Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"Looking for handsome foliage, fascinating flowers and eye-catching fall color? Try Grasses..."
--Publishers Weekly
"Supported by Saxon Holt's captivating color photographs, Ondra [Nancy] elevates grasses from garden understudies to starring roles." --Booklist
"Grasses...one of the year's best new garden guides." --Country Living Gardener
"Beginning and advanced gardeners alike will find this book full of inspiration and advice on how to get the most from ornamental grasses." --Chicago Sun-Times
"Love ornamental grasses but don't know how to work them into your garden? This book offers design possibilities..." --Houston Chronicle
"Plenty of photos of the many grass choices can help you focus on varieties that mesh with your interests." - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Illustrated with spectacular photos by Saxon Holt, Grasses focuses on design themes in landscapes throughout the seasons." --Indianapolis Star
" If your vision of grasses is limited to the wheat fields of Kansas, this book on ornamental grasses is sure to expand your horizons--and may even inspire you..." - Hartford Courant
Synopsis
From the dazzling orange leaves of Flame Grass to the feathery purple haze of Switch Grass, ornamental grasses can add a vibrant and colorful dimension to any garden. Nancy J. Ondra shows you how to use grasses on their own or in tandem with perennials, annuals, and shrubs to add visual interest and texture to your outdoor space. Insightful profiles of dozens of varieties of ornamental grasses enlivened by Saxon Holt's stunning photography will inspire you to create your own dynamic, grass-filled gardens.
Synopsis
Select beautiful ornamental grasses, combine them with perennial flowers and other garden plants, and care for them so that they look great year round. Photos, plans, and plant lists for 20 unique garden designs, along with more than 160 color photographs provide inspiration for using ornamental grasses in a variety of garden settings.
About the Author
Saxon Holt has combined his career as a photographer with a lifelong love of gardening. His work has appeared in dozens of books and gardening magazines. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, the American Society of Picture Professionals, and the Garden Writers of America Association, from which he has received three awards for his photography.
Nancy J. Ondra is a garden writer and editor who owned and operated a small rare-plant nursery for six years. She is the author or co-author of a dozen gardening books, including Foliage (winner of the 2008 Book Award from the American Horticultural Society), The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer (winner of a 2006 Silver Award from the Garden Writers Association), The Perennial Care Manual, Fallscaping, and Grasses.
Table of Contents
Versatile Partners: getting to Know Grasses as Garden Plants (8)
Color Palettes: Creating Stunning Combinations with Grasses (30)
Yearlong Beauty: Transforming Every Garden through the Four Seasons (54)
Problem Solvers: Selecting Special Grasses for Special Places (94)
USDA Hardiness Zone Map (128)
Great Grasses for Every Need (129)
Garden, Location, and Design Credits (134)
Index (136)