![Hardy Bamboos: Taming the Dragon]( "Hardy Bamboos: Taming the Dragon")
Click to have a closer look
About this book
Biography
Related titles
About this book
Bamboos are extraordinary in their ability to transform a garden, adapt to inhospitable surroundings, survive with little care and, most of all, surprise and delight the people who view them. Too long the exclusive pleasure of those with tropical and subtropical gardens, this hand-picked selection allows gardeners in cooler climes to experience the wonder and infinite variety of these magical plants. Besieged by winter wet, summer drought and bitter, drying winds, Paul Whittaker's garden has been a rigorous testing ground. In the first part of the book his compelling anecdotes, experiences and case histories illuminate how bamboos perform in different places, draw attention to their idiosyncratic nature, and highlight their geographical origins. A further section describes the bamboo's unique physical structure and growing habits. These fascinating insights give you the knowledge you need to choose the right bamboo for your site and grow it successfully. At the heart of the book are detailed plant descriptions that join with striking photographs and evocative illustrations to highlight each plant's characteristics. Using bamboos to best effect in the garden, propagation, aftercare and their resilience to pests and diseases complete the guidance for gardeners. The distillation of years of hands-on growing experience, this is the ultimate bamboo reference book for cool-climate gardeners. Enthusiasts will delight in the variety of new possibilities for their collection and gardeners everywhere will be captivated by the charm bamboos bring to countless different garden situations.
Customer Reviews
Biography
Paul Whittaker runs PW Plants, a nursery specializing in temperate bamboos and ornamental grasses. He lives in Norfolk, England.
Out of Print
By: Paul Whittaker
300 pages, 221 colour photos, 165 line drawings, 3 maps
The ultimate reference book for cool-climate gardeners. Enthusiasts and gardeners everywhere will be captivated by the charm bamboos bring to different garden situations. Publishing News 20050225 Whittaker includes much more data on bamboos suited to growing in temperate areas than we have seen before between the covers of any single book. HortIdeas 20050517 Whittaker presents detailed plant descriptions with stunning photos of the quite diverse "chosen few" likely to thrive in the US and UK. SciTech Book News 20050524 A beautiful and user-friendly tome that will be equally at home on the coffee table or in the reference library. -- Adam Turtle Bamboo 20050601 Wonderful book packed with useful information for anyone interested in bamboos. -- L. G. Kavaljian Choice 20050909 It's authoritative yet friendly, and the author knows of what he speaks ... fascinating reading. -- Kathy Bond Borie National Gardening Association Regional Reports 20050818 Hardy Bamboos will enchant the novice and serve as a great reference for any bamboo grower. -- Natasha S. Johnson Natchitoches Times 20051014 This is a must-have for gardeners who love bamboo. ... Whittaker infuses his book with striking and lush photography; a very personal yet authoratative storyteller's voice, and beautiful illustrations that show bamboo in all its glory. ... If you're looking for a book about bamboo, you need look no further. It's a winner. -- Madeline Caliendo Washington Gardener 20060101 Will help gardeners in cooler climates experience the wonder and infinite variety of these magical plants. Michigan Gardener 20060707 Well-written and beautifully illustrated; perhaps the best book on hardy bamboos yet published. -- Jon Ardle The Garden 20051101 To convey the visual opulence of Hardy Bamboos by means of language is challenging indeed. Suffice it so say that if you never read a single word of this book, if you never cultivate even one bamboo plant, if you only turn the pages and look at these pictures, you will be very glad you did. -- Josephine Bridges Asian Reporter 20060905
