! Very pretty pictures.

While this CD-Rom is pretty good as far as content and info, the format really needs an overhaul. The window overall is too small. Something like 6x6, which makes for smaller images. And there is no way to enlarge any of the images. Also, navigation needs to be more intuitive. It's not very user friendly to go back and forth between fields for information. Praise is given for content, but one would be better off with a book version.

This guy knows his posies. Everything I've seen that he has written has been well done and most informative. I'm using his hydrangea book as my bible for beginning to raise these gorgeous things and am finding that he knows varieties, tactics, and possible problems (and solutions)I'd never heard of.

I think it's the best book I ever saw on the subject. It will be useful to amateurs and specialists. It is critical, complete, and honest. It is exact, practical, and technical, but with personal notes here and there that I find touching, amusing, and endearing. Did you know that Hydrangea anomala subsp petiolaris'flowers stare at the passerby? Now you know. If you love Hydrangeas do buy this book.

Beautiful photos but disappointed that the name wasn't on the picture- was cumbersome to go between the list of names and the photos

I just bought my wife her first bonsai and bought this book to help. She has been reading the book- following the directions in the book - buying the recommended items - and the bonsai is doing well. Maybe I should wait 6 months or a year to do this review but at the beginning it is looking like the book is helpful

This was a gift for my wife who expressed a desire to start some Bonsai. She was impressed with this choice for a beginner!

This is an excellent step by step book for the absolute beginner of either a "gift" bonsai or a gardner wanting to learn and play. I followed the instructions given and my birthday gift is doing beautifully, three months later. Originally I checked out about six books on bonsais from the library to find the most helpful before I bought; this book covered everything I needed.

The first part of this book is general information and it is written for indoor bonsais. The pictures of the bonsais are of smaller trees, not the large bonsai trees that you see in many books. These are trees that the average person can have in their home. I think that indoor bonsais are smaller than outdoor bonsais. The author says much of the fascination of this hobby is derived from the experience of watching a plant grow. So the first section he describes in detail how to grow a bonsai from the very beginning.

An indoor bonsai does not mean that it lives indoors all year. All bonsais grow better if they are outside as long as your area will permit. An indoor bonsai is one that can live in the house during the winter without a dramatic set back. Outdoor bonsais on the other hand must spend the winter out doors. If you try to keep them in the house for the winter they will eventually die. Most bonsai books include many of the indoor bonsais, but they don't label them as indoor bonsais and they don't tell you how to keep them thriving in the house for the winter.

The second section is the "A-Z of Indoor Bonsai Species". There are 45 indoor bonsais in this book. Each bonsai has a brief description of the tree or shrub. Position, Soil, Watering, Feeding, Training, Acquiring a plant, and Pest are described for each bonsai. It ends with any particular features that make it suitable for training as a bonsai. There is a picture for each bonsai described. The name and age of the bonsai are under each picture.

There are not many books that are devoted to indoor bonsais. The section on each species gives you good information. There is more information in this book than you will often find in a larger book. It's a good book for indoor bonsais. This book is not only for beginners it is for anyone who wants to learn more about how to care for indoor bonsai.

This may be the worst Bonsai Book ever written. The tree on the front cover is a prime example of what a Bonsai tree is not supposed to look like. The tree is a young Ficus with no taper to the trunk. The branches grow straight up and the style is all wrong. Most importantly are the horrible scars on the branches from leaving the wires on too long. The book is very generic and really doesn't give enough information to create a heathly and well trained tree. If you have shown enough interest in Bonsai to pursue more information on the Art of Bonsai then you have already outgrown this book. Avoid this book, and buy a tree instead.

This book is an attempt to guide those interested in palm horticulture. However, finding that palm horticulture varies widely between the species, I found this title a disappointment. Some palms can't take iron for instance, but the authors neglect to give specific information on those species which would be helpful. The same applies to those palms that need iron. As a general guide, the book is ok, but if you really need to know how to care for your exotic and rare palms you may need advice from the local botanical garden or a nursery that specializes in growing palms to determine the nutritional requirements of a specific genus.

Brimming with detailed, useful information on all aspects of palm horticulture.

The authors clearly had no intention in writing yet another book filled with photos of palm species that would instruct readers on what palms to plant. There are already many books that provide the service that two of these reviewers ask for ("Betrock's Landscape Palms," "Betrock's Cold Hardy Palms," "Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms") that give detailed horticultural information on palm species. The intent of this book is made very clear in the introduction: this a book on how to deal with palms horticulturally, not a guide on which palms to choose in a landscape.

A pure technical book, great for the farmers of palms. Everything you want to know about palms but not a palm's identification book. This book have only a few photos.

