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garden design and exotic plant sales |
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Recommended
reading |
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The Subtropical
Garden by Jaqueline Walker and Gil Hanley. |
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The
Tropical Look by Robert Lee Riffle ISBN0-500-01880-4 An encyclopedia of exotic plants, mainly for the warmer US states but extremely informative and inspiring. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Exotic Garden by Richard Iversen ISBN 1-56158-232-8 This is for fans of the 'summer bedding' school of exotic gardening, aimed squarely at the US market but interesting nevertheless. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
New Exotic Garden by Will Giles ISBN 1840002417 Probably the best introduction to exotic gardening in print, a must for all exoticists. The pictures especially are terrific inspiration. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Hot
Plants for Cool Climates by Susan A. Roth and Dennis Schrader ISBN 0-395-96323-0 Similar to The 'Exotic Garden' but expands into more detail on hardy exotics. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Exotic
Gardening in Cool Climates by Myles Challis ISBN 1857021878 Read this and you have as good a grounding in the art of exoticism as you can get. A bit waffle-y in places. Large Leaved Perennials by
Myles Challis |
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Grow
Something Different by Nick Wray ISBN 0-563-37085-8 Lots of useful ideas in here, some unusual plants listed, I find the temperature recommendations are a little cautious. |
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Plants
for Dry Gardens by Jane Taylor ISBN 0711212228 Marvelous book, a bible for anyone with low rainfall / mediterranean areas covering a wide range of plants. See more of this book now at Amazon The Milder Garden by
Jane Taylor |
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Weather
in the Garden by Jane Taylor ISBN 0719557267 An excellent book that covers many useful areas - how hardiness is affected by different environmental factors, what climates many of our garden plants come from etc. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Gardener's Guide to Growing Temperate Bamboos
by Michael Bell ISBN 0-7153-0859-9 The best work on the subject of bamboos currently in print, this book unravels the mysteries of these underused plants. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Plantfinder's Guide to Tender Perennials by Ian Cooke ISBN 0-7153-0635-9 Particularly good section on cannas, as you would expect from the National Collection holder. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Native Trees of New Zealand by JT Salmon ISBN 0-7900-0503-4 Nice pics of the odd stuff that grows there. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Plantfinder's guide to Garden Ferns by Martin Rickard ISBN 0-7153-0806-8 As you would expect from the immensely knowledgeable author, an invaluable book. Deals with treeferns in some detail. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Bananas
you can grow by James W. Waddick and Glenn M. Stokes ISBN 0-9678540-1-6 First in a series by this pair, aimed at the US market (maybe not available off the shelf in the UK other than specialist outlets eg me) but probably the only useful book on nanas in print. |
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Passion
Flowers by John Vanderplank ISBN 1899296123 Just open up the book and marvel at these magnificently tropical-looking blooms. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Agaves
of Continental North America by Howard Scott Gentry ISBN 0-8165-0775-9 The only sensible work on the subject. All pics are black and white, it is expensive for what it is but there is nothing else. Useful info such as rainfall profiles for where the species are found. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Agaves,
Yuccas and related plants - a gardeners guide by Mary and Gary
Irish ISBN 0-88192-442-3 An affordable reference work on a sadly neglected group of plants, deals with agave, yucca, dasylirion, nolina, beschorneria, furcraea, many of which have potential for UK gardens. Excellent pictures. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Guide
to Aloes of South Africa by Ben-Erik Van Wyk and Gideon Smith ISBN 1-87509-304-4 Great book, reasonably priced. Loads of colour pics, loads of sexy plants. Probably the most affordable aloe book and certainly easy to look though. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Mesembs
of the World various authors ISBN 1-875093-13-3 Not just lithops and conophytum, but all the odd little genera with their dazzling flowers in full colour. Excellent book. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Succulents
- the Illustrated Dictionary by Maurizio Sajeva and Mariangela
Costanzo ISBN 0-304-34745-0 Not much into, but hundreds of photos: the book to find out what that obscure genus may look like. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Cacti
- the Illustrated Dictionary by Rod and ken Preston-Mafham ISBN 0-304-34616-0 Page after page of balls. Spiny ones. Doesn't cover any columnar ones. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Succulent Garden - a Practical Guide by Yvonne Cave ISBN 0-88192-378-8 An unusual book covering what is, for the UK anyway, an unusual topic. Lots of ideas nevertheless. |
