Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate [Paperback]

Gwen Moore Kelaidis (Author), Saxon Holt (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2008

From agaves to ice plants, from sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulent plants bring beauty, versatility, and intrigue to perennial gardens in every hardiness zone. No longer reserved for desert climates, succulents can offer extraordinary color, texture, durability, and ease of care to gardens everywhere. Hardy Succulents gives gardeners everything they need to know to select, grow, and maintain these dazzling, low-fuss plants. With step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, creative ideas for use, and stunning photographs from acclaimed garden photographer Saxon Holt, this book is both beautiful and practical — one that will appeal to novices and experienced gardeners alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I LOVE this gorgeous, inspiring, info-packed book for gardening in the Age of Climate Change and highly recommend it. “

GardenRant.com

 

“[Kelaidis] writes an accessible descriptive primer with tips on selecting plants, pots and garden sites; and designing your container or in-ground succulent garden.”

The Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)

 

“Kelaidis…certainly knows her stuff and brings a fine introduction to these diverse plants to print.”

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

From the Inside Flap

From agaves to ice plants, sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulents bring beauty, versatility, and intrigue to gardens in every hardiness zone. They are also hardworking, tenacious, and forgiving of the forgetful gardener. Discover the pleasures of succulent gardening with the thoughtful selection advice, step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, and useful design ideas collected in Hardy Succulents, the only book dedicated to establishing the low-fuss succulent far beyond its traditional desert setting.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (February 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158017700X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580177009
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Cacti & Succulents

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beauty without all the watering, January 25, 2009

By 

E. Thurston "E. Thurston" (Fort Collins, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate (Paperback)

This book takes cacti and succulents away from the stigma of ugly pointy things you stick in the middle of too many rocks and expertly tells you how to work with them.The author does this in a straight-forward manner.After several years work transforming my bare yard with perennials that were not nearly as xeric as claimed I've become obsessed with the beauty of the blooms and low upkeep of cacti and succulents.The use of pots for the plants has given me many creative ideas with little effort.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good photos of succulent plants, May 27, 2009

By 

B. Woo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate (Paperback)

This book was not as informative about the care of succulents but lots of nice photos with names of plants.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very special beauty and versatility, May 9, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate (Paperback)

Cacti and other succulents plants once thought isolated to dessert conditions can now be found in every horticultural zone bringing a very special beauty and versatility to even the most novice of gardener's efforts. "Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants For Every Climate" by Gwenn Moore Kelaidis (one of the foremost experts on Rock gardening, co-owner of the mail-order nursery Rocky Mountain Rare Plants, and who also operates a Denver-based garden design and installation company) is a beautifully illustrated instructional guide that is replete with step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, creative ideas and resources for the inclusion of these easy-to-grow plants within the context of virtually any garden design be it urban, suburban, or rural. Whether as ground covers, container plants, embedded with perennials, or used in emulation of shrubs, "Hardy Succulents" covers all these areas, as well as providing practical information that includes Reference Maps; a Glossary, Resources, and an Index. "Hardy Succulents" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and prized addition to any personal, professional, or community library Gardening & Horticultural reference collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch