Synopses & Reviews
Bamboos are valued for their attractive culms, year-round foliage, and ability to add serenity to any garden scene. They add style to a garden and are ideal for screening eyesores and buffering noise. But the key to success is careful selection.
Practical Bamboos features the 50 best bamboos based on appearance and usefulness. A handy checklist allows readers to pick plants that are right for them at a glance. A section on using bamboo in the garden covers topics such as incorporating bamboos in the mixed border, using them to create Japanese-style or Mediterranean-style gardens, using them for hedges and edging, establishing them in containers, choosing the right ones for difficult places, and selecting the best plants for small gardens or waterside planting.
Gardeners new to bamboo will relish the imaginative design and landscaping ideas and feel inspired to take a chance on a dynamic, rewarding plant.
Review
"Whittaker's engaging writing style and his personal observations make this book a pleasure to read." Andy Benham
Review
"Practical Bamboos is a great guide for bamboo-lovers, who get 175 pages with photos and glossary. For bamboo-haters, Whittaker outlines three ways to control or eliminate out-of-control bamboo." Philadelphia Inquirer
Review
"Recommended for all gardeners in the applicable zones who are interested in trying these plants." Library Journal
Review
"This book provides a great introduction to the subject, but even the expert will find much to entertain and enlighten." The Garden
About the Author
Hailing from Lancashire, Paul Whittaker has worked in horticulture for almost thirty years as a nurseryman, landscaper and consultant. A regular exhibitor at Royal Horticultural Society shows, he has won many gold medals for his legendary foliage displays. Dedicated to the promotion and understanding of these special plants, Paul Whittaker contributes articles to gardening magazines, lectures widely and holds workshops and events at his nursery and garden. As a member of the RHS woody plant committee, he works tirelessly to increase general horticultural knowledge and also judges exhibits at the major horticultural shows in the U.K. Paul lives in Norfolk, England with his wife, Diana, three teenage offspring and two labradors.