Amazon.com

Much has changed in the role and use of ornamental grasses over the past 100 years. Whereas turn-of-the-century gardeners had perhaps a dozen perennial grasses to choose from, today's gardeners have hundreds. Ornamental grasses now embody a huge array of textures, forms, sizes, colors, flowering times, and cultural adaptations. The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses is intended for gardeners in a wide range of situations and climates, and draws from the experience and creativity of great gardens and gardeners around the world. It begins with an exploration of the unique aesthetics and appeal of ornamental grasses before moving on to a review of the families of grasses and a survey of grasses in their native habitats. Gardeners usually speak of "ornamental grasses" in the broad sense, including not only the true grasses but also related families of grass-like plants. Following this tradition, the book provides a detailed treatment of perennial grasses, rushes, and cattails, as well as selected bamboos. Written by horticulturist Rick Darke, this encyclopedia will be invaluable to nursery professionals, landscapers, and home gardeners. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Absolutely Fantastic
This is such a wonderful informational book... AND ... a gorgeous coffee table book. It is terrific from beginning to end! If you like or are interested in, or even thinking about Ornamental Grasses ... then THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! I can't imagine anyone who has an interest in Ornamental Grasses NOT LOVING THIS BOOK, and would be delighted they purchased it. My only concern is that it is going to look dog-earred from my reading it over and over and over again ... which frankly takes away from its beauty on our coffee table.

Buy 2 copies...
This book is structured, written, photographed and edited with parallel purpose and effect: communication of the author's respect and regard for the book's subject and for its readers. Mr. Darke sets out to inform and does so with enconomy but in full course; when he instructs, he teaches the novice and gives pause to the critic; when he photographs he shows his passion and inspires with the nature and wonder of his subjects. The book is encyclopedic, yet its prose is always to the point with the agreeable dryness of a good, well-bodied wine. Credible, trustworthy, enlightening. This is the best gardening book I have ever read. Negatives? Only one: Mr. Darke's standards are unimpeachable; those of the book's typographer and designer, however, are not.

Excellent information, awesome photographs
Excellent and complete information about ornamental grasses. A great book.

Thirty pages on the botany, anatomy, and classification of grasses. Twenty pages on native habitat, thirty pages on designing with grasses, and twenty pages of growing and propagating grasses. 170 page encyclopedia listing 400+ species / varieties of grasses. Each species is described in a paragraph or two of text along side a clear photograph of the plant. In the back of the book, you find a 2 page glossary, 5 page bibliography, 2 page grass nursery listing, USDA and European hardiness maps, and a complete index of all grasses by common name. Very complete book.

As a bonus, the book is also filled with awesome photography.

If you garden with ornamental grasses, this book is a must buy. Excellent information, well worth the money!

Excellent information and beautiful photos
If you have no grasses in your garden now, your yard will be transformed by this book. The cultural information is well researched and thorough, but it is the incredible photographs that will keep you reading. I often look up a particular grass and find myself still reading hour later. ... Read more

Book Description

"Some artists use canvas to create a work of art. David Mellor uses a baseball field. His patterns are so precise and imaginative, I call him the Rembrandt of groundskeeping."
--Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster

Now you can transform your sports field or clubhouse lawn into an envy-grabbing work of optic art. In this book, David Mellor shares the turf mowing and maintenance secrets that have made him one of the leading creators of elaborate patterns used on athletic turf nationwide. Articles about Mellor's work have been published in the New York Times and USA Today, and he is currently the director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club. In Picture Perfect, Mellor gives you the benefit of his years of experience along with simple-to-use techniques for creating playing fields that are without doubt a cut above the rest. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Awesome!
Just bought this book about 2 hours ago, and put it down only to write this review. This guy is one heck of an artist.
Picasso of the putting greens!

Taking Your Grass Care a Cut Above Where It Is Today!
Summary: Picture Perfect is the ultimate resource for those who want to add even more beauty and interest to their grass by growing and maintaining healthier turf and cutting it in original and beautiful patterns.

Review: Mr. Mellor is the Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox and is thoroughly knowledgeable about grass. His advice is sound, thorough, and easy-to-follow. He has you begin by testing your soil to see what it is missing, establishing your turf properly, fertilizing appropriately, fighting off weeds and disease, mowing properly with the right equipment, and solving problems.

Once that grass is in place, he moves on to explain the art of adding patterns to the grass by using rollers with the mower to push the grass down. The color plates show many examples of this art form, which will intrigue you. If you are like me, you expected to see only geometric shapes using straight lines. Instead, you find gentle waves and delicate crossing patterns of all kinds.

Having worked in my father's gardening business when I was a youngster, I wish I had known about establishing these patterns. It certainly would have helped to relieve the boredom of cutting the same yards in one of three patterns time after time.

The directions are very helpful for how to deal with special problems, like temporary damage, making a mistake in the pattern, and repeating a pattern (you are encouraged to photograph your work to learn from what you have done).

Picture Perfect also has a long list of resources you can access, especially from the Internet.

Although the quality of the design and the printing are not as high as the contents deserve, the material is strong enough to carry the result to five star level. One does hope, however, that a future printing will create a version more like an art book to better feature the examples.

After you finish becoming an expert on turf design, I suggest that you think about where else you can exercise your creativity in your yard. Have you considered sculpting shrubs like they do in the Disney theme parks? How about designing a sculpture garden? Do you have a Zen garden area yet?

Create a better balance between the views in your yard and the thoughts in your mind. Let the reverbrations of inspiration take you to new heights of thought and harmony!

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK!
One of the first things I notice about people's homes is the way the lawn is cut. Some might say, "get a life," but to me the landscape design and lawn say a lot. From a psychological point of view, it says something about the people who live there, too! We have all seen lawns cut straight and perfect, every blade of grass precise, row after row - not much creativity there. We have also seen lawns cut haphazardly in every conceivable direction and length, a clump here and a clump there, as if the ride-on mower and its near-sighted rider short-circuited, jumped the fence and rode off into the sunset!

If you know anyone who fits that description, buy them this astonishing book. It is amazing what can be created with a little patience, know-how and practice. Some designs are quite simple, others a little more complex, but they are very eye-catching. The book would be ideal for any yard or community with large greenspace. The larger the area, the more dramatic the design becomes. If you are zipping around on your trusty mower at home, just make sure you move the dog....before he has the most stylish haircut of the year!

Must-have if you love your lawn!
Picture Perfect is the perfect book for anyone who loves their yard! It not only gives you simple advice to maintain your lawn, landscape, or athletic field in perfect condition, but it provides easy step-by-step instructions, with amazing color photographs, on how to mow eye-catching patterns that will leave your neighbors and colleagues scratching their heads asking "how'd they do that". Mellor, Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox has become famous for his work, and has been featured on CBS, NBC, Fox Sports, and articles on his work have been published in several major newspapers inculding the Boston Herald, New York Times and Washington Post.

Picture Perfect will show you how to mow the classic "checkerboard" and also arches, circles, diamonds and more. It will also show you the secret techniques of the pros for more advanced pattern-making -- using rollers and brushes.

According to Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster: "Some artists use a canvas to create a work of art. David Mellor uses a baseball field. His patterns are so precise and imaginative, I call him the Rembrandt of groundskeeping. He's a cut above the rest"

From the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig: "I had the privilege of working with David Mellor for many years and he is one of the most resourceful and creative people in his field. His work is extraordinary and he is one of the finest young men I know"

A Great Reference book.
After reading this book I found it to a great reference for the golf courses other sports fields I work with and recommend this to anyone interested in building and maintaining a field for the best playing conditions. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

an authorative compendium on a unique subject
Greenlee did his homework and that shows when you browse through this friendly, yet exhaustive and descriptive work. Ornamental grass is growing in popularity and this is a good reference book for the novice and professional alike.

Climate info, decent photography throughout and even a list of mail order suppliers make it a must have for a burgeoning landscape designer...

Only one thing missing
This is a great book with clear, concise information and photographs of grasses, sedges, rushes, etc., but there is one important thing missing: bamboo! I was disappointed to find that family missing completely, but very satisfied with the rest of the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Quick! But accurate?
This book travels well and with the index dog-eared makes for quick and dirty referencing (espeically of Fam Graminae).
But I found a few of the plates, although well illustrated, confusing (i.e. determining the key number associated with the image of a particular flowering head). If you are looking for a thorough reference for Genus Carex don't look here.

An Excellent Field Resource
For a small, compact field guide it holds a wealth of information including a dichotomous like key for easy identification. Common names as well as scientific names are provided with good illustrations. For anyone serious about field work or just someone interested in plants this book is a good resource. ... Read more

Book Description

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. ... Read more

Book Description

From spring green to winter gold, the drama of grasses is nonstop. There are the striking yellow-and-green ostrich plumes of Zebra Grass. The fine-textured leaves of Blue Oat Grass. Flame Grass's dazzling red-orange leaves, Fountain Grass's coppery brushes, the rich brown nuggets of Northern Sea Oats, the feathery purple haze of Switch Grass.

