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What makes this remarkable is these are all people who have garnered considerable expertise.\u00a0 While focused on the UK, this is an advantage to Pacific Northwest gardeners, as most of the plants will thrive here, too.<\/p>\nLeafing through the pages of any popular gardening magazine, you\u2019ll find authors extolling their favorite plant.\u00a0 Scale that up to a whole book of top picks and you have \u201cWhat Gardeners Grow: 600 Plants Chosen by the World\u2019s Greatest Plantspeople.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is quite unlike any other title in the Miller Library collection.\u00a0 There are over 200 authors.\u00a0 Each bringing their own voice to describing their choicest garden plant.\u00a0 Or, in some cases, two or three favorites.\u00a0 A light hand of editing allows the writers to extol, rant, describe in detail, or rely on esthetic impressions \u2013 much like you\u2019d expect in a casual conversation with your NHS buddies.<\/p>\n
What makes this remarkable is these are all people who have garnered considerable expertise.\u00a0 While focused on the UK, this is an advantage to Pacific Northwest gardeners, as most of the plants will thrive here, too.<\/p>\n
Speaking for the publisher Bloom (for Frances Lincoln), commissioning editor Zena Alkayat writes, \u201cthe motley collection of plant descriptions [are] all written especially for this book and listed in no particular order.\u201d\u00a0 This random layout could be frustrating \u2013 or delightful, depending on your preference and perhaps your mood.<\/p>\n
Each author includes insights to best growing techniques, and a sidebar fills in season, size, soil, exposure, and hardiness needs.\u00a0 But most important is what excites the writer.<\/p>\n
A good example is provided by Neil Miller, the head gardener at Hever Castle and Gardens who describes the pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana<\/em>): \u201cI love exotic and tropical plants and this is the nearest you\u2019re going to get to growing these in the UK.\u00a0 The plant has beautiful, orchid-style, edible, cherry-red and white flowers with silver green leaves, and delicious fruits that taste of pineapples, apples, strawberries and mint!\u201d<\/p>\n To enhance this description is an illustration by Melanie Gandyra.\u00a0 Through the book are many of these paintings that while botanically accurate, are soften in a style reminiscent to me of fabric illustrations.\u00a0 The colors are especially vivid.<\/p>\n This book is fun!\u00a0 Best for stimulating your imagination rather than as a reference source.\u00a0 Perfect for flipping through on a warm summer afternoon.<\/p>\n Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on May 13, 2024<\/p>\n Published in Garden Notes: Northwest Horticultural Society<\/em>, Summer 2024<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Leafing through the pages of any popular gardening magazine, you\u2019ll find authors extolling their favorite plant.\u00a0 Scale that up to a whole book of top picks and you have \u201cWhat Gardeners Grow: 600 Plants Chosen by the World\u2019s Greatest Plantspeople.\u201d This is quite unlike any other title in the Miller Library collection.\u00a0 There are over 200 authors.\u00a0 Each bringing their own voice to describing their choicest garden plant.\u00a0 Or, in some cases, two or three favorites.\u00a0 A light hand of…<\/p>\n