The book was written in attempt to gather scientific literature on palm horticulture together in a single reference text. Broschat and Meerow have done that in a very simple and effective way. This is quite an comprehensive book that tackles the main aspects of palm horticulture from propagation to pests and interior maintenance of palms. Particularly useful are the sections on mineral nutrition and propagation. The different chapters of the book are well-complemented by over 100 illustrations which give you a better idea which disease or deficiency might affect your palm.

I have read the book in less than two days and I was able to immediately diagnostic nutrional deficiencies with my Spindle, Christmas and Phoenix palms. This book is not intended to describe how to grow a specific palm. Rather, it teaches general principles to grow and maintain healthy palms. This is the most complete and useful book on palms I have read so far. Every serious palm amateur should have one at home.

I thought this would be more informative than any website on the subject. However, it wasn't. It lacked all the specifics I would have wanted.

If you are looking for a book that will inspire you to make a forest / woodland garden then this book has everything and more.

When the realisation of low-maintenance gardening can produce such an incredible variety of produce, in such a sustainable way, it defies belief that this way of gardening is not implemented all over the world.

Absolute value for money, and, as the principals of forest garden can be easily applied to the smallest garden space, there is no excuse for anybody not to give it a go.

This book will give you all the help and guidance you need to make this vision a reality and the plants will just keep on giving. Truly inspirational.

First I want to say that I very much agree with the approach to gardening presented in Mr. Whitefield's book. That said the title is very misleading. The reason for my 3 star rating. The book has little to do with actual "Forest Gardening". Multi-layer planting or poly culture, more accurately describes his approach. He does use these terms periodically to describe this way of gardening. Early on Whitefield makes a brief comment on the idea that if you don't have much room, you might try a "forest garden" in a container. Perhaps in England they have forests in a pot, but in the part of the U.S. where I live people maybe have several acres of actual forest to work with. He also tells the reader to be aware of full day shade caused by nearby buildings. Important information if your forest exists between two multi-story buildings. But that is not a concern in a forest. This book does offer some constructive information for those who have a city lot or small yard to work with and wish to have a fruit tree or two, some berry bushes, combined with a vegetable garden. What I did learn from this book is that for gardening in a real forest a fair amount of the fruit trees and plants suggest by Whitefield probably won't work due to the light condition created by the forest canopy. Also the reader should know the hardiness of some of his suggestions are defined in general terms like, "can withstand cold temperatures". He does mention ability to withstand frost relating to some plants. One will need to check with other sources for plant hardiness, as cold for someone in England may be different than for someone living in Wisconsin. If you are actually wanting to garden in a forest you would might be better off researching native plants that may already be in your local forest environment, do some experimenting with plants to check their light requirements, or checking with your state university. They may have information on agri-forestry or other alternative approaches for food production in a forest environment. Bottom line... If you are planning for your back yard you might consider this book as a good starting place. It will give you some good information and designs for a progressive way to produce your own food. If you are planning to co-existing in a forest setting, in a way that allows you to produce a variety of fruits and vegetables I don't believe this book is your best place for ideas.

I made a mistake when I ordered this book -- I didn't realize it was centered in Britain and as a result it was less useful for me. I did learn a few things, but I don't plan to keep the book. I have since seen it referenced in other texts and suspect it is an excellent book for someone in the UK.

I bought this book for my wife who is an avid gardener and who has been studying permaculture for several years. We wanted a good book that would explain basic concepts of "forest gardens" that we have only begun to study. She loves the book, and while traveling recently, she read the first two chapters to me. I found the author's explanations to be very clear and concise. He presented some ideas which got me thinking differently about the way we develop and use our small yard. We are anxious to try out many of the ideas he presented. Overall, we are both very happy with this book, and it well fulfilled our expectations. If there is one downside to the book at all, it is the fact that he bases his explanations on the circumstances and climate of Great Britain. We would love it if he had his forest garden here in our area, and mentioned plants specific to our area. That makes it a bit of a challenge to interpret the specific methods to our own climate, but the general principles are useful anywhere. Yes, we highly recommend this book!

LOSING PLUM BLOSSOM offers a multitude of insights into Oriental charisma, obsessions with purity of bloodlines, as well as intrigue & religion, their attitude about gaijin - Westerners/foreigners, & love itself!

Rebeccasreads recommends LOSING PLUM BLOSSOM as an epic saga of passionate & lengthy prose of the lives & thoughts of one woman & two men, as well as a superb glimpse into the history of Taiwan few readers in the world have yet heard: from the Ching dynasty, through Japanese colonialism to Nationalist rule & its Golden Age in the 1960s & 70s.

Taipei (Taiwan) resident and Chinese Culture University
professor Eleanor Morris Wu has written a powerful and moving new novel, in
English, and the 500 page
page turner is a novel of romance, intrigue and adventure that will surely captivate readers interested in Asian culture.
And it's about Taiwan, among other things, and it's the first in a series of novels Wu is writing,
with the second novel coming soon. Wu herself witnessed the latter part of the struggle
for democracy and

political freedom when she arrived in Taiwan in 1989, old
China hands will recognize many things. The author knows her history and has an uncanny knack at getting inside her characters' emotions, from priests to spies, and you won't be able to put this book down once you start. It's that kind of book. A bravura performance by a talented writer, with more books sure to come!

