The Southern Living Garden Book

Rating:
Summary: The Southern Living Garden Book - A great reference.
Review: As a new gardener, I have often been befuddled and confused when it comes to choosing plant materials for a garden in the Deep South. The Southern Living Garden Book has become my most reached for reference when choosing plant materials. The book includes helpful listings of plants grouped by type (trees, shrubs, vines) recommended site, color or bloom period. Detailed plant and cultivation information is indexed by latin name in the second section. It's a great guide for gardeners new to the South. I am very glad I purchased this book and know it will save me both the money I would have spent on plants that might not enjoy our hot, sultry summers and the heartache of losing that prized plant I might have purchased.

Rating:
Summary: Good reference guide
Review: First of all, anything by Steve Bender has got to be good. This man knows the art of southern gardening like the back of his hand and is my favorite writer along with Felding. As a long time southern gardener I can tell all new comers to the south to get this book and bypass all the mistakes usually made down here. You won't be sorry and it will become a bible of gardening for you...Deb

Rating:
Summary: Landscape Architect loves it
Review: I have many garden books, but none is as complete for southern gardeners. This book is more than just an overview. It does a great job of giving the different characteristics of the many varieties of each plant listing. Very up to date. Useful for professionals and weekend gardeners.

Rating:
Summary: Landscape Architect loves it
Review: I have many garden books, but none is as complete for southern gardeners. This book is more than just an overview. It does a great job of giving the different characteristics of the many varieties of each plant listing. Very up to date. Useful for professionals and weekend gardeners.

Rating:
Summary: First-class book! Must-have for southern gardeners!
Review: I live in the Piney Woods, north of Houston, and I think this book is invaluble. I wish I had had it 30 years ago. The book is sort of like a little portable arboretum. If you garden in the South (upper, middle, lower, coastal, or tropical), you will LOVE it. It gives you reliable infomation about what will grow and what is wishful thinking. It is also great for what it doesn't waste time on, e.g., it does not use up space telling you how to winterize your roses or the best varieties of lilacs or how to make cold frames. It does, however, go into great detail about that things that matter to us Southerners, such as azaelas, and it has a wonderful section on "Southern Heritage" plants. It has useful warnings about plants that can get rampant. It has great pictures. I use this book frequently (more than once a week) and I am giving it as gifts.

Rating:
Summary: Good reference guide
Review: I use this book as a reference guide when deciding what new plants to buy. I would have given it five stars, except the book does not have a lot of information and recommendations on techniques for gardening in the south. However, the alphabetical reference section on plants is great.

Rating:
Summary: Must-have for Landscape Architects (especially students)
Review: This is the most complete resource I have found, covering annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, grasses and ferns, all in one easy-to-handle volume. Most plant books are huge, heavy hardbacks difficult to carry in a backpack and only address one subject. This is my bible for planting design, as the sections in the front of the book on "Plants for Shade", "Drought-Tolerant Plants", etc. are very helpful in reminding me what plants to use where. However, this book might not be very helpful to amateur gardeners whose knowledge of plants may be limited, as it does not offer suggestions of attractive and successful plant combinations. Also, I wish that Southern Living would publish an updated addition with more recent varieties of plants.

Rating:
Summary: Must-have for Landscape Architects (especially students)
Review: This is the most complete resource I have found, covering annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, grasses and ferns, all in one easy-to-handle volume. Most plant books are huge, heavy hardbacks difficult to carry in a backpack and only address one subject. This is my bible for planting design, as the sections in the front of the book on "Plants for Shade", "Drought-Tolerant Plants", etc. are very helpful in reminding me what plants to use where. However, this book might not be very helpful to amateur gardeners whose knowledge of plants may be limited, as it does not offer suggestions of attractive and successful plant combinations. Also, I wish that Southern Living would publish an updated addition with more recent varieties of plants.