The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes
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Book Summary Information
Contributor: Rick DarkeEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Illustrated
Published: 2007-04-15
ISBN: 0881928178
Number of pages: 484
Publisher: Timber Press
Book Reviews of The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes
Book Review: From a designer's point of view
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an awesome book. I own another of Rick Darke's grass books, the Timber Press pocket guide, which is also excellent as an overall reference. This one, though, goes in to a depth I didn't know I needed until I saw it! I find I am reading every page, after having skimmed every beautiful photo. I particularly admire the wisdom behind the design theory (see the chapter on design)--a true artist's understanding of color, form and line. Why use grasses in a garden design? And how to do so? The topic is eloquently covered. So well in fact that I have had a bit of a paradigm shift.
In addition to Darke's exquisite artistic sense, his horticultural, encyclopedic knowledge of all these plants is very appreciated. I can trust what he tells me. The only thing missing (and missing from almost all--dare I say ALL--ornamental grasses books) is the width size for grasses listed. One needs to try to extrapolate a probable width from the height which IS given for every plant. Granted this piece of info must be hard for authors as there may be two or even three width sizes for grasses--the basal clump in spring, the foliage fully expanded in summer, and tip-to-tip spread IN BLOOM in fall, for example. And there is the question of time as well: e.g. a 3-year size vs. a 10-year size. Still, a gardener needs to know these things: what sort of space to give a grass for its best look to be achieved.
The above is a small point for an overall excellent book. It covers ornamental grasses from every angle, from a man very experienced in the genre.
Summary of The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes
In this new book noted grass expert and advocate Rick Darke addresses both the aesthetic qualities of grasses in private gardens and the opportunities and challenges of using them in wild and constructed public landscapes. All the true grasses, sedges, rushes, restios, and cattails that possess ornamental merit or that can contribute to ecological plantings are described, and practical matters of propagation, growth, and maintenance are also covered. More than 1000 stunning photographs show details of individual plants and hundreds of gardens and landscapes in which grasses play a prominent part. This worthy successor to The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses is a new type of design reference that sets a standard for inspired, sustainable use of grasses.Gardening & Horticulture Books
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