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Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden
 
 
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Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden [Paperback]

Paul Bonine (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 16, 2009
Striking, mysterious, sinister, and strange all describe the singular appeal of plants with black (or near-black) foliage, flowers, or fruit. For some gardeners, they are curiosities that yield a special thrill. For others, they are invaluable for providing contrast with brighter elements. Whatever the source of their somber magic, these dusky denizens of the plant kingdom are irresistible to anyone drawn to nature's more unusual manifestations.

In this compact, accessible volume, Paul Bonine profiles 75 of the most alluring black annuals, perennials, bulbs, and shrubs. Some of the plants—like agapanthus and lilies—are darker versions of familiar favorites, while others are rarities that will appeal to the most discerning collector. Each entry describes the plant's essential features and details the requirements for growth and care.

Whether your taste runs to pansies, columbines, and sweet williams or to obscure orchids from the Andes, you'll find a host of intriguing choices in this beautifully illustrated, entertaining book. Black Plants is sure to haunt your dreams.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Black is not the first color that comes to mind when you think of plants. But as this beautiful guide makes clear, dark-hued leaves and flowers, from perennials to tropicals, have enormous appeal in a garden." (Martha Stewart Living )

"This little gem of a book packs a planter's punch … If you never grow a single plant highlighted, it's still a fascinating read." (Our Little Acre blog )

"Someday, I shall create the black-and-white themed garden I have been dreaming of; when I do, Black Plants will become muddy and dog-eared."

(Pacific Horticulture )

"Black works great for cocktail dresses and luxury cars, but in the flower garden? Absolutely." (San Francisco Chronicle )

"Your garden might never be the same." (Akron Beacon Journal )

"Black generally has a negative connotation, a signal that all is not well with a plant. Paul Bonine has set out to salvage black’s horticultural reputation with Black Plants." (Chicago Tribune )

"Go ahead, open the cover, creep through the screeching gate. The plants inside are no nightmare. More like a dream." (Oregonian )

"Rather than cast gloom, these plants can add mystery, depth, and sophistication to the garden." (Houston Chronicle )

"Gardeners and plant lovers looking for ideas for distinct color schemes and exciting plant suggestions will appreciate this." (Library Journal )

"The addition of these striking shrubs, perennials and annuals will add depth and drama to the landscape." (Detroit News )

About the Author

Paul Bonine is co-owner of the wholesale nursery Xera Plants Inc. and has worked in the nursery industry in Oregon for almost two decades. In addition to consulting for NPR, various newspapers, radio, and television, Paul has written for several national gardening publications. Black Plants is his first book.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Timber Press (September 16, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0881929816
  • ISBN-13: 978-0881929812
  • Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Needs more plants, October 20, 2009
By 
abezon "abezon" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden (Paperback)
This is a nice book for someone who's thinking of creating a black garden or looking for a few really interesting accent plants. It lost one star because there's no index & I'd have like another 25 plants. The author gives the mature size of some plants, but not all. Light & water requirements are represented by 4 & 3 pictographs respectively. It's a bit like reading an international clothing care tag, but you get used to it. The plant photos tend towards macro shots, so you'll need to find find more pictures elsewhere if you want to see the plant structure.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars first book I've returned in years., December 2, 2009
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden (Paperback)
I'm sorry, I really am, but this book is a major disappointment. There are hundreds more plants than these out in the world if you are really interested in dark or black foliage, and the images in this book are almost exclusively closeups of the flowers or foliage with zero examples of those plants in action in a planting. You'd get better results googling "black plants" or "black flowers" or "balck foliage" than by buying this book. I expected better from Timber Press, I usually drool all over their books!

I haven't returned a book to amazon or any other seller for many years, but this one didn't last 10 minutes out of the box before I printed the return label. I kid you not.

If all you want are a few closeup photos and some less-than-useful nomenclature. For example, Helleborus x hybridus is a large group of cultivars and colors - many more than than the disappointing black specimen in the photo. Good luck finding the dark flowering plant shown using the name "Helleborus x. hybridus").
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars This little book packs a planter's punch!, October 9, 2009
By 
This review is from: Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden (Paperback)
A few years ago, it became fashionable to create a Chocolate Garden, a trend that continues to be popular. Plants grown in a Chocolate Garden have a chocolate fragrance and/or have very dark blooms or foliage in tones of deep purple, brown, burgundy, maroon, or near-black.

A great resource book for planning such a garden is the newly-published Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden by Paul Bonine. (Timber Press, September 2009) This little gem of a book packs a planter's punch by giving essential information on 75 stunning plants that would be appropriate for creating either a themed garden or a smaller pocket of attraction.

With each plant description, characteristics are provided that aid in making choices for the garden: soil conditions, hardiness zones, growth habits and light requirements. Suggestions are given for companion plantings that show off each plant's unique traits. On the page facing each description is a beautiful photograph of the plant.

Growing plants with such dark colors could be seen as gloomy and unexciting, but when paired with contrasting colors such as lime green, a very dramatic effect can be obtained. Black Plants provides the necessary information to create such drama, but if you never grow a single plant highlighted in this book, it's still a fascinating read.
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