Customer Reviews

Durable Plants for the Garden

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anyone who gardens outdoors in the Intermountain West (from the Sierra Cascade crest to the Midwest) would benefit substantially from reading and owning this book. I suspect that even keen gardeners who live on the coasts could grow many of the plants contained herein, and certainly the lavish photography (and graceful paintings) depicting these plants in combination with one another and with similar plants should inspire anyone to create gardens in the brash, new Western style so much more in keeping with our intense sun, low rainfall and changeable climate. As a sometime player in Plant Select (a cooperative program between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and the horticultural industry nation wide) you may take my words with a grain of salt. Go ahead! Most dishes can use a dash of salt, and frankly this book is not just a platter but a banquet of gorgeous photographic images, concise history and data of each of the nearly 80 plants covered, with charts and data galore for those nerdy to the point of masochism. Yes, I did write one of the forewords, contributed a few pictures and some prose, but this is a truly massive effort with dozens of artists and photographers, and a sizeable village of contributors. Jim Henrich is to be commended (along with Fulcrum) for blending the potentially discordant voices into a resounding symphony of gorgeous art and valuable cultural information. I believe Plant Select is nothing less than drought insurance for our vast region, promising stunning landscapes needing little supplemental irrigation and fuss. I will treasure this book forever, and have already bought copies to give to friends across the country and abroad. Viva Waterwise Gardening! Long live Plant Select!

Durable Plants for the Garden features "Plant Select" trees, shrubs, perennials, ground covers, etc. tested & evaluated for conditions along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. If you live near the Denver metro area or the foothills this is a must have book. The illustrations, diagrams, and detailed information on each plant is like none other. Take this book with you to plant sales, design your gardens with the facts from this book, read for pleasure, or just support the folks at CSU & Denver Botanic Gardens who developed the ideas and put the book together. Finally, a book for our area!

This book is absolutely perfect for someone like me who is a beginner gardener. There is so much useful information and it is presented in a very easy to follow way. Great pictures and descriptions help me tremendously when trying to identify and learn these awesome plants. Thanks for putting together the "Gardening for Dummies" book for me. It is a life-saver!!!

As a budding permaculturist in Denver, I really got excited when I found this book because it focused on plants good for my area. The plants highlighted in this book are wonderful for Xeriscape. My only criticism is I wish they would have highlighted which plants have edible elements in an easier way. For instance, a chart in the index the highlighted the edible elements of all of the plants included would have been ideal for my needs. I'd like to know quickly which plants have edible roots, leaves or flowers without having to read the entire book. Another idea is to create symbols for each plant- low water, medium water, high water, partial shade, full sun, wind exposure, edible, etc etc.

Durable Plants for the Garden is a superior resource for anyone interested in xeriscape gardening. It focuses on Colorado and high plains environments, but the suggestions are transferrable to any similar area. Great photos, clear explanations and unusual plants make this a must-have book for the xeriscape gardener.

"Plant Select" is a category for hardy ornamentals devised by the Denver Botanic Garden and Colorado State University to give gardeners in the High Plains and Rocky Moutains suggestions for durable and delightful plants which will grow in tough climate conditions. Full color photographs, reasons for each plant's selection, as well as bloom times, disadvantages, and special characteristics are given. It is helpful to know what is best and worst about each plant.

This guide is exactly what I needed. I recently moved to Colorado from Wisconsin where my garden was very different from what I should be doing here. This guide is helping me select plants and plan a Colorado garden that will be easy to care for and look great. Research backed and illustrated, this is a definiitive guide and a best choice for growing plants in Colorado gardens.Durable Plants for the Garden

A handy reference guide recommended in the Colorado Country Life magazine for well adapted plants to Colorado climates---we live at 7400 feet and I enjoy native plants that will survive year to year.

Great book with a lot of information for planting and caring for plants that with do well in Colorado, without a lot of extra water.

I have found better books on this subject with more information than this book. I would not buy this book again