I have already read the reviews of four distinguished Asian hands: Messrs Wade, Bufton, Barnes, and Hamilton so there is nothing more historically I can add that has not already been said by them.
I was very favourably impressed by the Prose style of Ms Morris Wu. It reminded me a little of Marcel Proust's "A La Recherche du Temps Perdu". She likes to dwell on images and incidents for pages at a time. In her case she can command the reader's attention throughout. It takes a particular talent to do that and I think it is a remarkable achievement especially as it is Ms Morris Wu's first novel.
I would like therefore to recommend this book for anyone interested in Taiwan history with four stars****as I want to encourage the author to continue writing, bearing in mind the comments and improvements recommended by the afore-mentioned reviewers.

I have already read the reviews of four distinguished Asian hands: Messrs Wade, Bufton, Barnes and Hamilton so there is nothing more historically I can add that has not already been said by them.
I was very favourably impressed by the Prose style of Ms Morris Wu. It reminded me a little of Marcel Proust's "A La Recherche du Temps Perdu". She likes to dwell on images and incidents for pages at a time. In her case she can command the reader's attention throughout. It takes a particular talent to do that and I think it is a remarkable achievement especially as it is Ms Morris Wu's first novel.
I would like therefore to recommend this book for anyone interested in Taiwanese history with four stars****as I want to encourage the author to continue writing, bearing in mind the comments and improvements recommended by the afore-mentioned reviewers.

The author has depicted a poignant picture spanning five decades beginning with the close of the Japanese occupaiton in Taiwan and the subsequent turmoil caused by the Chinese Nationalists takeover in 1945 and the tragic massacre two years later.
What followed were the decades regarded by most foreigners and Chinese alike as Taiwan's Golden Age of the 60s and the 70s when the island made a spectacular economic take-off despite political repression.
Morris Wu witnessed the latter part of the struggle for democracy and political freedom when she arrived in 1989. Though she claims the main characters to be ficticious, yet to many old Taiwan hands, they are still readily recognizable. With her acute observation and meticulous details, the author attempted to open up the body and the mind of her leading lady with Freud-Nietzsche-like incision, culminating in the triumph of American Womanhood.
Her similar attempts on males, mostly men of intrigues and evils, will go down as brilliant negative examples for schools.
Despite dark smog looming over all the characters, the author aptly painted the beautiful landscape of Taiwan and explained the many traditions and customs and the unending social and political wrangling among the local Taiwanese and the Chinese from the mainland.
Morris Wu also has a profound understanding of Taiwan's historical legacy from the Ching dynasty, through Japanese colonialism to Nationalist rule, and gives readers unfamiliar with the East Asian region an interesting and useful lesson about Oriental charisma and intrigues.

As a Photographer this book is Fine, as a Sculptor it is OK, as a Botanist it is Minimal, as a Lumberjack it is a Bore. I would suggest you not buy this book if you are looking for Good photographs of Champion Tree Specimens. But if you are looking for Beautifull photographs of Trees this is a great book. The photographic style takes it away from a book of specimens and to a book of photographic art.

I found this book quite beautiful. Wall to wall black & white photographs of trees showing the intimate relationship with their environment. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about trees. Or to anyone who is looking for great photograhic reference as I was. If you are concidering getting this book also look at "AMONG TREES" by Sean Kernan.

(Planeta Journal) -- Panoramic black-and-white photographs document the authors visit to the largest of their species in the United States. The National Register of Big Trees is updated every two years. It has prompted the development of a society of "big tree hunters" who track down rumors of possible champions and to verify the size of new contenders as well as the passing of old champions.

With all due respect, S. Bowman's (Very disappointed!, September 27, 2005) review of this volume must be the product of an extraordinarily tiny brain, enormously inadequate eyesight or both! Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Bowman should consider exploring visual and literary experiences that are better matched to their obviously limited capabilities - The Hallmark Store!

Bosworth captures the ineffable grace and dignity of trees with clarity and directness: the green ash that shades a midwestern crossroads, the common pear that blooms in a Washington field, and the Florida strangler fig with its mass of entwining aerial roots. Her photographs, panoramic views taken with an 8 x 10 camera, show the immensity of the largest species and the hidden triumphs of the smallest. Some trees are dethroned each year because of sickness or destruction, but more often simpy because a new and bigger specimen is discovered; only three trees from the original Register in 1940 are still living today. Bosworth's 70 photographs of champion trees are not only a collection of tree portraits but the story of an American adventure as well.

When do we get to see Volume II?

