Dry Climate Gardening with Succulents (The American Garden Guides) (Paperback)

by Debra Brown Folsom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Compiled by North America's most acclaimed dry climate garden -- the Huntington Botanical Garden in San Marino, California -- in consultation with six other great botanic gardens and arboreta, here is the most complete and user-friendly guide to gardening with succulents ever devised, a unique compendium of the best advice available for all types of succulents.

The information assembled by this unprecedented collaboration is presented in five chapters:

I. Introduction: definitions, history, and botany; the basic gardening philosophies of the experts who have contributed to the book.

II. Plant Selector: more than two hundred glorious, full-color photos of succulent and companion plants of every variety, with detailed captions describing size, coloration, and requirements...full descriptions of their cultivation and maintenance, including some dissenting information and opinions from the consultant gardeners in other southwestern and northern gardens...additional color illustrations of landscapes, techniques particular to a specific plant, and its history in human affairs.

III. Design: the principles of designing a dry climate garden that is not only healthy and attractive, but creative as well, with photographs and diagrams of successful examples. Special attention is paid to the use of succulents with annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, and ground covers that will thrive in dry conditions.

IV. Techniques: how-to information illustrated with black-and-white, step-by-step photos in minute detail; the experts' explanations of how they keep their own succulent gardens both beautiful and healthy.

V. Special Conditions: new methods for growing succulents in cool or wet climates, indoors, and in tiny spaces; specific advice for gardeners with physical limitations.

The professional horticulturists at the great gardens of the United States and Canada are passionate about their endeavors -- studying every trend, refining every technique for making things grow and thrive. Now, for the first time, they have joined forces to share their love and expertise in a guide that no single individual or institution could have created. The American Garden Guides: Dry Climate Gardening with Succulents is the indispensable handbook that will help your succulent garden prosper and grow.

From the Inside Flap
Sure to become an essential handbook for gardeners in the Southwest, Dry Climate Gardening with Succulents also offers valuable advice on the use of succulents in all regions and in combination with other plants. Features flexible binding, dozens of black-and-white photos and line drawings, and more than 300 full-color photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon Books (March 14, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679758291
• ISBN-13: 978-0679758297
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #578,766 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book in my library., April 4, 1998

By	david streeter (Palm Springs, CA United States) - See all my reviews

One of few books dealing with gardening in the dry southwestern climates. Most of the book is devoted to "Plant Selector" which describes the plants, hardiness, cultivation needs, etc. Other sections deal with "Garden Design", "Techniques" (cultivation etc.), and, " Special Conditions." If you have one book on succulent gardening, this should be it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The culture notes and photographs are a gardener's treasure., August 13, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Southern California, Ventura County) - See all my reviews

Plant growth habit and culture notes are all too rare in succulent and cacti volumes. This expertly assembled book captures the succulent plants at their optimum phase and accurately records botanical names and growth requirements. I also utilize to accurately identify plants that I use to create living succulent wreaths. The section of 'Bringing the Desert Indoors' is a welcome invitation to indoor gardeners every where to enjoy these sculptural beauties year around.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly illustrated and brimming over with valueable information!, August 13, 2005

By	Kat Alyst (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews

More and more people are becoming interested in succulents due to their largely drought tolerant natures and their definite fire prevention advantages. If you are new to succulents and had only one book to choose this should be it. Even if you know quite a bit about succulents this book could still be of value. It's that good.
What the beautiful cover seems to allude to, the book itself totally delivers. The amount of information provided in such a small book is gratifying. It's only 224 pages, but you are unlikey to find this many varieties of succulents pictured in such exquisite detail even in books twice this size. And there aren't simply specimen pictures. Throughout the book there are pictures of the plants arranged in garden settings to give the gardener an idea of how these plants can be combined to create a truly magical garden.
But don't think that DCGWS is just pictures. The written information it provides is every bit as satisfying as the pictures. It is such a complete book on the subject of succulents with respect to their background, the techniques you need to know to handle them safely, their design potential in the garden, and their use in special conditions that unless you want to become an expert on the subject you may never need to buy another book on succulents once you own it.