Whether on their own or as backdrops for colorful garden flowers, ornamental grasses are admired for their color, form, movement, and texture. They also aid in erosion control, soil stabilization, and water retention, making them great conservation tools for gardeners in all hardiness zones. Although grasses are widely available at garden centers all over North America, few books advise the gardener on how to use them in the garden - and especially how to combine them with perennials and other plants. GRASSES features plans and practical advice for more than 24 unique gardens. It's complete with an identification and growing guide to the plants, and it features more than 150 full-color photographs, illustrations, and landscape plans.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Quality photography enhances this practical reference guide.
Grasses by freelance gardening writer Nancy J. Ondra is a beautiful and practical guide to raising ornamental grasses in one's garden. Filled cover to cover with excellent color photographs by life-long gardener and gardening photographer Saxon Holt of aesthetic and splendid grasses, the profusely illustrated text presents the reader with a wide choice of colored grasses to best accentuate the beauty of one's garden and how to best select choice plants for wet, dry, hot, or shady sites. Highly recommended for personal and professional gardening, horticultural and landscaping reference collections, even non-gardeners will appreciate the dazzling, coffee-table book quality photography of this singularly elegant yet practical guide. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

great quick reference book
After being out of the superentendent side of the business for a few years this book brought me back up to speed. The text is well written and easy to understand. I recommend it highly for anyone who needs a book "just to be sure"! ... Read more

Book Description

How to identify 135 of the most common species of North American grasses, sedges, and rushes, with their economic and ecological importance. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Useable, but flawed
As another review noted the range of this book is limited, from Minnesota to Kentucky and Maryland south, and north to Maine, although some of the grasses are more widespread. The copyright date is 1979 and while that does not disqualify it, it has not been updated. It suffers from 1) poor reproduction of the line drawings which are supposedly "as beautiful as they are exact" - they aren't either in this edition, being too small and with line details running together to show nothing but a black blob in many cases, and 2) no photographs, which I have come to expect of any decent field guide nowadays (especially in the absence of GOOD line drawings!). Also, the grasses are organized "by visual similarity, not always by taxonomic grouping." I'd prefer the latter.

On the plus side it has a useable key and often interesting information is presented for a species. I'll keep this book, but I would have bought something else had I known!

Good for Beginners
This has got to be best "first book" generally available for anyone with the least passing interest in wild plants to buy and use to discover the spectacular world of sedges and rushes, as well as grasses, especially if you are thinking about looking more carefully at wild plants in the northeast. It marked--and sparked-- the very beginning of my own personal interest in botany, guided my first field trips into the New Jersey Pine Barrens, led me to a botanical club and courses in sedge identification, and ultimately opened up the world of botany to me. I was so excited I wanted to call the author and thank her for writing this book.

Good only for the Northeast
I am also a biologist, and was not particularly thrilled with the book. The drawings are decent, but the amateur key used to limit your choices is too amateur. The distribution of covered species is strictly for the Northeastern U.S., except for the occasional wide-spread grasses. If your not in the Northeast, another guide would be more benefical.

Best field gudie to grasses in East, Midwest.
I am a prairie biologist. I find this book to be the best in helping botanical amateurs (and some experts) identify common grasses. Use it only to find the species of a grass, not its ecology. Grasses are hard to identify. This book helps alot.

Identification guide to Northeastern species
Introduction to grasses in the Northeast USA.

Most descriptive pictures are of flowers only that are good for identification purposes but of limited usefullness of how the grass typically grows. How the grass fits into the larger ecosystem is not included

Identification drawings lead you to pages where you are likely to find the full description. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 2 million square miles of the United States is covered in prairie and is the largest ecosystem on the continent; the prairies are the heartland of the continent, a vast, windswept plain that flows from Alberta south to Texas and from the Rockies east to the Mississippi River. This is big sky country, and until recently, one of the richest and most magnificent natural grasslands in the world. Today, however, the North American prairies are among the most altered environments on Earth. Thorough, detailed, and scientifically up-to-date, Prairie: A Natural History provides a comprehensive nontechnical guide to the biology and ecology of this fabled environment, offering a view of the past, a vision for the future, and a clear focus on the present. Sidebars throughout highlight various grasslands species, tell fascinating natural history and conservation stories, and present the traditional Native view of the prairie and its inhabitants. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

How to Identify Grasses & Grasslike Plants
This book is practical and systematic. The topic is difficult, at best, and the author gives all the tools and understanding needed to build up your skills. As a consultant that works with native plant materials, I have found this book to be a useful field reference in separating out invasive species.

