Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos (Timber Press Pocket Guides) [Paperback]

Ted Jordan Meredith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Timber Press Pocket Guides | Publication Date: August 19, 2009

There are around 1400 species of bamboo spread throughout the world's temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions. They grow from sea level to high mountainous regions and can be successfully grown in a range of climates, from coastal California to Minnesota, New England, the British Isles, and continental Europe. Versatile bamboos are both ornamental -- they have striking foliage and come in variety of colors and patterns -- and practical for providing screening and privacy and controlling erosion. They also play an important role in modern society: As a rapidly renewable resource, bamboos are an environmentally conscious solution for homes, gardens, construction, and manufacturing.

The Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos covers 35 genera of bamboos in cultivation and describes more than 300 species and cultivars. Each entry includes the plant's maximum height, maximum culm diameter, light requirements, and minimum temperature tolerated. Includes 300 color photographs for easy identification. Packed with all the authority of an encyclopedia in a pocket-size format, the Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos is a perfect reference for taking to the nursery or garden center.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Some bamboos make great screening, some are useful for erosion control, others are just nice to look at.  Ted Jordan Meredith introduces us to the gamut." (Akron Beacon Journal )

"[There are] plenty of superbly photographed bamboos to savor, and Meredith's expertise and enthusiasm shine in his ability to identify a defining characteristic in each, however similar it might look to another at first glance." (BBC Gardens Illustrated )

"Ted Jordan Meredith's new book is stunning—which is not surprising because Timber Press does an outstanding job with color photos and Meredith with his knowledge and precise language." (Bamboo Magazine )

"Why this book? Because bamboos are excellent plants for erosion control."

(North Shore News )

About the Author

Ted Jordan Meredith has written books on viticulture, enology, wine appreciation, garlic, and bamboo. His Bamboo for Gardens (Timber Press 2001) was awarded the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Literature Award and The New York Times Editor's Choice for Best Books for Gardening, and his The Complete Book of Garlic: A Guide for Gardeners, Growers, and Serious Cooks (Timber Press 2008) has become the standard reference for garlic enthusiasts.

When a housing development suddenly took away his privacy, Ted became interested in bamboo as a beautiful, rapidly growing, evergreen screen. He quickly became captivated by bamboo in all of its aspects and began to grow, research, and write about bamboo.

A native of Montana, Ted recalls the daring use of fresh garlic in the family kitchen. In later years, as his interest in cooking grew, Ted enthusiastically incorporated garlic into much of his cuisine but initially regarded garlic as a supermarket commodity with little distinction. It was at a farmer's market that he purchased a few heads of a Rocambole garlic, 'Spanish Roja'. Ted realized then that all garlic was not the same, and he never looked back, voraciously exploring a new-found world of hundreds of cultivars in nearly a dozen different horticultural groups.

Ted and his wife garden and grow bamboo at their home in Washington state. In addition to writing and photography, Ted enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and music.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (August 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881929360
• ISBN-13: 978-0881929362
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ted Jordan Meredith has written books on viticulture, enology, wine appreciation, garlic, and bamboo. His "Bamboo for Gardens" (Timber Press 2001) was awarded the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Literature Award and The New York Times Editor's Choice for Best Books for Gardening, and his "The Complete Book of Garlic: A Guide for Gardeners, Growers, and Serious Cooks" (Timber Press 2008) has become the standard reference for garlic enthusiasts. His newest book, "Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos" is a Timber Press best seller.

When a housing development suddenly took away his privacy, Ted became interested in bamboo as a beautiful, rapidly growing, evergreen screen. He quickly became captivated by bamboo in all of its aspects and began to grow, research, and write about bamboo, a diverse plant of some 1400 species that grows in a range from the tropics to above the arctic circle.

A native of Montana, Ted recalls the daring use of fresh garlic in the family kitchen. In later years, as his interest in cooking grew, Ted enthusiastically incorporated garlic into much of his cuisine but initially regarded garlic as a supermarket commodity with little distinction. It was at a farmer's market that he purchased a few heads of a Rocambole garlic, 'Spanish Roja'. Ted realized then that all garlic was not the same, and he never looked back, voraciously exploring a new-found world of hundreds of cultivars in nearly a dozen different horticultural groups.

With his focus on bamboo and garlic, Ted seems to specialize in highly beneficial plants that also carry something of a social stigma. A plant of great beauty, bamboo also plays a major role in landscaping, privacy screens, and the green sustainability movement, but it has a reputation for running where you do not want it. In his bamboo books, Ted shows that once you understand bamboo's growth habits, simple methods will keep it where you want it. Garlic is integral to most of the world's great cuisines and garlic offers a broad spectrum of health benefits, but it can also generate strong and distinctive breath, particularly noticeable by those who do not consume garlic. For this Ted offers the helpful advice that is a mantra among garlic enthusiasts: "If your friends object to your garlic breath, get new friends."

Ted and his wife garden and grow bamboo at their home in Washington state. In addition to writing and photography, Ted enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and music.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide book for the nursery!, November 1, 2009

By 

A. J. Williams "Oregonbamboo" (Beaverton, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos (Timber Press Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

This wonderful guide book has 100's of beautiful images and concise informative descriptions to many excellent tropical and temperate garden bamboos available today. It will help you decide which bamboos will grow and thrive in your garden zone and where to find them at the local bamboo nursery or through mail order. The pocket guide is for the average gardener who may not have grown bamboo before and for the collector who can't get enough. The author has listed several species very new and rare to cultivation along with the more readily available common types. The guide is a "must have" for anyone who loves bamboo and has an interest in trying to grow this amazing and ancient plant. For the enthusiast an excellent companion book is the author's previous release "Bamboo for Gardens."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality book on the subject of bamboo!, November 20, 2009

By 

Matt G. Colson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos (Timber Press Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

A good book thankfully written by an American. Many of the books about bamboo are very good, but sadly written by English authors about how bamboo performs in Great Britain. That's not usually very helpful for American bamboo enthusiasts. Not many parts of the US have a similar climate to the one found in Great Britain. This book is written about bamboo performance in the US. It has pictures of bamboo taken in the US and it is very concise. I liked it a lot and found it to be very helpful!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good bamboo reference book, July 15, 2010

By 

Sirus Jones - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos (Timber Press Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

A concise and well organized reference book. Good information mainly for beginners but also useful to knowledgeable growers as well.