I just received this book in the mail. I was so looking forward to taking in the images - but now I am so disappointed. First of all, I understand panoramic images have certain proportions, but when an extensive landscape photo in a book is only slightly over 4 inches in one dimension, that is just too small to be able to show all the detail to the viewer. This book would be much more successful if it were larger. Also, I am a big fan of black and white, but I did not read in any advertisement that these images were black and white. I think that should be stated, especially in nature photography since black and white film creates an entirely different product from color film. The consumer should be given the information to make their choice according to their taste. I was looking forward to comparing the different shades of green in the different varieties of trees and landscapes I would be seeing. Looking at these trees in black in white is more a study in texture, tone, and form. The trees have been abstracted for me since these images do not make me feel like "I am there" since being "there" would be in color. Also, the majority of the images all have the horizon line in the same place and the tree in the same place in the photo, as if the trees were all taken to the same studio and asked to sit in the same chair. I'm sure this perspective choice brings unity to the photo series when it is hanging on a wall, but in a book it is visually boring, page after page. I am sure I would enjoy these photos much more in person. They are just not impressive in this book.

Flora straddles the line between being an art book filled with flora pictures and a gardening title packed with details about garden flowers. Both audiences will welcome this lavish presentation but it's the artist who will have a rare opportunity to appreciate the detail and color of floral designs. Full-color, oversized pages of floral art are gorgeous presentations.

I ordered this book and returned it due to the extremely ridiculous small size. It is about the size of a CD. I had read this book in the library at the full size and the small size ("Compact edition") doesn't even compare. If you really want this book, get the full size. Otherwise it isn't worth it.

This is one of the best flower books I have ever seen! Richly illustrated, with many details, and glorious color! I am a painter, so these are very important for an illustrated book. A must have for all flower lovers!

This book is beauty and knowledge. An absolut treasure!

My order just came and was I disappointed. The book is beautiful yet the size is absurd. Measures 5 3/8 by 6 1/4 inches. This is not stated anywhere in the book desription. I just assumed it would be the standard 8 1/2 by 11 inches. I KNEW it wasn't the coffee table size but this size is just not suitable for this type of book. I will be returning it.

Many floras and the USDA Plant Database use Cronquist's classification system. Several families in that system are missing in Thorne's system as used in this book. I would suggest supplementing this book with James Payne Smith's "Vascular Plant Families."

Occasionally I have to (try) and key out plants at work. Not having a botany background makes this difficult and when I get stumped on a particular term or piece of plant anatomy I call up this book to walk me through the terminology. It is particularly useful if you can key the plant out to family level. It's picture (line art) illustrations are very clear and help tremendously when trying to understand what it is the key is referring to. Well worth the 35 dollars if you deal with the anatomy of plants at all or need to know family characteristics.

The book is just fine ... that's why I ordered it ... it's a good book.

However, I thought I was buying the book USED at a less-than-new price. The price I actually paid was the new price. And I did receive a new book, thank you.

My question: Why didn't I pay for and receive the USED book that I wanted? I wonder if there is something in the ordering process that I missed. This is the first book order from amazon.

I got this book because I needed to learn about plants and I needed a no nonsense, basic introduction to the plant families of the world--not just trees, not just herbs, and not just information from one part of the world. This book is all that and more. The descriptions of each family use botanical terminology, there are clear line drawings of the taxonomically informative characters, and economically important species are listed in each family. Because I am not an expert on plants, I can't comment on the accuracy of the information, but I can say that this book has been a great resource for me, as a novice botanist. My only complaint (and this is a minor one, because this is not supposed to be a field guide) is that I am unfamiliar with many of the families and color photos would really help me to learn to recognize the plants in nature. I highly recommend this book.

This should be a five start rating but something happened when I wrote the review so I can't change the star rating. Suffice it to say that this is a very comprehensive book with wonderful black and white illustrations. A very useful guide for students of botanical art or for anyone interested in plants.

While this book appears to be thin, it has many illustrations of edible plants found in different parts of the world. No one likes to think that they would need to forage, but if it were necessary, this would be a good resource to have. I feel confident that I could locate several plants to sustain myself with if the circumstances arose.

While the book informs us about edible plants, it warns that there are similar plants that are poisonous -- and doesn't give any description for them! I'd have to be really, really hungry before I would risk using this book.

Good little book that covers quite a lot. Gives good information on those plants in the wild that can be used for food. Along with this it gives excellent clear color close up pictures of the plants with a description of their botanical structures, habitats and distribution, edible parts and other uses such as making baskets, rope, medicines, etc. Also gives good photo descriptions of the most dangerous and poisonous plants and how to identify and recognize them.

lots of good info if you spend a lot of time in woods ,or if you don't and find yourself lost ,this book might keep you alive.

The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild PlantsThis book is very informative on edible wild plants. Recommended to those who are serious about wilderness survival and disaster preparedness.