Customer Reviews

Lilacs: A Gardener's Encyclopedia

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As the title states - it is an Encyclopedia. Within its pages you will find all that is possible to know about lilacs to publishing date. You will find therein, answers to any lilac question. If your answer is not there it is probably unknowable - lost in the mists of time - but that too is explained. There is an impressive 15 page(2 columns per page) list of "Literature Citations" at the end of the book. Freek Vrugtman has meticulously researched and verified all information and he gives us a most satisfying, complete, comprehensive story of lilacs.

Vrugtman revised John L. Fiala's book "Lilacs The Genus Syringa" published in 1988, and added to it the subsequent 20 years of development and progress of the lilac world which spans the globe in temperate climates. He has written in a very readable formal style and treated professionally all information pertaining to lilacs. Fiala himself would be proud to see how his own accomplishments in the first version provided the basis for this excellent new book.

Who could possibly know lilacs better than Vrugtman? He has been the 'International Lilac Registrar' since 1975. Since that time he has worked on the growing 'International Register and Checklist of Cultivar Names in the Genus Syringa'. He presently enjoys Curator Emeritus status. He was curator of two important gardens in Canada,the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario (home to the world-renowned Katie Osborne Lilac Garden) and the Botanical Garden at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver BC. He served on editorial committees for the 'International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants' and he was awarded in 2002 the ISHS Medal by the 'International Society for Horticulture Science'. His vast knowledge and experience are shared in this book.

This volume will be treasured by anyone who enjoys lilacs and gardens. The five hundred plus tantilizing color photographs add enormously to the reader's enjoyment and/or perhaps torment as the images create a longing for the fragrance of lilacs.

Ten years of in depth research for the updating of the "Lilac Bible". Chapters of knowledge for the novice and scientist alike. The photographs are divine, and many more have been included in this edition. I could not put this book down, and I was invigorated to put to work what I read and learned from this very dear book. So many different varieties of lilacs available now to the public, by reputable nursery owners, via mail order or at the annual International Lilac Society Convention Auction! Visit their web site at www.InternationalLilacSociety.org
The jacket cover of this delightful book brings back memories of hidden childhood pleasures spent exploring soft green hiding spots under the lilac shrubs, exuding their sweet and inviting nectar. This book is a must read for all lilac fans, and I would buy two copies, one for personal use, the second for all of your garden friends who will want to borrow it. Happy lilac trails.

Lilacs are my favorite flower. This is the only book I've been able to find that covers the growing, care and selection of lilacs as well as the history. The photos are fabulous .

Indispensable for the lilac collector, grower, retailer, or garden club. Photos of darn near every variety known to man....the photos are worth the cost of the book, and the history & genealogy of every lilac is useful for those of us in the growing business.

My only criticism is the photos are so often taken in bright sunlight, rather than in overcast conditions. Harsh light makes it difficult to appreciate the subtle difference in hue of, say, 'Monge' and 'Pocahontas' lilacs. And if you've dealt with a president emeritus of the local garden club, you know how important that is!