California Native Plants for the Garden [Paperback]

Carol Bornstein (Author), David Fross (Author), Bart O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2005

California Native Plants for the Garden is a comprehensive resource that features more than 500 of the best California native plants for gardening in Mediterranean-climate areas of the world. Authored by three of the state's leading native-plant horticulturists and illustrated with 450 color photos, this reference book also includes chapters on landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Detailed lists of recommended native plants for a variety of situations and appendices with information on places to see native plants and where to buy them are also provided.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"California Native Plants for the Garden"... is a stunner and comes at just the right time . . . a marvelous new resource. -- San Jose Mercury News, December 10, 2005

An authoritative reference on California gardening, with detailed advice on landscape design, installation, watering, pruning, and pest control. -- Los Angeles Times, January 26, 2006

Go out and buy "California Native Plants for the Garden"... [this] new book is a must-have. -- San Francisco Chronicle, February 15, 2006

This guidebook . . . is both practical and inspirational. Lovingly detailed plant profiles . . . make you covet each species. -- Sunset Magazine, April 2006

[It] provides a dazzling array of native plant possibilities for every garden situation, combined with a wealth of practical information. -- Pacific Horticulture, January 2006

[The authors] have combined their deep knowledge of and extensive experience with California plants into a thorough and charismatic guide. -- Sue Rosenthal, Bay Nature Magazine, Fall, 2005

From the Publisher

"California Native Plants for the Garden" is a recipient of the 2006 Book Award from the American Horticultural Society

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Cachuma Press (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962850586
• ISBN-13: 978-0962850585
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for CA native gardeners, December 31, 2005

By 

Burrill C. Leland (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: California Native Plants for the Garden (Paperback)

I love this book! I bought it a few weeks ago and I've kept it close to me ever since.

*Fantastic color pictures, easily averaging two per page. (If nothing else, the photography alone would make it a great coffee table book. It transcends that limitation however by being so research intensive.)

*Crisp, informative writing with attention paid to color (flower, foliage, bark, etc), shape and habit, site analysis, and seasonal interest for every entry.

*Three-to-five chunky paragraphs for each plant with key families like manzanita and pine getting several pages.

*Clear, straightforward endorsements and appraisals. "Desert willow is simply the best summer-blooming large shrub or small tree that California has to offer." "Though justly and thoroughly praised through the years as the queen of California's wildflowers, Matilija poppy is both finicky and aggressive in the garden." "This first-rate sage [Salvia spathacea] satisfies on all counts and truly lives up to its name by attracting hummingbirds to your garden." "It would be difficult to come up with another California native to top giant coreopsis in the weird-looking plant category."

*Appendices include several pages listing native plant nurseries and public gardens throughout CA, and a five page bibliography.

I could go on praising this book. (I only found one plant missing from this book I'd have expected to see: Vaccinium ovatum.)

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, September 29, 2006

By 

Brent A. Morgan (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: California Native Plants for the Garden (Hardcover)

This book distinguishes itself by offering wonderful color photgraphs of most of the plants it discusses. This is a significant advantage for neophyte native plant gardeners. Other valuable and well-respected books on the same topic, such as Growing California Native Plants by Marjorie G. Schmidt, don't offer even close to the same pictorial experience.

Don't think that it's all about the photgraphs, however. The rest of the book is put together well and stands side by side with any other California native plant guides for completeness of information.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review of plants best suitable for California gardens, covering cultivation, landscape design usage, water needs, and more, May 21, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: California Native Plants for the Garden (Paperback)

If you're a California gardener you can't be without CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN, which is deserving of ongoing recommendation as one of the most comprehensive guides on the subject we've seen. Color photos pack a comprehensive review of plants best suitable for California gardens, covering cultivation, landscape design usage, water needs, and more. From pruning requirements to common diseases and insect problems, plants in CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN are all thoroughly detailed.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch