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Books > Gardening > Gardening: plants > Shrubs & trees
An authoritative book that arms the reader with all the information
necessary for the proper selection, planting, and care of
magnolias. This is a black-and-white edition.
"Australian Native Plants" provides a comprehensive guide to the
horticulture of plants native to the continent. Based on nearly 50
years of experience at Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, the
book describes the necessary growing conditions for mainly Western
Australian native plants and covers some of the more technical
aspects such as plant propagation and grafting, the use and
benefits of tissue culture, methods of seed collection and storage,
and the role of smoke in improving germination.Western Australia is
home to about 5% of the world s vascular plants and contains
Australia s only terrestrial biodiversity hotspot. Written by
experts with an in-depth knowledge of how to grow these plants
outside their natural habitat, "Australian Native Plants" provides
the more technically minded professional or enthusiast with
information based on decades of research, experimentation and
application. By sharing practical information, it encourages the
growing of Australian plants so that they can be used more widely
and contribute to interesting, attractive and diverse private
gardens and public landscapes in a changing environment."
The sight of a wild landscape covered with heathers in full bloom
is breathtaking, so it is little surprise that people have found
ways of introducing these rewarding plants into their gardens. Here
they excel, offering color in the drabbest months and a huge
diversity of height, habit, and other valuable characteristics in
return for modest cultural demands.
This comprehensive and highly informative account encompasses the
heaths and heathers of the closely related genera "Calluna,
Daboecia," and "Erica, " whose shared characteristics and similar
cultural requirements make them broadly compatible in a variety of
garden situations. These plants have enhanced people's lives for
millennia and a full discussion of their naming, uses and other
interactions with humans is explored in detail. A fascinating
account of the unique ecological niche they occupy including their
remarkable adaptation to make use of the nitrogen and phosphorus
unavailable to most other plants provides a fitting context for
discussion of their specific cultural needs. With more than 700
cultivated varieties of "Calluna" alone, selecting the right
heather for the right place can be daunting. The detailed selection
of cultivated hardy heathers conveniently provides gardeners with
the best garden performers while further lists allow them to search
for heathers for specific qualities, such as heat tolerance, ground
cover, or early summer blooming. Design options for displaying
heathers at their best in the garden are provided along with advice
on spacing, pruning, propagation, pests, and diseases.
In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated work, classic
wild-collected cultivars are described alongside the latest
introductions to produce an invaluable reference that will inspire
heather enthusiasts and gardeners for generations to come.
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For the enthusiastic amateur or experienced rhododendron grower,
this landmark reference provides the keys to the accurate
identification of the nearly 300 rhododendron species widely in
cultivation. An extensive introduction places the work in context
as it examines the history of "Rhododendron" classification and
gives a full survey of plant structures throughout the many
species. Species are listed in systematic order, so that similar
species occur close to each other in the text. These are fully
described, including complete citations of previous references and
notes on the occurrence of wild-origin specimens in cultivation.
Beautiful photographs include close-up shots of flower and leaf,
microscope images of leaf surfaces, and easy-to-use diagnostic
keys, making this the indisputable volume for plant identification.
A milestone in the identification of rhododendrons, this will
become an essential reference for botanists, nurserymen, and
enthusiasts.
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