Gardening

Flora

Name: Flora
Author: Sean Hogan
ISBN: 9780881925388

by Sean Hogan

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Overview

This comprehensive, beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of plants contains information on over 20,000 plants from all around the world. Organized in an A to Z format by botanical name, the individual entries provide a detailed description of each plant and its features, notes on origin, cultivation requirements, growth habit, propagation and pests and diseases.

The introduction explains how the 12 climatic zones work, and looks at the environment and the plants that grow in those zones. Lists of plants suitable for growing in specific areas, for example, alpine gardens and seaside gardens, are also given. In addition, the introduction provides ideas for garden design.

Flora covers all the plants groups: trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials, bulbs, corms and tubers, cacti and succulents, lawns, ground covers, ornamental grasses, herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, other fruits, nut trees, palms and cycads, ferns, climbers and creepers, and orchids.

Written by a team of international botanical and horticultural writers, this book will allow all gardeners to choose the perfect plants for their garden, and expand their knowledge on the wealth of plants available. The stunning color photography from all around the world is the perfect complement to the text.

About the Author:

Sean Hogan is the co-founder of Cistus Design in Portland, Oregon. He was formerly a horticulturist at the University of California, Berkeley Botanic Garden, where he managed the New World Desert, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and California-cultivar gardens. He is a frequent contributor to horticultural journals such as the Rock Garden Quarterly and Pacific Horticulture.

About the Author, Sean Hogan

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Editorials

Oregonian

"This book has become an overnight "must have" in the garden world."—Dulcy Mahar, Oregonian, November 18, 2004
— Dulcy Mahar

Sacramento Bee

"A candy store for gardeners. Imagine having thousands of the world's gardening gems alphabetically at your fingertips with clear, concise descriptions, and beautiful photographs of flowers, fruit, bark, even pictures of plants in their natural habitats."—Pat Rubin, Sacramento Bee, January 3, 2004
— Pat Rubin

Library Journal

Written by a team of over 50 predominantly American botanical and horticultural experts, this superb two-volume set profiles over 20,000 plants from around the world. There is proportionately more coverage of plants from temperate zones, reflecting the greater numbers of gardening enthusiasts in these zones. Arranged alphabetically by botanical name, each entry includes detailed descriptions of the genus, with information about cultivation, growth habits, propagation, and pests and diseases. There are also entries on specific species and cultivars. Most profiles are illustrated with excellent color photos, and for genera with many cultivars there may be illustrations without accompanying text. The introductory section, which includes information on climatic zones and gardening advice, and the concluding illustrated guides to flower, leaf, and fruit types are well done but clearly of secondary importance. The bonus CD-ROM basically reproduces the text and photos of the printed volumes without offering any worthwhile additional features except for a novelty "plants through the seasons" and higher-quality images. Likewise, the web links on the CD-ROM are not well chosen, and the search mechanism does not offer any more capability than what is offered by the print index. The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants covers 15,000 plants, but, not surprisingly, has a more didactic tone and uses more technical language. Flora lists more common names and hybrids and is more conversational. And while the AHS volume does have "American" in its title, it sometimes betrays its British origin with the Royal Horticultural Society. Libraries already owning the AHS encyclopedia probably do not need to purchase this one, but, as in gardening, where one plant is never enough, one encyclopedia is never enough to cover the almost limitless selection of plants. Highly recommended for gardening collections with the budget for an additional resource.-Daniel Starr, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.