The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists [Paperback]

Ray McNeilan (Author), Jan McNeilan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists is the definitive gardening guide for gardeners in this area. Included are such interesting lists as: annuals that attract beneficial insects, perennials for autumn color, hostas for full sun, annuals for dry shade, trees with weeping character, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dozens of plant lists citing a ppropriate choices with regard to all sorts of requirements, from the obvious (such as low-maintenance) to the esoteric (such as groundcovers for cracks and crevices). The books' authors also include ideas and suggestions on a vast range of topics from regional horticultural experts. Gardeners can never have too many plants. A list-lover's dream come true. (Hortideas )

Dozens of plant lists citing a ppropriate choices with regard to all sorts of requirements, from the obvious (such as low-maintenance) to the esoteric (such as groundcovers for cracks and crevices). The books' authors also include ideas and suggestions on a vast range of topics from regional horticultural experts. Gardeners can never have too many plants. A list-lover's dream come true. (Hortideas )

The format lends itself to quick problem-solving including what to plant in a difficult site, what to plant for winter interest, shrubs with berries or hostas that tolerate sun. The book is laced with quotes from local experts and avid amateur gardeners. (The Oregonian )

This is a must for local gardeners to add to their gardening library. (Garden Showcase )

...[this book's] basic premise is to share information on what works and what doesn't. Well-organized and handy. (The Redmond Spokesman )

...a wonderful resource book for Northwest gardeners. When you purchase the book, be sure to purchase two highlighter pens. You will run out of ink on the first pen about half-way through. (Liz Douville Bend Bulletin )

People love lists. They love the conciseness, the choices inherent in them, the straightforwardness. Now in one little book, you get more than 200 lists to answer almost any plant question you can come up with. This is definitely one book to put on your must-have list. (Oregonian )

Do we really need more lists? Yes, when they are as useful as those in The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists. (Valerie Easton Seattle Times/Post Intelligencer )

Do we really need more lists? Yes, when they are as useful as those in The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists. (Valerie Easton Seattle Times/Post Intelligencer )

The nifty book delivers just what its title promises: lots of lists that make gardening easier for folks who are lucky enough to live in the Pacific Northwest. (Nmpro Magazine )

Beginning gardeners, those new to the Northwest or anyone who likes seeing a range of options should check out this book. (Stefanie Knowlton, Statesman Journal )

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878339566
• ISBN-13: 978-0878339563
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's what to plant in each area of your NW Garden, July 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists (Paperback)

This book will make you an instant plant guru! Anyone who's ever needed a plant to fill a particualr spot in their garden and wished for a reliable source will love The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists. The authors have divided the plant kingdom up by its major forms - i.e., trees, shrubs, annuals, etc - with a couple sections devoted to special groups such as roses and rhododendrons. Each section is comprised of plant lists for various conditions - for shade, dry shade, hot sun, evergreen foliage, all-year interest, etc. Both common and botanical names are listed in most cases, making this book appealing to both new and experienced plantspeople. And it's well-indexed for easy cross-referencing. Each section is also peppered with sidebars from various experts from the local horticultural community. Their comments usually expand on the topic of the nearest list and provide a fresh, first-hand perspective. The only thing this book doesn't provide is pictures an! d plant descriptions. When I sit down to down to do research with The Book of Lists, I typically grab my Encyclopedia of Garden Plants to provide more information. Add a cup of coffee and a window looking out on my yard and I'm content for hours!

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for the serious gardener., April 25, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Snohomish, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists (Paperback)

Consult this book before you start your projects. As a master gardener it has been invaluable answering questions from the public. What species of tree can I plant in a wet land? What shrub can handle dark shade? Over 200 lists answering this type of question. Geared for the Puget Sound.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars mixed feelings, May 31, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists (Paperback)

In one sense, this book is great. If you want a list of plants that fit one certain criteria, just look for that list. The book is fairly easy to use in this sense, and that's why I gave it three stars; it seems like the authors spent a lot of time thinking about how to organize this book so you could find the list you were after.

The problem is that no one picks a plant based upon one single criteria. One could page back and forth to see which lists contain which plants, but that seems rather more complicated than simply reading the complete descriptions in your copy of Sunset's Western Garden Book.

Of course, you need to narrow your focus before diving into the Sunset book. And there is the dilemma. This book answers that dilemma, sort of. It offers a first step, a way to begin the process of elimination. But you'll drop this book immediately upon narrowing your focus. If, say, you're looking at the 13 trees in the "trees with fragrant blossoms" list and then proceed to the Sunset book to read complete descriptions of each tree you'll discover that one of the trees in the "fragrant blossoms" list (Southern Magnolia) is difficult or impossible to grow things underneath. You could also find this out by looking up "trees that are impossible to grow things underneath" in the Book of Lists, but you wouldn't know to do this without having already looked in the Sunset book. Confused yet?

Basically, this book offers one way to narrow the focus a little before you begin investigating specific plants. That's worth something, I guess. However, if you are expecting that you will be able to use this book to determine the right plant for a situation, it won't work for that.