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Dry
Climate Gardening with Succulents compiled by Huntingdon
Botanical Gdns ISBN 0679758291 Ditto, for a US market, but more comprehensive, nicer pics and includes many cacti. Great inspiration. |
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Sedum:
Cultivated Stonecrops by Ray Stephenson ISBN 0-88192-236-2 Excellent work comprehensively covering there extremely useful plants, essential for filling in on the cactus patch, some actually look the part too. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Palms
throughout the World by David L Jones ISBN 1876334517 The best overall palm book for the non-botanist. A few omissions but pretty comprehensive, loads of pictures. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Palms
by Martin Gibbons ISBN 184092277X An extremely good little book that is excellent value and the best introduction to palms. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Cycads
of the world by David L Jones ISBN 1-87633-409-6 The best overall cycad book for the non-botanist. Very comprehensive, loads and loads of pictures. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants ISBN 0-7513-0303-8. As long as you take the recommended minimum temperatures with a pinch of salt, this book is a must. It describes over 15,000 plants, many illustrated, with quite a few tender and half hardies. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix : an excellent series of books: Conservatory and Indoor
Plants: Vol1 |
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Conservatory
and Indoor Plants: Vol 2 ISBN 0-330-37376-5 Again, pages and pages of fuchsias, but loads of good material for trying outside. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Perennials
:Vol.1 Early Perennials ISBN 0-330-32774-7 Lots of odd and rare plants to flesh out your borders. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Perennials
:Vol. 2 Late Perennials ISBN 0-330-32775-5 Same again, some treasures in here. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Shrubs ISBN 0-330-30258-2 Spend a happy few days rummaging around in here for unusual shrubs. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Bulbs ISBN 0-330-30253-1 All the usual suspects, daffs, tulips etc but some real beauties as well. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Mediterranean
Gardening by Heidi Gildemeister ISBN 8427307497 Excellent guide to this style of exotic gardening, essential for anyone with drier summers or simply trying to achieve that mediterranean look. recommended by Nick Cock. See more of this book now at Amazon
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Field
Guide to Palms of the Americas by Andrew Henderson ISBN 0691016003
Very in depth book about palms including
chamaedorea, trithrinax etc, covers most varieties within each
species, no climate guide though, 250 colour palm pics.
Recommended by Nick Cock
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Encyclopedia
of Ferns by David L Jones ISBN 0881920541 Another book from the prolific pen of Mr Jones. A must for fern growers though a touch expensive. Recommended by Nick Cock See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses by
John Greenlee
ISBN 0875961002
Probably couldn't find a better book on grasses, includes US zones for each plant (yawn) but at least it gives us a rough idea what we can grow. Recommended by Nick Cock See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Plant
Physiology by Lincoln Taiz and Eduardo Zeiger ISBN 0878938311 For those with a more technical approach, this is a treasure trove of information. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Nature and Properties of Soils by Nyle Brady and Raymond Weil ISBN 0138524440 Rather technical but gives an insight to selective feeding programs, how the makeup of the soil can affect the way your plants grow and how to improve matters. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Desert
Gardens by Melba Levick and Gary Lyons ISBN: 0847821870 Absolute pornography for the succulentiphile See more of this book now at Amazon |
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The
Gardener's Guide to Growing Cannas by Ian Cooke David & Charles; ISBN: 071531131X At last a specialist book - written by a specialist. Holder of the NCCP reference collection holder and vastly knowledgeable Mr Cooke, this is a long awaited addition to the exotic library. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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Aroids:
Plants of the Arum family by Deni Bown Timber Press; ISBN: 0881924857 Second and improved addition, this book deals with some of our favourite jungle plants in some detail, plus some interesting subjects from temperate rain forests. See more of this book now at Amazon
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Illustrated
Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons Editor U.
Eggli
ISBN:
3540416927 This volume on monocotyledons presents succulents from 17 families and 64 genera, some 1100 species and over 200 infraspecific taxa. The most important genera are Agave with approx 200 species, and Aloe with about 450. Other major genera included are: Haworthia, Bulbine and Sansevieria, each with approx. 60 species. In addition, a wide variety of bulbous xerophytes from several genera are described. Recommended by Gerald Luckhurst. See more of this book now at Amazon |
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