Landscaping with Herbs [Hardcover]

James Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1987

Although the focus is on herbs as ornamentals in a variety of garden settings, from formal to wild, this is an encyclopedia of herbs, including more than 600 species and cultivars. It offers information on cultivation, folklore and history, and culinary uses.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

We think of herbs as food, or as medicine, but we don't often think of them as aesthetic objects. Gardeners are taught to grow herbs for a reason--these are plants that should be harvested. The author of Landscaping with Herbs, James Adams, aims to show readers how to appreciate herbs as decorative plants. He wants to illuminate their hidden potential, their "other half." Because herbs are so integral to our lives, Adams believes they should be more integral to the garden, sharing in a gardener's landscaping fantasy as much as tulips or magnolia trees.

This coffee-table book is mostly text, with a few scattered photographs, and the prose is a dense mixture of ideas. A chemist by trade, Adams has a complex mind, even going so far as to classify "the volatiles that we perceive as odors released by both flowers and foliage." One highlight: a section on the many ways to landscape a fragrant herbal garden, scattering jasmine and rosemary so that each garden room is flooded by a distinct natural perfume. --Emily White --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

Written in a lively way with an abundant treasure of useful information makes "Landscaping with Herbs" handy as an herbal reference book. This is one of the best and most useful herb books published lately. -- Joanne S. Carpender "National Gardener" (01/23/2002) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated (May 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881920738
• ISBN-13: 978-0881920734
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,051,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Herbs Aren't Just for Cooking Anymore!, January 18, 2002

By 

V.J. Billings - See all my reviews

This review is from: Landscaping with Herbs (Paperback)

This is an idea book. A book that every time it's read another point of interest is noted. Mr. Adams really loves his herbs and wants to make a successful herb gardener out of each of us. More than that, though, he wants us to expand the way we think of herbs to include common culinary herbs in our landscape.

There are six major chapters that include; creating a Fragrant Garden, a Formal Garden for Beauty, a Beneficial Formal Garden, an Informal Landscape, a Contemporary Landscape, and a Wild Landscape.

Much appreciated is how each chapter introduces the reader to a myriad of herbs including specific named varieties of well known herbs. For instance, instead of just Thyme, many different Thymes are mentioned and discussed and often a photograph of that plant is included. Also, in each chapter are plans for using the herbs and several color photos of the herbs actually being used in the landscape. This realistic view of the plants is a big help when choosing plants for the landscape.

There are also useful, fun tidbits on many other aspects of using herbs including information on Topiary Training, Knot Gardens and Kitchen Gardens. There are recipes too, like Meatballs with Lovage, Oregano, Savory and Basil, that make use of the herbs we grow.

A handy chart at the back of the book lists each plant and many of its physical characteristics such as zone and bloom season. There is also a use chart which lists the landscape use and herbal use of each plant.

It is easy to see why this book was honored by the American Horticultural Society as a Great American Gardening Book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Herbs are Special, January 10, 2002

By 

Cindy Jones (http://www.sagescript.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Landscaping with Herbs (Paperback)

More and more people are realizing that herbs are special. In the garden they not only provide texture and fragrance, but they are also waterwise. This previously published book, now in paperback, provides the reader with information on more than 600 species and cultivars of herbs. John Adams explains how to use these herbs in a variety of garden types both formal and informal. Through this book I was introduced to new thyme species and prompted to plant a thyme garden.