Overview
Trees and shrubs are a valuable asset to a garden bringing structure, shade, year-round interest and the all-important vertical dimension. However, choosing the right ones for small gardens is a fine art, and it's all too easy to end up with heavyweight shrubs overtaking the border, dysfunctional climbers, or trees outgrowing their designated spaces. In this practical reference, woody-plant expert Diana Miller takes the anguish out of the process by recommending plants and cultivation techniques that excel in small garden spaces.
Small gardens require careful planting, and the book starts by considering plants that fulfill a particular design function, such as trees that provide the right levels of shade for an underplanting of choice bulbs, columnar or weeping trees for very restricted spaces, and specimen shrubs that provide an effective foil for herbaceous perennials in a mixed border. Pruning, coppicing, topiary and container-planting restrict growth and are helpful techniques in the small garden armory. Useful too are scaled-down versions of favorite trees, such as Prunus 'Amanogawa', that take up less space, and create less shade, than other cherry trees. At the heart of this book is a comprehensive plant directory that provides detailed descriptions, including full cultivation advice for over 400 top-performing trees and shrubs. Further advice on pruning, information on planting to encourage wildlife and handy lists that allow readers to search by color, height and other characteristics are invaluable.
Color photographs complement the plant descriptions, aid identification and complete this practical plant reference.
Synopsis
Choosing the right trees and shrubs for small gardens is a fine art, and it's all too easy to end up with heavyweight shrubs overtaking the border, dysfunctional climbers, and trees outgrowing their designated spaces. In this practical reference, woody plant expert Diana Miller takes the anguish out of the process by recommending plants and cultivation techniques that excel in small garden spaces.
Small gardens require careful planting and the book starts by considering plants that fulfill a particular design function, such as trees that provide the right levels of shade for an underplanting of choice bulbs, columnar or weeping trees for very restricted spaces, and specimen shrubs that provide an effective foil for herbaceous perennials in a mixed border. Pruning, coppicing, topiary, and planting in containers to restrict growth are valuable techniques in the small garden armory.
At the heart of this book is a comprehensive plant directory that provides detailed descriptions, including full cultivation advice for over 400 top performance trees and shrubs. Further advice on pruning, information on planting to encourage wildlife, and handy lists that allow readers to search by color, height, and other characteristics are invaluable. Color photographs complement the plant descriptions, aid identification, and complete this practical plant reference.
Manchester Journal Enquirer
“The scope of this book is broad. . . and it is sure to delight the more adventurous gardeners among us.”
Editorials
BBC Gardens Illustrated
“. . . plenty of information and excellent color photographs throughout. . . As a gift to an improving gardener, it would be a valuable tool in developing a small garden.”
— Kevin Croucher
Seattle Times
“. . . this book could serve as a first step toward choosing trees and shrubs that won’t result in future pruning disasters or an overly gloomy garden.”Manchester Journal Enquirer
“The scope of this book is broad. . . and it is sure to delight the more adventurous gardeners among us.”Washington Gardener
“Diana Miller aimed to ‘introduce the wealth of trees and shrubs which could be grown in a smaller garden.’ She did a commendable job. The book is filled with a wide variety of trees and shrubs – some well known, some rather obscure.”American Gardener
“Even small gardens need good ‘bones.’ Miller provides lots of ideas for selecting woody plants that will lend structure without being overpowering.”Library Journal
Botanist Miller, long affiliated with the Royal Horticultural Society, has written a guide to shrubs, trees, and a few vines (excluding conifers, fruit trees, and bamboos) that are suitable for smaller gardens. A brief introduction explains plant nomenclature, woody plant selection, culture, and propagation, followed by the heart of the book, the A-to-Z of trees and shrubs. Arranged by genus name, the entries give a description of the genus followed by species or cultivars recommended for the small garden. These short entries include a description of the plant(s) and limited cultural information. Unfortunately, most plants are hardy only in U.S.D.A. zone 7 or warmer, and not all genera are illustrated. Miller includes charts of the trees and shrubs listed by their flower color, as well as those plants with attractive foliage or fruit or distinctive growth habits. For colder areas of the United States, it would be best to select Nancy Rose and others' Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates. Miller's title offers the browsing gardener many choices for our warmer regions, but gardeners will often have to look further for photographs and expanded cultural information. For public libraries and gardening collections in the appropriate regions.
—Sue O'Brien