Renowned American historian and leading horticulturalist Francis Parkman (1823-1893), briefly a Professor of Horticulture at Harvard University and President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, wrote ""The Book of Roses"" specifically for American rose enthusiasts. The book contains information on the culture, training and propagation of roses, as well as descriptions of rose families, groups, and best varieties. According to Parkman biographer Howard Doughty, "" Parkman] was among the foremost of American rose-growers. He is said to have had at one time over a thousand varieties in his garden, and 'The Book of Roses, ' which he published in 1866, was for many years a standard manual of the subject."" Beautiful black-and-white illustrations accompany the text.

A straight forward method on organic gardening. How to prepare your soil, how to build a compost bin, seeding through harvest and preserving your garden bounty. A strategy to incorporate natural concepts, without using any dangerous chemicals. Also choosing the right vegetables and fruit for their nutritional value.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

With some 270 species, "Penstemon" is the largest genus endemic to North America, with examples to be found in every state in the continental U.S. Penstemons are particularly beloved by rock gardeners, but as Panayoti Kelaidis points out in his foreword, they belong in every garden, since "one penstemon or another will thrive in virtually any microclimate a garden can contrive, from hot, desert exposures to dank shade."

Fresh from his award-winning monograph on penstemons, Robert Nold turns his attention to one of the best-loved - and most frequently misunderstood - groups of garden plants. "Columbines: Aquilegia, Paraquilegia, and Semiaquilegia" is the first gardener's guide to these striking plants in more than half a century; and in his funny, personal, and charming prose, Nold makes sense of the thorniest taxonomic and horticultural questions they present. Sixty-five species of Aquilegia receive detailed examination, with a complete summary of cultivation needs, history, and biology. The author also describes plants of the genera "Semiaquilegia" and "Paraquilegia," cutting through confusion and dissension to create a useful overview of these "columbine cousins." Nold also provides a brief history of hybridization, and practical chapters on propagation and pests and diseases round out the book. In addition to beautiful paintings by the author's wife, celebrated botanical artist Cindy Nelson-Nold, the book also boasts several dozen exquisite photos of columbines in the wild and in gardens.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Rebecca Northen penned her first letter to Robert M. (Bert) Hamilton in 1968 requesting a copy of his book, "Orchid Flower Index." From that small beginning grew a correspondence that continued for 35 years until 2003. Northen passed away in 2004, but Hamilton had carefully kept the almost 300 letters, notes, and cards he and his wife, Anne, had received from their dear friend. Hamilton, 97 years old, asked friends and family to help organize his collection of Northen's letters. "Rebecca Northen Recollected" is the result. Northen's frank and witty observations about the world of the orchid hobbyist during the last three decades of the twentieth century are a delight. The letters are arranged in chronological order and are preceded by two autobiographical sketches, one previously unpublished. A general index and an index to orchid plant names are provided.

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Without a doubt, the most widely grown orchids in the world are the species and hybrids of "Phalaenopsis," the "moth orchids." Since their discovery by western botanists in the 18th century, phalaenopsis were considered aristocrats even among orchids and were eagerly sought out by the most discerning and wealthy of collectors. With advances in orchid propagation and breeding in the middle 20th century, however, these orchids became accessible and affordable to anyone with an eye for exceptional beauty. Few floriculture crops have swamped the marketplace as suddenly as phalaenopsis has in recent years, with millions of plants being produced for the mass market annually. Moth orchids have helped eliminate the misconception of orchids as temperamental conservatory plants only for the very rich. In the words of author Eric Christenson, we are witnessing "the makings of an orchid revolution."
Against this backdrop of change and ferment, Christenson set out to write a definitive monograph of the genus "Phalaenopsis," the first thorough treatment since Herman Sweet's revision in 1969. Focusing mainly on the forebears of today's omnipresent hybrids the species he always keeps an eye on the characteristics that species might bring to today's hybridization programs. With extensive keys and detailed reviews of the taxonomy of the genus, Christenson provides a thorough picture of the current scientific understanding of these remarkable plants.
In addition to its scientific content, this book offers a wealth of practical information for the orchid hobbyist. A useful chapter on cultivation techniques is included, as is a chapter on hybrids in their many forms, shapes, and colors. More than 200 color photos and 60 drawings enliven the work and provide a fascinating visual overview.
With the full sponsorship and support of the International Phalaenopsis Alliance, Christenson has written an extraordinary book reflecting years of botanical research and horticultural experience with the genus. No orchid specialist will want to be without it.
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"A Natural History of Ferns" is an entertaining and informative look at why ferns and their relatives are unique among plants. Ferns live in habitats from the tropics to polar latitudes, and unlike seed plants, which endow each seed with the resources to help their offspring, ferns reproduce by minute spores. There are floating ferns, ferns that climb or live on trees, and ferns that are trees. There are poisonous ferns, iridescent ferns, and resurrection ferns that survive desert heat and drought. The relations of ferns and people are equally varied. Moran sheds light on Robinson Crusoe's ferns, the role of ferns in movies, and how ferns get their names. "
A Natural History of Ferns" provides just what is needed for those who wish to grow ferns or observe them in their habitats with greater understanding and appreciation.

Although Africa has fewer orchid species than the other tropical continents, some of the world's most spectacular, and increasingly popular, terrestrial orchids are found in Africa. This guide, covering sub-Saharan Africa, includes all plants available from nurseries and many that are being grown but are not yet available in the trade.

The first complete classification for the genus, this labor of love reflects the author's long fascination with hostas. All hostas known at the time of writing are detailed, including their 3500 names and synonyms in many languages (300 in Japanese kana). Practical information on growing hostas is just as complete and detailed.

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

Breeding plants to encourage specific traits is usual in agriculture but less common in ornamental horticulture. Daffodils, daylilies, hostas, lilacs, magnolias, and rhododendrons are among the 15 subjects covered by experts in the field.