Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos: Excluding Roses and Rhododendrons - Hardcover

"Undisputedly the classic international reference...authoritative and scientifically accurate, " and "One of the most important garden books of our age" are the way John Elsley of Wayside Gardens and Fred Whitsey of the Daily Telegraph respectively, described Graham Stuart Thomas's Perennial Garden Plants, Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos is its keenly awaited equivalent for woody plants: a comprehensive and detailed survey undertaken by one of the world's most knowledgeable plantsmen. Thousands of species, their hybrids and cultivars are described in alphabetical order; only rhododendrons and roses are not included, on the grounds that the author has already covered roses and that others have done the same for rhododendrons. The emphasis is on the use of shrubs in the garden, and the expert information is related always to the interests of the gardener: size, evergreen or deciduous, colour of flower, scent, season of flowering, autumn colour, methods of propagation are all given in an ingenious Line of Facts for easy reference. Lively short descriptions of the characters of each plant will help amateurs and professionals alike to choose what to grow and also what to avoid. In introductory chapters the author describes the history of shrubs in Britain, their introduction and use at different periods. He stresses the value of shrubs in the garden today - for their individual beauty or as a structural part of mixed plantings - and urges the gardener to consider climate and conditions but also to consult the ethos of the place before he plants. Practical advice covers planting, cultivation, pruning, propagation, pests, and the book includes lists of shrubs for special purposes andconditions - for damp soils, shade, clay, hedging, etc - as well as for the colour of the bark or leaves. A chapter on the use of colour is masterly: a reminder that foliage as well as flower-colour must be planned in order to achieve effect throughout the year, and setting forth p