Customer Reviews

The Natural Shade Garden

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE NATURAL SHADE GARDENER by Ken Druse is a beautiful book even if the photos are slightly "touched up." I have to laugh at the oxymoronic title, however. There is nothing natural about shade gardening, and this is not the WILD GARDEN William Robinson wrote about where drifts of plants are allowed to form naturally. I can tell from Druse's photos someone has been working very hard. Nature's version of vegetation in shade is quite different. Plants in nature tend to run to riot. If you don't think so, take a walk in the "real" woods. In nature, the toughest plant wins.

For example, Druse says English Ivy is a good ground cover in shade. Well, it is. English Ivy will grow in shade---and grow and grow and grow. Recently, a group of local volunteers in our area pulled English Ivy from the trees in a local nature preserve. The stuff kills. Another vine Druse recommends without a warning is Porcelain-berry which is becoming a major problem in along the east coast. Are you old enough to remember the introduction of the new wonder vine Kudzu??

On the other hand, Druse says Tradescantia, a native of Virginia brought to England where it was hybridized at Kew Gardens is a pest. Well, it is a prolific plant if you reintroduce it in a Zone 7 garden, but it can be controlled without a great deal of effort, unlike Lysimachia clethroides (White Gooseneck Loosestrife) which Druse recommends without warning that it will take over if you invite it into your garden. Allen Lacey and other garden writers have ID'd Gooseneck Loosestrife as a "thug in the garden" and I can tell you from personal experience they are absolutely correct (of course I had to find out for myself!!).

I tend to agree with the reviewer from Maplewood NJ below who says THE NATURAL SHADE GARDEN by Ken Druse is not for the beginner. This book is for advanced gardeners who can "take what they need and leave the rest." Shade gardening is something you take up after you've mastered other less complicated types of gardening. Of course, if you're stuck with shade you'll have to start somewhere.

I have been using George Shenk's book THE COMPLETE SHADE GARDENER for years. It's not as colorful, and contains those annotated lists of plants which some do not like, however, Shenk's plant classifications are not exhaustive so you won't be overwhelmed, and the trees, shrubs, etc. are classified by their behavior--i.e. what will work in which circumstances. Like many gardeners I once planted a Maple tree in my yard. Shenk's book contains a listing of shade trees and from it I discovered Maple trees are shallow rooted and not at all friendly toward other plants. I also discovered the Black Walnut can be a killer. In the nick of time had the Maple tree removed and planted a Persian Walnut instead. I've been able to grow Crepe Myrtles, Viburnums, Nandina, and a host of other plants under the Walnut, though I sometimes have to water in August. Some of us don't want to end our gardening experience in order to have a shady patio in July.

Druse's photographs alone would justify the purchase of this book. It's a feast for the eyes, and inspired me to aim for something truly artistic as I begin designing my own shade garden. For those of us who have both shade and a woodland setting, there is a useful chapter specific to woodland gardening, although it doesn't substitute for a full book on the topic. Occasionally it was difficult to determine which plant was which in a photo showing many plants, although Druse makes a huge effort to label all photos in detail. It was also a bit daunting to extract the key information from each chapter, as the text tends to present long discussions of numerous plants in succession. Taking notes is imperative. While the book is necessarily written for readers across the nation, and perhaps has a slight bias towards the northeast or wet climates, I was able to take plants I liked and cross-reference them in more detail with the Western Garden Book, thus locating more appropriate varieties for California.

If you like pretty pictures, then this book is for you. I bought it in conjunction with "The Complete Shade Gardener", which is black and white, to be a sort of color companion. The section of the book titled Plants and Plantings goes through the author's favorite plants for shade (which very well may be all of them) and gives a text description that does very little to give you any real understanding of the plant-not what it looks like, or how to grow it. Perhaps worst of all, the pictures in this section don't seem to correspond to the text of what the author is describing at all, so you are forced to thumb ahead or behind to see a picture of the plant the author is talking about at the time. This makes it very hard to read as you are always thumbing through the pages to find a picture of the flower the author is talking about.

The first 60 pages deal with inspiration and design, and are much easier to understand, as well as being laid out better than the next 100. The last part of the book, which presents individual garden examples also seems to be better organized and well written, although I haven't read it through yet.

Since about 2/5 of this book was enjoyable, I am giving it 2 stars. The middle section has all the monotony of a plant encyclopedia with half the information, and none of the organization. The strengths of the book stand out as the beautifully photographed plates, and the pleasant tone of the author, which still manages to be witty and friendly even during the monotonous middle section.

There are two reasons to buy this book:

First, it's a great guide, reference and philoshophical perspective on how to garden successfully in the shade. Having gardened in the sun, I was frustrated with the dense shade on the lot around our home. I love trees, but I missed the sun! This book opened my eyes to a way of looking at shade and gardening successfully with it.

Second, this is one of the most beautiful books I've ever owned. Ken Druce's photography and the book's production quality is top of the line. Even if you don't have shade, if you enjoy books on gardening, this is one to add to your collection.

This is one of the 5 best gardening books I have owned. Ken Druse is truly a great plantsman and the photography in this book is the best of any gardening books you will ever find. One of the best things about his books are the combinations of plant types displaying the creative use of form, texture and color as well as seasonal variations to develop the most attractive gardens and spaces. Utilizing cultured and natural plant selections can yield variety as well as that appearance of mother nature doing an extra special job. Don't hesitate to buy any of his books, but this is probably the best. See also Bold Romantic Gardens by Jim Van Sweden and Wolfgang Oehme.

This is my second copy of this beautiful book. A friend "borrowed" the first one and never returned it! But I can't blame her because this book is a delight to the eye and a treasure trove of ideas for the shady yard. I must say that I do not have a green thumb, but my once lackluster yard now supports a huge assortment of hosta in every shade of green. You have to love a plant that flourishes in shade, comes up every year with very little care and doubles its size! The photos in this book are beautiful and will make you want to try and recreate the vistas. A wonderful book for the gardener or the lover of beautiful books.

I bought this book 1.because everything Ken Druse writes is top-notch, and 2. because my yard is -and is becoming more- shady. What a cornucopia of ideas, wisdom, helpful hints and fabulously beautiful and inspiring photos. It has become a much used reference in my library, as well as just being so delightful to look through. As a Master Gardener and garden writer in a metropolitan area I get lots of questions about what can be grown in shade and half-shade areas; this book never lets me down for ideas, and I feel comfortable recommending it to both beginner and long time gardeners. The only thing I wish it was heavier on is native plants.

This is a book that makes you create shade so you can grow the plants described. This book contains species not usually included in other books. I cannot say enough about this book to describe the enjoyment it has given me over the two years I have had it. I live in Québec, my property has around 40 large pine trees, and about the same number of beech trees. Shade is all I have to grow things in, some of it very dense. This book helped me make good decisions on what to plant.

I read and re-read this book constantly. It not only helped me make my garden beautiful, but I dream over the pictures all winter and my garden is alive while everything outdoors is sleeping. This is my favorite book of all time.

What a beautiful book jammed with pictures that actually make you long for more shady areas. I'm re-doing my whole back yard by replacing the unnatural grass (that doesn't grow there anyway) with the beauty of shade plants. The pictures alone make this a great book for your collection. It gives you tons of ideas for those shady areas that you may have lost hope for.