Best glossary
Not especially useful for beginner grass identification because concentrates on structural detail rather than overall appearance of growth. However, I recommend it for its excellent illustrated glossary.

Excellent manual on morphology of these difficult groups.
As a former student of the late Dr. Harrington who taught me much about plant classification, I highly recommend this book. It is similar to his How to Identify Plants, but the diagrams are much better. It is a very thorough review of the morphology and terminology specific to sedges, rushes, and grasses. These are all very difficult families to identify and there are few books that so thoroughly describe the critical and unique morphology of these plants. This is a knowledge that is critical to the identification of these fascinating and important plants. Dr. Harrington also includes a section on the vegetative characteristics, especially of grasses. For field ecologists like myself, being able to identify plants without the flowers, especially grasses, is critical when doing quantitative sampling. If you are just a beginner in your pursuit of these difficult plants, this is an excellent and valuable resource. But for even the plant scientist this book provides an excellent reference to refresh your memory regarding the unique and important mophology of grasses, sedges, and rushes. ... Read more

Book Description

Grasses have been extremely important in California, withitsrolling grass-covered hills and the green-to-gold seasonal cycle of manynativegrasses. This convenient pocket guide surveys the range and providesidentification keys for the common introduced and native grasses. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Adequate for grass identification, but a little outdated.
The book serves well for the identification of exotic grasses recently found in Southern California, 1999. However, many of the scientific names of native California bunch grasses have been reclassified in recent years. Unless you know what the new names are, the guide may not serve you well. Additional pictures would have been much more helpful for many species. ... Read more

Book Description

Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers is the ultimate field guide towildflowers of the midwestern tallgrass prairie.This valuablereference enables all prairie enthusiasts to quickly and accuratelyidentify hundreds of tallgrass prairie plants. More than 320 colorphotographs Precise descriptions of 295 species Habitat/rangeinformation Historical and cultural notes Educational glossary Completeindex of scientific and common names Directory of tallgrass prairies in13 states ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent reference
This book set a high standard for the soon-to-be Falcoln series. The stunning photographs complement the confident text. Ladd's book has been a constant companion when I search out prairie remnants. A professional, consummate work that should find a place on every botanist's bookshelf.

These are all native plants
I felt I should comment on one part of Rissa's review. She mentions that Queen Anne's lace is not in this book, and feels this is a detriment. On the contrary, this is one of the best features of the book: it contains only NATIVE plants, and not many of the invasive, non-native weeds, like Queen Anne's lace, which are very difficult to control in prairies.
If you don't see a common plant in this book, it's likely because it is an imported weed.
There are many, many "wildflower" identification books that include everything-and-the-kitchen-sink, adding to the common confusion about what a 'wildflower' is. (For instance, Dame's Rocket should be on the 'weed' list, but it's in most of the 'wildflower' mixes.)
If you are looking for an all-inclusive book, the Golden Press,"A Guide to Field Identification of Wildflowers of North America", ISBN 0-307-13664-7 is helpful because it includes the weeds, but tells where they came from and how far they have spread across North America. Of course the USDA's PLANTS website (plants.usda.gov) is the best internet source for this technical information.

This book makes it easy
Just as it is hard to look up the spelling of a word in the dictionary, until you know how it is spelled, it can be hard to identify a plant until you know what it is. This book of photographs of common prairie flowers, grouped by color, is pretty easy to flip through until you find the plant at hand. The caveat is that many 'pink' flowers are in the 'purple' section, but this is true of many flowers (few people really consider 'purple coneflower' to be purple.)
If you want just one field guide to get you started with these gorgeous plants, this is the one I would recommend.

"the iridescent glow was beautiful and wondrous"
I really like the fact that this book is laid out according to flower color, it makes it so much easier to find the plant I'm trying to identify. I also liked the clear, beautiful photographs as well as the detailed text that provides common and Latin names, family, description and habitat or range for each plant. The book seems very complete with 295 species listed, but I was surprised to find that Queen Anne's Lace isn't in it, which, although it may not be native, is certainly ubiquitious here in the tallgrass prairie where I live.

