Midwest Gardens [Hardcover]

Pamela Wolfe (Author), Gary Irving (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1991

Gardener and teacher Pamela Wolfe and award-winning photographer Gary Irving collaborate to create an informative guide on how to create fantastic gardens in the Midwest.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An exceptionally fine collaboration between gardener and teacher Wolfe and award-winning photographer Irving, Midwesterners both, this "inspiration" and "practical guide" showcases 22 outstanding gardens from the Upper Midwest. And though the Midwest is often considered too harsh climatically to yield gardens in the grand English style, Wolfe and Irving convincingly claim otherwise. Under the tutelage of such gardeners as Thomas and Helene James, for example, poetic borders of old shrub roses and European perennials can flourish in Wilmette, Ill.; in White Bear, Minn., Betty Matthew's collection of miniature roses and delphiniums thrives. Other gardens in this eclectic anthology bypass the perennial border, ranging from Russell O'Harra'ssic baroque displays of hostas to Polly Rabion's ambitious garden designed for handicapped visitors to Pat Armstrong's restoration of native Illinois prairie, in which she uses the traditional annual burn as a method of controlling weeds. Irving's photographs focus on color, texture, and small-scale patterns as they intimately detail the gardens, while Wolfe's text homes in on the creative strategies behind them.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This selection of 22 private gardens from six states shows that despite clay soils, sub-zero winters, and steamy summers, the Midwest is home to some truly inspirational and personal landscapes. More than 170 color photographs by nature photographer Irving document this eclectic tour of urban, suburban, and rural properties. Midwestern native Wolfe integrates plant information with interviews and quotes from the gardeners themselves and sidebars offering gardening tips inspired and suggested by each garden visited. Similar in feel and presentation to Peter Loewer's American Gardens (S. & S., 1988), this book is recommended for Midwestern libraries and for other libraries where interest in garden photography and private gardens is high.
-Virginia A. Henrichs, Chicago Botanic Garden Lib., Glencoe, Ill.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press; First Edition edition (November 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556521383
• ISBN-13: 978-1556521386
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,264,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of practical, common sense advice., August 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Midwest Gardens (Hardcover)

This book shows off various gardens in the midwest. The text accompanying the beautiful photos has practical advice from each gardener as well the author. The writing is an easy-to-read style and the views and experiences shared by each gardener is like visiting each garden in person. I think it's the truest and most honest book I've ever read dealing with starting and maintaining a flower garden. An extremely valuable book to have around if you live in the midwest area.