Review by Booklist Review
Fischer's handbook singles out 100 flowers to consider when the focus turns to colorful blooms for the garden. Icons indicate water and light requirements at a glance. And each entry merits an alluring plant portrait by photographer Nichols, while Fischer provides botanical pronunciation along with fundamental details, such as size of plants at maturity, bloom time, hardiness zones, and personal recommendations for the most desirable varieties. It's Fischer's enthusiasm for flora that shines through, enlivening his introductions to color categories and the brief descriptive paragraphs accompanying each plant. Whether he's suggesting eye-catching plant pairings or offering cautionary advice about aggressive spreaders, Fischer will inspire gardeners to think about incorporating selections from the book's outstanding bevy of perennials, bulbs and shrubs, and native and tender species.--Joyce, Alice Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Color is the focus here as editor in chief of Timber Press Fischer (Perennial Companions) profiles 100 flowering garden plants in ten chapters arranged by colors (e.g., "Orange to Peach," "White to Ivory"). Fischer encourages the reader to embrace color in the garden and offers recommendations for companion plantings. Each plant entry features icons that represent light and moisture requirements, a pronunciation guide, size of the plant and bloom time, and appropriate horticultural growing zones. North American native plants are also noted. Fischer's engaging prose and vivid descriptions are accompanied by luscious photographs by Nichols. The book offers readers ideas for creating striking plant combinations in their gardens and introduces them to new plants. VERDICT With a smaller format similar to Timber's recent Black Plants, this will be of interest both to gardeners who are experimenting with new color schemes and to armchair gardeners who simply like reading about plants and enjoying the beautiful photography.-Phillip Oliver, Univ. of North Alabama Lib., Florence (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