There is a ten-page chapter on how to use the book, a sort of Botany 101, which is very helpful in explaining how to identify prairie plants via what the author calls their "diagnostic features" -- leaves, flowers, overall shape, scent and, in some cases, the sap. The book's cover is sturdy and water-resistant which is nice if you need to set it down on the ground while you take pictures. Also included is a very useful directory of many of America's remaining tallgrass prairie preserves and parks with descriptions plus phone numbers of the government agencies, universities and organizations that oversee them (I was pleasantly surprised at how many times The Nature Conservancy is listed). The book ends with a short bibliography and a very complete index.

I bought this book as a companion to "Birding Illinois," by Sheryl De Vore (from the same publisher). De Vore's book covers various Illinois parks and wildlife areas, many of which are prairies and woodlands. I figure I can take both books and look for birds as well as beautiful prairie flowers.

THE book to have for identification of Tallgrass Wildflowers
This book has fabulous photos and excellent descriptions to aid in the identification of tallgrass prairie wildflowers. Its a must have for any prairie enthusiast. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Necessary for anyone interested in the grasses.
The two volume set published by Dover is a reprint of A.S. Hitchcock's 1950 Manual of the Grasses (2nd Ed.).But don't let that fool you.Perhaps some names have changed in the last 50 years, but the grasses remain the same.Here is one of the greatest sources of informaton on US grasses in the most compact form that can be found anywhere: descriptons, illustrations, distribution (which may be more of historic value than current), and, in the case of many exotics, history of introductions.There's even a synonymy.Yes, you'll need a current manual, but if you are interested in grasses in the US, then Hitchcock belongs on your shelf, too. ... Read more

Book Description

In recent years, plant lovers and environmentalists have cultivated a popular interest in prairie restoration. Many of the most common prairie plants are now easily visible along roadsides and park trails (not to mention in gardens) throughout the Midwest.

Prairie in Your Pocket offers an easy-to-use and inexpensive guide for identifying more than one hundred of the most common plants of the tallgrass prairie. Ideal for travelers, the guide is laminated for durability and folds down to the size of a business envelope. Slip one into your glove compartment for road trips or into your backpack or pocket for cycling and hiking.

By focusing on one ecosystem, Prairie in Your Pocket is perfect for amateurs as an introduction to prairie plant identification. It is the only guide of its kind for identifying tallgrass species. The guide provides color illustrations along with common and scientific names, plant heights, and blooming periods for 114 species. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great guide
I bought this guide at the Living History Farms gift shop in Des Moines and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was published in my hometown. This is a portable, durable, beautifully illustrated guide to identifying some of the most common plants of the tallgrass prairie. My family has taken this guide along on outings, and we have found it a very helpful way to connect with our natural surroundings. My pre-teen daughter especially has enjoyed closely examining the plants we encounter to see if they match up with the examples in the guide. Also recommend *Woodland in Your Pocket* by the same illustrator. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great Bamboo Reference!
I bought this book several years ago - and I use it often when I need to look up a bamboo species. My knowledge of bamboo was rather limited, and I find it interesting that these grass species are found in Asia, as well as South America. For anyone interested in grasses, this book is a must! ... Read more

Book Description

Ornamental grasses are among the most versatile and sophisticated of garden plants. Planted as single specimens in beds or on the terrace in a container, grasses are striking focal points. Smaller forms bring rhythm and diversity to mixed borders, and clumping forms richly carpet the ground. This beautifully illustrated book by two imaginative garden designers will provide equal measures of information and inspiration. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very disappointing...
I must say, I am astonished that this book has recieved the positive reviews that it has. I bought this book with the intent of gaining knowledge in the area of designing with grasses. I read it from start to finish and found that the entire text consisted of rambling, repetative, generalizations that were devoid of any substantial content. I was completely shocked that the authors would dare publish such wishy-washy material.

In addition, many of the photos are out of focus and the corresponding descriptions are often incomplete. The descriptions of specific grasses are very brief and many very popular grasses are not included at all.

I have never been more disappointed with a book purchase of any kind on any topic.

Not a great reference book
I'm writing this review to balance out all of the 'great' reviews this book has received. The book is okay, but it is not a great reference book. It has several faults:

First, the book is suppose to be about grasses, yet 25% of the text discusses garden flowers.

Second, many of the photos are cluttered or blurred. There were few species specific photos that displayed a single clear crisp grass variety.

Third, the book rambles and takes the long way to discribe a simple observation. Some readers will enjoy this style, but it's not for me. I want something that gets to the point.

Fourth, the species reference (called 'Selected Plant Catalogue'), is sparse and dated. For example, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam' is covered in just three words, 'outstanding variegated form'. Gee ... somehow I was expecting more information. There is not one photo of Overdam in the entire book. Likewise, there is no photo of Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'. These are two very popular grasses to have been leftout.

