Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest: Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged [Paperback]

Arthur R. Kruckeberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996

"Few parts of America have as many native plants that excel in the garden as the Pacific Northwest. But until this year, there wasn't a comprehensive book on the subject. Now there is: Gardening With Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest...The main body of the book is divided into encyclopedic sections on trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials, including information about where they grow in the wild, how to propagate them, and how they fit into home gardens...This book contains so much well-organized, well-written material that it should become a standard guidebook for anyuone who gardens with Northwest natives." -Sunset

"All in all, this is a fascinating book, full of reliable information." -The Garden Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society

"Professor Kruckeberg is a botanist at the University of Washington who has specialized in the flora of the Pacific Northwest for over thirty years. This summary of his experience, with plants in the wild and in gardens, will be referred to with pleasure for years, not only for the value of its information but also for the easy style and quiet humor of its presentation." -Pacific Horticulture

"Arthur Kruckenberg has provided his attractive, literate, and useful book just as the native-plant movement is gathering great momentum. As he writes, 'The largely untapped potential of gardening with Northwest natives needs to become a way of life for those who look to the plant for beauty and serenity.' That goes for anywhere." -Horticulture

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: University of Washington Press; 2 Rev Sub edition (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295974761
• ISBN-13: 978-0295974767
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #689,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for Northwest gardeners, August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest: Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Paperback)

If you want to identify native plants, get an Audubon guide. If you want to grow them, get this book. It discusses cultivation methods; soils and other environmental factors; where in the region specific plants will live; where to find (and where NOT to get) plants, seeds, and cuttings; what sorts of insects and diseases harm our native plants; etc. Good reference for any Northwest gardener from Oregon through BC, whether you're east or west of the Cascades. Some historical uses for specific plants (culinary, medicinal, etc.) are also briefly given. The book's real drawbacks are its lack of color pictures (there are very few), and its sometimes slightly erroneous descriptions. I suggest coupling this book on growing native plants with a good Audubon guide if you're trying to identify what plants are growing wild on your land.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehesive reference on NW gardening, June 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest: Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Paperback)

Of the books I own on NW native plant gardening, this book is my most often referenced. It is full of detailed information about a vast array of NW native plants. Dr. Kruckeberg's enthusiasm for the propogation and stewardship of NW natives shines throughout the book. However, this is not a book about landscaping or effective planting combinations; it is a scholarly work that may be useful to a homeowner interested in native plants and their care, or to the professional landscaper in need of detailed reference information. I am impressed by the breadth of the author's knowledge.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference book, October 23, 2004

By 

Ron "[e-mail]" (Whidbey Island, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest: Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Paperback)

This is a "must-have" for anyone interested in PNW native plants. (As is Pojar & McKinnon's book, which is more like an encyclopedia with colored photos). The author knows his stuff -- the only frustration is that he sometimes sings the praises of plants that are extremely difficult to find in the nursery trade (except maybe at his wife's own nursery.)