Wildflowers Across America [Deluxe Edition] [Hardcover]

Lady Bird Johnson (Author), Carlton B. Lees (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1988

Although her love of flowers goes back to her childhood among the bluebonnets of Texas, it was during her years as First Lady that Lady Bird Johnson became a key figure in the Beautification Movement, using her dedication to the cause and her personal warmth and charm to enhance the beauty of the nation's capital and eventually the entire country with native flowers and greenery. Wildflowers became her passion, and on her 70th birthday in 1982, Mrs Johnson founded the National Wildflower Research Centre with the aim of encouraging the use of more native plants and wildflowers in American's landscaping plans. Written in association with horticulturalist Carlton Lees, this volume offers an emphatic argument for the preservation and proliferation of the natural beauty of America's native flora. The wildflowers discussed here, once established, take little maintenance, no fertilizer, no herbicide or pesticides, and are an ecologically sound and low-cost way to make roadsides, park areas, golf-course roughs, or one's own country garden, bloom and grow. The book also deals with such practical matters as establishing wildflower meadows - as well as where to get the necessary seeds.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Wildflowers Across America is a serious treatise on the status of plants native to North America. It's also a beautifully illustrated coffee-table book with hundreds of gorgeous photographs that will convince you that no fancy cultivar could match the glowing beauty of a field of lupinus texensis, more commonly known as Texas bluebonnets. Lady Bird Johnson, former first lady and the most visible proponent of indigenous botany, and well-known horticulturist Carlton B. Lees take turns describing their adventures with wildflowers, the history of plant exploration, regional plants, and the landscape beautification movement that Mrs. Johnson popularized and still vigorously supports. The lovely regional portfolio in the middle of the book is particularly interesting. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The former first lady, an eminent wildflower enthusiast, joins distinguished horticulturist Lees in promoting the protection of wildflowers and their use in public areas and private gardens. Lady Bird shares recollections of wildflowers she has loved, especially in the Southwest; the founding of the National Wildflower Research Center; and her work with highway beautification. Lees writes of native plants, their distribution, introductions now at home in America, and wildflowers in the new trend toward natural landscaping. This handsome book abounds with color photographs chosen by Les Line. There is some similarity with The Audubon Society Book of Wildflowers ( LJ 12/1/78), which Line co-authored with Walter Henricks Hodge. Recommended.Louise B. Hodges, Amherst Cty. P.L., Va.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Pr; Collectors edition (May 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896598667
• ISBN-13: 978-0896598669
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,852,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sit down wonderful reading with picture to Ahhhh over., August 28, 2007

By 

Richard C. Cooper "lrgrchrd" (LA Area, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wildflowers Across America (Hardcover)

Lady Bird Johnson't words are beautiful. Her love of nature and the cleaning up of Washington DC and the Texas highways are good reading; I could have read for hours. The pictures bring the words to life. This book is a keeper in our library for our duration.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book, August 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Wildflowers Across America (Hardcover)

This book is a keeper. It's a beautiful coffee table book. It has stunning photography of wildflowers and a very nice personal account written by Lady Bird herself.