Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150572 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-03
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

The Sunday Times, October 2005
A cheerfully written book for those who love statement plants, it has clear photographs and lots of advice for gardeners

Country Life, November 2005
This is the book to keep as a vade mecum for nursery visits.

Synopsis
A definitive guide to the spectacular world of architectural plants, packed with practical advice on how to liven up your garden using the striking shapes and wonderful exoticism of this distinct new area of planting. Whether amateur or expert, this superb book is essential reading for any gardener looking for something a bit special to grow. This area of horticulture is fast becoming popular with people keen to experiment and incorporate new ideas for their gardens. Architectural plants, though unusual in appearance and often of tropical origin, prove easy to grow and maintain in this country. And most plants being evergreen, their presence in the garden is felt all year round. The book is a comprehensive guide to the broad range of architectural plants, from spiky agaves and yuccas to succulent sempervivums, dramatic palms and graceful bamboos. Packed with specialist, yet user-friendly information on soil assessment, drainage and cultivation methods, it is ideal for people who are eager to learn more about these species and how best to grow them. Architectural Plants offers a stimulating look at alternative and innovative ways to create a vibrant garden display.

Customer Reviews

an impressive volume
Collins certainly think this a subject worth cashing in on, as there are 3 books in print called "Architectural Plants", all by Christine Shaw.

The Collins Gem version has a brief introduction to a selection of species.

The Collins Practical Gardener version goes into more depth.

Then we have the hardback "Architectural Plants", which is the one to go for. Here Shaw covers a very impressive range of plants, some familiar, some bizarre, some very rare indeed. As many of these plants are from warm climates there's an abundance of growing advice and tips on winter protection in cold areas.

Each plant has a full page to itself, with a witty and rather personal account of the plant's personality. It's therefore not so much of an encyclopedia, as it's the author's selection of plants included here, so for example you don't get a description of lots of different species in the same genus, more like one or two.

There are a few things which irritate the pedant in me, for example the way the author constantly refers to Ophiopogon as a grass (it isn't, it's a member of the lily family), but overall it's a lovely book, well written and researched and one of the best on the subject for the UK gardener.

Witty and informative
One can view this book as hefty brochure for the Architectural Plants nurseries, as almost all the plants are available from the nurseries and several of the photos are also from the Nuthurst and Chichester sites. What saves the book from being solely a promotional tool is the extremely witty and informative commentary from Christine Shaw. The shorter paperback version is still the best value for money purchase, but this new hardback is an attractive and useful guide to the cultivation of plants that are still new to the average British gardener. Hopefully, it will inspire one or two rose bushes to be discarded and a couple of pseudopanaxes planted in their place!

The best book for tropical gardening in the uk!
I truly believe this to be the best book I have seen on the subject!

While called Architectural plants- this book is a real find for those of us who grow tropical or tender plants outside in the uk.

When looking around at the choice of books available to the exotic gardener (The Exotic Gardener or Large leaved Perennials by Myles Chalis, The New Exotic Garden by Will Giles) there really isnt a better book to be found on the subject as this one.

While Will Giles book does have some useful pictures shoing how to propagate and protect plants over winter i found his book aimed at the US market and much lacking on individual information on individual species- The written text in the book also ran into long ramblimg paragraphs with no real division between species. Myles Challis' books although useful are old now and need to be updated.

This book not only shows you how to propagate and protect the plants over winter in easy to understand pictures, but give help on propagation, care and maintenance, choosing, and planting combinations.

For example there are a series of photos showing how to propagate Arundo donax and Agave americanum, How to protect a banana, cordyline and tree fern over winter, or growing Canna indica from seed.

The second half of the book is solely for information on individual plant species. The part is divided up into different groups ie grasses and bamboos, palms and ferns, spikey and succulent plants etc.

Each species has a page devoted to itself with indepth information about habits, growth, and useful information. Each species is given at least 1 colour photo (a few of these really need to be redone though- awful composition!). A useful table is included on each page showing major points regarding soil, site, watering, general care and pests and diseases. I found this by far the most reader friendly book when trying to find information about the plant. The descriptions were informative and interesting making you want to read the book from cover to cover- unlike a lot of plant books which make you flick from page to page.

I was especially impressed with the choice of plants in this book while most books only cover the quite standard, Trachycarpus, Musa, Phormium, Dicksonia, Zantedeschia, Agave americanum, Yucca gloriosa route when describing tropical plants- this book introduces you to some real choice species. I was especially impressed with the choice in the Spiky and succulent and tree sections.

The book ends with a couple of pages of truble shooting flow diagrams and a couple of pages on pests and diseases, which while useful the information did not really add anything special to the book that you could not find in another gardening book.

I honestly think this book is really worth its price- while no book could contain all the species you would want- this book is easy to read, and nicely laid out and goes by far the furthest in my opinion of being the best book on the subject I have seen.

Review based on the paper back version.