Hydrangeas for American Gardens [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Michael A. Dirr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2004

The sheer number of choices among Hydrangea species, hybrids, and cultivated varieties can be overwhelming even for the most advanced gardeners. How to choose from among the hundreds of mopheads, climbers, lacecaps, and oakleafs, to name just a few? And how to care for hydrangeas in American gardens, when nearly all the books offering advice about them come from England and Europe? Respected plantsman Michael A. Dirr comes to the rescue in this refreshingly forthright and practical guide to these distinctive shrubs and climbers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hydrangea is a broad and varied genus, one "difficult to compress under a small umbrella." University of Georgia horticulture professor Dirr casts a wide net to provide comprehensive information about these versatile plants. That his passion for hydrangeas "knows no bounds" is clear from this enthusiastic combination of rigorous science, concise description and seasoned advice. The first chapter, "Characteristics, Taxonomy and Nomenclature," is the most academically oriented but brief and readable enough for the home gardener. Ten well-organized and liberally illustrated chapters follow, each devoted to a single species and its subspecies, ranging from the familiar and hugely popular H.macrophylla and H. paniculata, to relative rarities boasting flower buds that remind Dirr of "purple-brown cauliflowers" and are sometimes "quite large and Martian." Chapters on care and culture, propagation, pests and diseases, potpourri, and breeding offer a wealth of practical insights equally valuable to the casual green thumb and the professional horticulturist, in every region of the country. Readers will learn the often-misunderstood chemistry behind pink/blue color shifts, how to dry and dye flower heads and where to register new cultivars. A first-rate listing of resources and nursery sources and 160 luscious color photos complete this definitive and irresistible tribute to one of America's favorite shrubs.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Mopheads and lacecaps are among the alluring types of hydrangeas that gardeners are enticed to purchase and plant, but not all hydrangeas thrive in the various U.S. climate zones. Dirr directs his authoritative voice and vast knowledge to helping the gardener understand the botany of hydrangea species, as well as the horticultural pluses and minuses of countless cultivated varieties. A bounty of color photographs documents mature climbers, shrubs with lavish foliage, and detailed views of gorgeous inflorescences, including snowballs, while the text covers a fascinating panoply of worthy specimens that embraces the rare and the commonplace. Informative yet entertaining, Dirr's descriptions warn of anemic green leaves and lack of cold hardiness or draw appreciative nods with superb frost tolerance and the frizzy effect of rose to mauve inflorescences with little white eyes. Chapters also provide information on lesser known hydrangeas, care and culture, propagation and pests, and future breeding, as Dirr's reigning expertise in the realm of trees and shrubs comes through once again. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881926418
• ISBN-13: 978-0881926415
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael A. Dirr is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. He is the author of twelve books, including Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia and the text and reference book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, and has published more than 300 scientific and popular papers and articles. His teaching, lectures, seminars, garden study tours, and plant introduction programs have contributed enormously to greater horticultural awareness. He has received the highest teaching and gardening awards from the University of Georgia, American Society of Horticultural Science, American Horticultural Society, American Nursery & Landscape Association, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Southern Nursery Association, and Garden Club of America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book for Hydrangea Lovers, December 9, 2004

By 

Katelyn Thomas "Mama On the Go editor" (Port Deposit, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hydrangeas for American Gardens (Hardcover)

Hydrangeas have been a favorite of mine ever since I moved to an old farmhouse in the middle of Baltimore City and saw an old fashioned Mop Head Hydrangea in full, glorious bloom in the back yard. The plant was probably fifty years old and incredibly big and vigorous. This one plant sparked a passion that is still going strong over twenty years later.

Hydrangeas for American Gardens by Michael Dirr is the most comprehensive book available on Hydrangeas. This is not just another pretty coffee table book. If you are interested in Hydrangeas, you will probably frequently refer to the book's in depth information on Hydrangeas.

The book gives extensive information on many of the cultivars available, but neglects to give extensive zone hardiness information. This oversight is particularly unfortunate, since the book is written for gardens here in the USA, where Texas gardens are in an extremely different climate from Maine gardens. However, the book does note some hardiness information in the descriptions of various cultivars and it also has several lists of plants that are hardy and aren't hardy below zone 7.

The book begins with the standard information that any good book on a single plant species covers. It discusses taxonomy and nomenclature. However, don't let this scientific information put you off or make you feel the book will be too difficult to read. You can always move straight to chapter two.

I was pleased to see that chapter two of the book covers the usually neglected climbing hydrangea. I have a special fondness for these quiet, lush vines. Chapters three to ten continue to discuss hydrangea species, with chapter eleven covering some less common varieties. Chapter seven, Hydrangea macrophylla, includes an excellent cultivar chart that allows you to compare cultivars of these popular hydrangeas. A wonderful bonus in this book is the lovely colored pencil drawings scattered throughout these chapters.

Chapter twelve, Garden Care and Culture, discusses the best growing conditions for these plants. The section on flower color is particularly useful for those people longing for blue flowers on their pink bushes.

If you are interested in growing your own hydrangeas, don't neglect the propagation advice in chapter thirteen. The information is simple enough for even a beginner to understand.

Chapter fourteen discusses pests and diseases, while fifteen covers a variety of additional information, such as how to cut blossoms. The final chapter covers the future of the hydrangea.

The book ends with a useful appendix of resources for anyone interested in tracking down some of the rarer cultivars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this exceptional book. It is a definitive guide for anyone interested in hydrangeas. I give Hydrangeas for American Gardens five out of five sunflowers.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best book available on Hydrangeas in the U.S., September 12, 2004

By 

J King (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hydrangeas for American Gardens (Hardcover)

I could not wait for this book to come out. It is the only book written on the cultivation of hydrangeas by a comtemporary American author (as of 2004). As the title indicates, the material in this book focuses on hydrangeas in American gardens, however, the author has visited hydrangea gardens all over Europe and Japan, and brings a world wide perspective to his subject. I think the most valuable part of this book is the extensive coverage of hydrangeas of all types, their characteristics and growth habits. It makes choosing hydrangeas for the landscape a real adventure. I noticed that the author has taken all the gorgeous photographs himself, and his wife has done the illustrations and watercolors.

The author is known for his innovative work in developing new hydrangeas for cold climates. He has also discovered some rare hydrangeas. He discusses this breeding program as well as future prospects in his last chapter. I found this fascinating.

Also included is a hardiness planting zone chart.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Contribution, June 25, 2004

By 

Jonathan M. Lehrer (NY/CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hydrangeas for American Gardens (Hardcover)

Far too often the horticulture literature consumed by American gardeners is written from a European perspective. While useful, such accounts miss the idiosyncracies endemic to gardening in the United States. For example, Hydrangea macrophylla -- the star of this book -- displays grossly different tendencies depending upon growing climate. Dirr attempts and succeeds in turning the tide with this new book. Information is dispensed in an easy-to-read, organized format that has become one of Dirr's trademarks (along with his opinionated voice, which is apparent here, as well). The author's insights gleaned from many years spent growing and observing plant material across the continent is invaluable. Perhaps most satisfying, however, is the book's presentation of the current state of the genus Hydrangea. The new horticultural forms of H. quercifolia, H. arborescens and, especially, the Japanese imports of H. macrophylla and H. serrata are all addressed in detail. While it is unfortunate more attention could not be given to EVERY cultivar (a full paragraph would have been wonderful, but length limitations are understandable), tables are presented. It is my opinion that Schizophragma and Decumaria should have been addressed here, as well. Despite these minor flaws, anyone interested in this most ornamental group of small trees, shrubs and vines will benefit from this effort.