This book is quite excellent, and far more than a travelogue or fashion shoot. In fact, it is more than one book, but rather three very different books: First, an autobiographical sketch on how an only child in France who liked tropical fish became an accomplished botanist and subsequently an innovator in garden design. If you are inclined to listen the story is well-told and interesting. Second is a well-illustrated work of popular botany, on the subject of plants all over the world that tolerate or prefer a vertical life, on cliffs, banks, boulders, buildings, and many other places. (As an aside, I appreciated that Prof. Blanc was clear-eyed about the topic of climate change, and appreciated the complexity of the matter.) Not all of the photographs in this section are stellar, but it is often clear that Blanc was at the moment covered in sweat and perched rather uncomfortably in a place that few people go. (There are too many photos of Blanc himself as well. He is, incidentally, odd-looking.) Third, the book is a catalog of the vertical gardens Blanc has designed, mainly in France but in places as varied as New York and Bangkok as well. As another reviewer noted, the photos here are over-saturated in places, but still very good. I wanted more of them, from more angles, and especially in more seasons. There is a general description of the structures Blanc uses, from the PVC, the structure it is attached to, and the two layers of synthetic felt (he uses polyamide = nylon) with horizontal cuts in the top layer with staples around the soil. There are photos of the works in progress. Note that his plants are fed by an automated system that looks very expensive; home gardeners will need to design something simpler for themselves that drips from above. Garden forums that discuss hydroponics provide information on feeding inexpensively; people say that a supplier of fertilizer for golf courses should carry economical mixes that will dissolve and be available to plants. There is nowhere a list of plants appropriate for different heat and cold zones, though on several pages miniaturized, handwritten "plans" for some of the gardens are reproduced. Professor Blanc's handwriting is not the best, but I became used to it and was able to decipher a good deal of the species and cultivars listed, many of which repeat themselves. As the gardens range from Thailand to Belgium, many climates are represented, though the only North American garden is indoors, on Manhattan's East Side. As you can imagine, many of the plants that will survive a Paris winter (and certainly in the tropics) will not handle North American weather. Following are plants seemingly appropriate for my USDA Zone 6b/Sunset 34 that I either deciphered from his plans (most) or inferred may be suitable, due to similarity or my research (Note that I have not tried them yet, but hope to in the next few years):
Ferns:
Asplenium scolopendrium `Angustifolia', Asplenium trichomanes, Dryopteris marginalis, Athyrium nipponicum `Pictum', Polystichum acrostichoides, Polystichum tsus-simense, Adiantum pedatum, Adiantum venustum
Small shrubs, woody creepers:
Vaccinium angustifolium, Nepeta `Walkers Low', Jasminum nudiflorum, Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, Teucrium chamaedrys `prostratum', Gaultheria procumbens, Mitchella repens
Sedum:
Sedum lineare `Variegatum', S. acre `Aureum,' `Majus,' `Minima', S. anglicum, S. rupestre `Angelina' (a/k/a S. reflexum), S. dasyphyllum, S. divergens, S. hispanicum, S. oreganum, S. sexangulare, S. album `Coral carpet', S. spectabile, S. `Vera Jameson', S. hybrids, e.g., x `Morchen,' `Atropurpurea,' `Indian Chief,' `Hot Stuff'
Strappy foliage:
Carex morrowii `variegata', Iris tectorum, Iris cristata, Liriope muscari `variegata'
Various flowering perennials:
Bletilla striata, Cerastium tomentosum `aureum', Gypsophila bodgeri `Pink Veil', Gypsophila repens, Vinca minor
Useful for leaf color:
Ajuga reptans, Lysimachia nummularia `Aurea', Sagina subulata `Irish' (darker green), Sagina s. `Scotch'/ `Aurea' (more gold color).