On the positive side, there are some neat winter photographs of grasses, and the book contains some useful information (but it is difficult to find it when you need it).

This is the kind of book that you're suppose to sit and read from cover to cover. A pleasure reading book. Not what I do with garden books, I read them rather like an encyclopedia - and this is not a good choice for a reference book.

Excellent explanation and examples of mature plantings
We are a Landscape Design/Build firm specilizing in using ornamental grasses in our design concepts. We have found this book to be an excellent sales tool to show clients how the mature grasses will look in their L/S design. The text is extremely informative and gives a good basic knowledge of grasses to the novice. The photos are stunning.

Excellent writing and pictures of ornamental grasses
This book covers all the different types of ornamental grasses; from choosing cultivars to the many ways they can be used in your garden. The best book I have seen in this area!

The most complete book you could buy for ornamental grasses.
An excellent text on the subject of ornamental grasses. The authors acknowledge that ornamental grasses are only a part of the landscape, and they address the other types of plants that work well with them.

They approach the subject from a landscape design frame of reference, how to work grasses into your garden. This information is usually only available through your own trial and error. King and Oudolf take out the guesswork. What puts this book a step above all others about the same subject is that it informs its readers how to plant in combination with other perennial flowers. The 161 color photos and very thorough coverage of ornamental grasses and their companions make this the most complete package you could buy for incorporating these graceful, ornamental features into your design. ... Read more

Book Description

Now available once again with a new preface by the author, The Book of Bamboo introduces us to the oldest, most remarkable resource on the planet. Part catalog, part history, The Book of Bamboo shows us how this versatile wood, which is both sustainable and plentiful, has been used for thousands of years to make items ranging from things needed for survival like clothing and housing to more exotic and luxurious objects like phonograph needles and children's toys, as well as dozens of others. With information both practical and wistful, David Farrelly tells us about the plant's biology and life cycle, gives tips on harvesting and planting, and lore about the ancient wood. Farrelly conveys the rich and timeless message that bamboo -- strong, flexible, and beautiful in both its natural and its finished states is an abundant resource that could beneficially replace many of the less sustainable materials now commonly used in many aspects of our daily lives and transform our culture in the process. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Read this book first if you are new to bamboo!
This was the first book I read about bamboo many years ago when I first started planting bamboo. I guess the best way to describe it would be to call it "The Last Whole Earth Catalog of Bamboo". It covers all aspects of bamboo, facts and fiction, reality and myth. This book is for the true lover of bamboo.

Bamboo Science, Philosophy, Opinion and Lore
When I first read "The Book of Bamboo" many years ago, I thought it was brilliantly researched but simply too eccentric in organization and style to be representative of mainstream thought on the subject. Despite the wealth of information it contains, I hesitated to recommend it to people for fear its intensity would put people off rather than draw them in. However, after several years of growing bamboo in coastal northern California, I recently picked it up again and instantly recognized it for the classic it is. Fewer than 1 percent of 1 percent of all non-fiction books published are ever republished after they go out of print, especially by a prestigious national firm with major editorial capabilities. See for yourself why David Farrelly's "The Book of Bamboo" is one of those rare, wonderful books worthy of such investment and respect.

TOO much info!
If you threw half the chapters in this book away, you would have a better book...It is very comprehensive on bamboo,I am glad I purchased it but too many paragraphs on "saving the world" (ecology comments)

Use Other Books for Pictures
This is a very good reference book for studying the botony of bamboo and also for building (ideas only) and other uses for bamboo in the past and present in other countries where bamboo is in abundance. Do not expect pictures because there are none at all, just line drawings. Very good source for those wanting to learn EVERYTHING about bamboo from a scientific viewpoint with some nice personal antidotes here and there. Yes, buy it! And DO GROW BAMBOO!

Great book -- eclectic, poetic, and practical
this book is a encyclopedic idea book, full of plant descriptions, botanical characteristics including harvesting and propagating, and scores of ideas on how to use bamboo. Demanding and educational; useful and inspiring --- even if you don't buy the book, grow bamboo . . . Mark Wall ... Read more

Book Description

Ornamental grasses are at home in a mixed border or as striking individual specimens. They adapt to a wide range of climates and soils, need little or no maintenance, and resist most pests and diseases. They can anchor a slope or live happily in a container. They are also new to many gardeners, for whom this book will be both an introduction and a very practical guide, with its 165 full-color photos of landscape ideas and portraits of the best grasses for any site - wet or dry, sunny or shady. ... Read more