Customer Reviews

Japanese Maples: Momiji and Kaede

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Japanese Maples (Third Edition) does contain more pages, more words, and larger type. Unfortunately, the revision author, English writer Peter Gregory, lets his biases and ego show. Instead of improving on Vertrees' work, he has rewritten large portions of the text, removing some of the data and substituting sloppy verbiage and English gardening jargon. Example: the removal of 'samara' replacing it with 'nutlet.' Why? It serves no purpose and 'samara' is the correct term, which Mr. Vertrees explained in his original work. Substituting an alphabetical listing of all Acer Palmatums for the groupings that Vertrees used makes it more difficult to find an appropriate maple for any given garden situation because you have to know the name--and who knows the names of more than 400 plants and what they look like? Many of the new cultivars that have been added are not accompanied by photos, including some of the plants Mr. Gregory describes as being oldest and most well-known. In the Growing Section, Mr. Gregory states that containerized maples require only average care. Yet further on in that section, he states that one should not leave containerized plants unattended for periods of time (such as vacations!). That doesn't sound like average care.

In my opinion, this is some of the sloppiest work I have seen in years.

Since I have owned and relied on a valued Second Edition for the past 14 years, I am returning this book.

Few books come close to this one in terms of pure useful information. If you have little experience growing Japanese Maples, this book is easy to read and understand. For the hobby arborist, Vertrees' guide is full of listings of trees to put on your wish list. Think of this as the dictionary and encyclopedia of well known cultivars. Most people have only been exposed to a single common variety of Japanese maple at their local garden center. Vertrees' guide shows that there are many different kinds of maples being grown. Their beauty can be astounding, and this book clearly demonstrates that with detailed photographs.

After looking at the pictures of the book on-line, it appeared to be a publication which was both beautifully photographed and written at an expert level - which would be helpful to the home gardener. Not so. Most of the photographs are of leaves only, not of the whole tree. This makes it less useful as an aid in deciding which varieties might fit into a particular landscape. The written descriptions alone cannot convey the variety and beauty of these trees. Very disappointing. Also, other than inadequate leaf photographs and short varietal summaries, the planting and care sections are woefully short. I have had trouble with leaf burn on my trees, and this book gave no additional insight on how to avoid it other than what I have read in other, less presuming publications. This book does not rise to the level of authority and usefulness in aspires to.

This book has comprehensive photos and information about hundreds of different types of Japanese Maples but lacks specifics regarding fertilizers, soil properties and pruning which are apparently up to the gardener/propagator. Used by many professionals as a resource of many different trees. Excellent photos and technical descriptions.

I am in the green indusrty and this book has always been the bible. I just have never owned one. But A. palmatums and their many cultivars are becoming more and more available even at the retail level. This book will identify any a. palmatum you will find at a local wholesale or retail nursery. Great photos and descriptions.

Filled with beautiful photos showing examples of hundreds of varieties of Japanese maples, this book is a treasure trove of information. This book features a plethura of information on care, maintenance, placement and characteristics of the many different Japanese maples available in an easy to understand format, that is also a pleasure to read. Vertrees manages to instill in the reader the same level of enthusiasm that he obviously fees for his subject, and, in fact, I can't wait until Spring to order some trees for my own garden!

Before you consider purchasing this book, I strongly suggest you try to find the second edition, which, while less comprehensive, is better organized. In addition, a comparison of the two finds that some of the best images in the second edition were not carried over to the third.
The worst shortcoming of both editions is the lack of images of fully grown trees. It's nice to know what the leaves look like but, if you are trying to identify a particular plant or select one for your garden, you need much more than is provided here. Of course, with the incredible number of Acer Palmatum cultivars, it is unlikely any one book can do more than scratch the surface.
Nevertheless, the second edition is the first book on Japanese Maples I would buy - as a matter of fact, I just bought one after mine wandered.

I am not sure what I was expecting when I ordered this book but I have mixed feelings about the book. For one, I think the book provides a good overview of Japanese maples. The book covers most of the major cultivars but only in small details. There are plenty of photographs; most show the leaves, which is good if you want to get an idea on what color the tree will have. There are some photographs of the whole trees, which you wish there were more because of just how beautiful they look.

Overall, the book provides a good overview and makes a good coffee table book. The cost is high and the book itself, unfortunately, has a plain cover. You will need to keep the book's paper jacket in good shape if you plan to use it as a coffee table book.

If you want a book that covers a lot of details on a specific type of tree, this is not the book; however, If you want to look at a lot of maple tree types before deciding on one, I found this book helpful for that.

Having the good fortune to own a property perfect for the cultivation of Japanese Maples, I was thrilled to find this exceptional book chock full of beautiful photos and detailed descriptions of numerous cultivars. I especially appreciate the summary pages in the back that rate the plants by color, suitability for companion plantings, dramatic effect in the garden, etc. With the web at our disposal, it is now possible to find many of the cultivars the author highlights, making for a very rewarding combination.

This has been by far the most expensive book I've ever gotten ... not because of its price, but because of the inspiration and information it's given me to become a serious collector of choice Japanese maples. I keep the book in the car so I can refer to it any time I'm in a nursery, to decide which varieties would work best for my needs and situation. I'm thrilled with the results, and have Vertrees and Gregory to thank (or blame???). This is one fabulous book.