Books on Gardening

[AmyO]

Oh I'm so jealous! My boss has this book and every lunch break I take it out and drool over it! It's getting a bit soggy now. One day I'll have my own. Enjoy it Mark...every page is wondrously gorgeous!!

[Lori S.]

One would want to be a little careful of those pools, say during garden parties!! 

[Lina Hesseling]

Looks like a great book!!! But the price is too much for me. It is good, you got is for a good price!

Lina.

[bulborum]

Congratulations Mark

By seeing these prices
I am happy I bought over hundred different African seeds for that money
I love books (I have over 15 meter length)
but You are right
these prices are a little over the top

Roland

[Booker]

We hope we may be permitted to publicise our new book on this wonderful forum:-




                                       Mountain Flowers – The Dolomites


A new book co-authored by forum regular, Cliff Booker from Whitworth, Lancashire and David Charlton from Derby will be published on Valentine’s Day 2012, a very appropriate date as this particular labour of love has been fifteen months or more in the making.
Cliff, a retired Local Government Officer and his co-author; David, a semi-retired solicitor have produced the first handy, pocket-sized field guide in English to the magnificent wild flowers of the Dolomites of northern Italy.  This beautifully illustrated book describes over 140 species of the meadows, forests, screes and high mountain ridges of these glorious limestone peaks.
Because the book is intended for the traveller with limited or no botanical knowledge, technical language has been kept to a minimum and each species has been photographed in such a way as to aid easy identification.
Lecturer, photographer and writer Cliff and his wife Sue were founders (way back in 1986) of the East Lancashire Group of the Alpine Garden Society, which still meets to this day in their original venue at Ramsbottom Civic Hall, near Bury.  Since retirement Cliff has lectured across the country to other AGS groups, natural history societies, specialist and photographic clubs and remains the Group Secretary of the East Lancashire Group.  David is the current Group Secretary of the Derby Group of the AGS and is a trustee of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
Both of the authors are Gold Medal winning exhibitors at AGS Shows and Cliff and Sue’s son Andrew has contributed massively to the new book as designer and technology wizard.
May 2010 saw Cliff and Sue enjoy a three-week whirlwind lecture tour of six States and Newfoundland in Canada sponsored by the North American Rock Garden Society and since 2001 they (and latterly David and Judy Charlton) have led spring and summer wildflower walks in their beloved Dolomites for UK based holiday experts; Collett’s Mountain Holidays of Saffron Walden in Essex, thereby amassing many of the images featured in this guide.

The new book is being distributed by Collett’s and is available at £9.95 plus £1.65 p&p. ISBN Number: 978-0-9571628-0-8

Hopefully (with enough enquiries to spur them on) the book will be available from the AGS and other retailers.

Enquiries about the book to Cliff at bookcliffo@aol.com or David at david.charlton41@btinternet.com or visit http://www.mountainflowers.co.uk/


Collett’s Mountain Holidays
3A Market Hill, Saffron Walden,
Essex, CB10 1HQ
Tel. 01799 513331
http://www.colletts.co.uk/

http://www.colletts.co.uk/mountain-flower-special-in-the-italian-dolomites.html

[David Sellars]

Congratulations Cliff.  .  From your samples it looks beautiful and will be enjoyable for browsing at home not just in the mountains. I like the fact that you have included the scientific names first which is often not done for this type of publication.

It has always surprised me that there are not more field guides published on major alpine flower areas.  On our trips to the Dolomites we have depended on a well thumbed copy of "Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe" by Grey Wilson and Blamey - quite comprehensive but no photos.

I look forward to getting my copy of the new Dolomites book!   

[Booker]

Many thanks David ... the Grey-Wilson & Blamey book has been the 'bible' for visitors to the Alps for so many years (including us) and our new book is intended to act as a photographic reference guide for less botanically experienced travellers.  We hope the images will entrance, educate and entertain in equal measures.  Feedback will be greatly appreciated please.

[Tim Ingram]

Hasn't been anything on this topic for a while and obviously many gardeners pretty well love books nearly as much as their gardens. These are some hand coloured plates from 'The Floricultural Cabinet' which was published from the 1830's on, and show what an amazing range of plants were being cultivated (I suppose not surprising because it was the height of introductions to the UK from all over the world). With the ease of photographic reproduction these days it is quite hard to sense how very striking these plates must have been ...except that they are really just as striking today for anyone who knows the plants, and they were painted with great sensitivity.

[Booker]

Just arrived from New Zealand (many thanks Steve), a copy of the WONDERFUL 'Above the Treeline' (A nature guide to alpine New Zealand) by Alan F. Mark.

This magnificent field guide to New Zealand's rich and diverse alpine environment features 472 pages, more than 1150 colour photographs, two maps and includes detailed descriptions of more than 675 species of flowering plants.

The ISBN is 978-1-877517-76-1 and it is published by Craig Potton Publishing.  The superb images include contributions by forum members, Steve Newall, David Lyttle, Dave Logan, Dave Toole and many others.

Thoroughly recommended (even if the recommendation happens to come from a New Zealand plant devotee).

[Arie Vanspronsen]

I'am maybe a little late, I just was checking out this post, but the book 'The Greater Perfection' is available through Hortus Press for $75.00.
I bought 4 copies last year for friends and myself.
She has also available 'The Caucasus And Its Flowers' for $25.00
http://www.hortuspress.com/pdf/hpOrderForm.pdf