Synopses & Reviews
Following the phenomenal success of
Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, written for gardeners in the climates of USDA zones 3-6, this companion volume is a superlative photographic encyclopedia of trees, shrubs, and vines for "warm temperate" zones. In North America, these areas (zones 7-11) stretch from the Mid-Atlantic states to the South, include most of Texas and the Southwest, and encompass the entire West Coast, up to western Canada. Many parts of the British Isles, Australia, and New Zealand experience similar conditions. In a nutshell, any gardener who lives in an area where average winter temperatures do not fall below 0° Fahrenheit (-18° Celsius) will want this book, and curious gardeners in colder zones may well want to test these select plants in their local microclimates.
This remarkable volume shows both the habit and details — flower, fruit, bark, fall color — of more than 400 species and describes hundreds more cultivars and varieties. Certain genera offer myriad hybrids and selections, and photographs of many of the best of these are included as well — nearly 40 named crapemyrtles, a dozen teaolives, and 11 loropetalums. In all, more than 1400 photographs join with the authoritative text to bring the plants to life.
From Abelia to Ziziphus, gardeners will encounter many new and unfamiliar plants that thrive in warmer climates. Dirr gives special attention to hardy palms that can survive outside the subtropics. The book also reflects the author's inimitable personality, which holds nothing back when a plant deserves outright acclaim ("If prescriptions could be written for perfect garden plants, this species would come close to filling the order"), backhanded praise ("Use for accent, for novelty, or to drive visitors loony"), or frank condemnation ("Splays to the point of no redemption with time").
The book concludes with useful lists for selecting plants for a variety of conditions or for ornamental characteristics, such as flower color and fragrance, fruit, and fall color.
Review
"Useful to those with microclimates or adventurous gardeners who want to test the limits of their zone."—Denise Cowie, Philadelphia Inquirer, November 22, 2002 Denise Cowie
Review
"Yet another must-have reference book [by Michael Dirr] ... an indispensable resource for both novice and experienced gardeners."— Fine Gardening, November/December 2002 Carol Bishop Miller - Horticulture
Review
"An invaluable addition to the library of anyone who gardens in the 'warm temperate' Zones 7-11 ... Drawn from the well-traveled researcher's decades of obsessive observation and liberally seasoned with humor, the richly informative plant profiles provide multiseasonal descriptions and tell how to use and care for hundreds of species and cultivars suitable for Zones 7-9 and warmer."—Carol Bishop Miller, Horticulture, October 2002 Philadelphia Inquirer
Synopsis
Following the phenomenal success of "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, this companion volume presents trees, shrubs, and vines for "warm temperate" zones, In North America, these areas (zones 7-11) stretch from the Mid-Atlantic states to the South, include most of Texas and the Southwest, and encompass the entire West Coast up to western Canada. This remarkable volume shows both the habit and details--flower, fruit, bark, fall color--of more than 400 species and describes hundreds more cultivars and varieties. Any gardener who lives in an area where average winter temperatures do not fall below O Fahrenheit will want this book.
Synopsis
An indispensable companion to Dirr's Hardy Shrubs and Trees is this encyclopedia for warmer regions. Included are more than 400 species and descriptions of hundreds more cultivars and varieties.
About the Author
Michael A. Dirr is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. He is the author of twelve books, including Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia and the text and reference book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, and has published more than 300 scientific and popular papers and articles. His teaching, lectures, seminars, garden study tours, and plant introduction programs have contributed enormously to greater horticultural awareness. He has received the highest teaching and gardening awards from the University of Georgia, American Society of Horticultural Science, American Horticultural Society, American Nursery and Landscape Association, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Southern Nursery Association, and Garden Club of America.