Synopses & Reviews
Ferns are renowned for their diversity and shade tolerance. But these captivating foliage plants can also play many different roles in the garden. They add rich texture and detail to shady landscapes, and are perfect for softening edges and creating pleasing transitions. Their often brilliantly colored new fronds delight the eye with tones of green, gold, bronze, and copper. In this lushly photographed gudie Richie Steffen and Sue Olsen offer astute advice on how to get the most out of these versatile plants and highlight the most rewarding varieties.
The Plant Lover’s Guides offer a rich source of information on both new and classic garden plants. Written by enthusiastic experts, they recommend the best varieties for different situations, inspire ideas for new plant combinations, and are packed with resources for the home gardener. These gorgeous guides celebrate the beauty of each plant and form a comprehensive library that every plant lover will want to own.
Review
“All the knowledge these two fern fanciers accumulated over their years of study are beautifully presented in The Plant Lover’s Guide to Ferns.” The Seattle Times
Review
“Their abundant expertise is evident in the detailed descriptions . . . visually, the book is stunning.” Garden Design
Review
“lmmerse yourself in the ethereal and mysterious delights of ferns through this book, and discover a fascinating and unusual world of diversity and drama. Extensively led with colour photographs, this book explains everything gardeners need to know about ferns, from their different roles in the garden to how to help them thrive and the many varieties to choose from.”
The English Garden
Review
"If you think ferns all look alike, this book will be a revelation--more than 130 are pictured, in all their diversity, including some which aren’t even green. Authors Richie Steffen and Sue Olsen give growing tips and show how to use ferns in planting designs."
The Daily Mail
Synopsis
Ferns are easy to grow and readily available in big box stores, garden centers, and mail-order nurseries, making them a popular ornamental among new and advanced gardeners. Perfect for containers, borders, layered gardens, foliage accents, and shady areas, ferns come in a range of colors and varieties. The Plant Lover's Guide to Ferns, by fern enthusiasts Richie Steffen and Sue Olsen, is packed with information on these reliable plants. The book includes profiles for 134 plants, with information on growth and propagation, advice on using ferns in garden design, and lists of where to buy the plants and where to view them in public gardens.
Synopsis
Ferns are versatile, shade-tolerant foliage plants that can play many roles in the home garden. The Plant Lover's Guide to Ferns by fern enthusiasts Richie Steffen and Sue Olsen is packed with information on these reliable plants. The book includes profiles more than 130 plants, with information on growth and propagation, using ferns in garden design, and lists of where to buy the plants and where to view them in public gardens.
The Plant Lover's Guides offer a rich source of information on both new and classic garden plants. Written by enthusiastic experts, they recommend the best varieties for different situations, inspire ideas for new plant combinations, and are packed with resources for the home gardener. These gorgeous guides celebrate the beauty of each plant and form a comprehensive library that every plant lover will want to own.
About the Author
Sue Olsen has been studying, photographing, and writing about ferns for more than four decades. She is author of the award-winning
Encyclopedia of Garden Ferns and through her nursery, Foliage Gardens, has introduced numerous ferns to horticulture. A founding member and first president of the Hardy Fern Foundation, Sue is editor of the
Hardy Fern Foundation Quarterly. She is a graduate of Cornell University and lives in Bellevue, Washington.
Richie Steffen is curator of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle, where he oversees the plant record database, general horticulture, and manages the garden’s special collections, including rare plants, ferns, hepaticas, woodland plants, rare bulbs, and alpine plants. He is a well-known personality on the Pacific Northwest horticulture scene, traveling extensively to collect plants and visit gardens. He also regularly lectures and writes. A superb photographer, Richie is building an archival image collection at the Miller Garden. He currently serves as a board member of the Northwest Horticultural Society and the Hardy Fern Foundation.