Rating: 
Summary: Heavy Stuff!
Review: ...So I get home, make my dinner, and camp out in my favorite easy chair for my nightly dinner read. Unfortunately, this book was soooo heavy, I couldn't balance it very well. It was uncomfortable on my lap (and the print was too small to read from there), but holding it up was a chore. I actually sprained my wrist trying to find a comfortable way to read this book!What I did manage to see during that first viewing was impressive....It's still a bit like not knowing how to spell a word, but trying to look it up in the dictionary. Unless you have some idea of what you might be dealing with, you may not find the right article. On the plus side, there are many, many pictures, not just one for a whole family of plants. Few varieties don't have a decent illistration. And the descriptions are very concice. If you're not sure what a term means, it's easy to find a definition. Now if I could just find a way to read this book without hurting my wrist! They should have really broken this encyclopedia into multiple volumes -- volumes that would be easier to hold while reading...All in all, ...I'd still have to say this is a great value, and an essential book for anybody interested in more than marigolds and roses...
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST for the gardener...Novice or pro!
Review: Although I'm rather new to serious gardening, the A-Z Encyclopedia from The Horticultural Society is a MUST HAVE ! Most of the information overwhelmed me at first but I was able to research my garden plants for this summer and hope to have a full season of color.
The local University Horticultural Dept. had said " If you own only one reference book on garden plants, this is the bible of gardeners ". Pictures are beautiful and the cross referenced index from common to scientific is very easy to use.
Don't be scared off by the price tag because it's truly worth the money. Only draw-back is that it's so heavy you'll need a solid surface to ponder through it.
Rating:
Summary: The (almost) definative plant book.
Review: An excellent book that I would definitely recommend. The only downside I noticed is that it is missing a few trees I was looking up, and the common-name index, although good, is not quite complete.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for gardeners of ornamental plants!
Review: Easily one of the nicest tomes for those looking for a book chock full of plants, all listed by their botanical latin. With plenty of full-color illustrations, special sections on various garden styles, and details of items such as propagation and pests, it is one book every serious gardener should have. My only beef is that it does not list enough of the common names. I feel that the book should have an index that lists as many of the common names to speed up those of us not versed in Latin.
Rating:
Summary: the most comprehensive plant resource book I've ever used
Review: Even in winter I've found joy in gardening. This book is the most comprehensive plant resource book I have ever used. This book is more than a resource book, however. It is a book for dreaming. With the beautiful and abundant illustrations this book offers, it allows me to relive my summer garden and dream of the years ahead. I've spent many delightful hours just browsing through the pages.
Anyone who is considering purchasing this book will not be disappointed, it is an ambrosia for the senses.
Don't forget to fortify your mailbox, with over a thousand pages, this book is heavy!
Rating:
Summary: Essential Reference
Review: Ever seen a plant or flower in a magazine and wondered what it was or if you could grow it in your climate? Well your problems are solved. I have been able to find any flower or plant I've been looking for. It is quite impressive. Expensive I know, but for a reason. This book is just about as all inclusive as any single volume can be. A+++++
Rating:
Summary: IF YOU CAN['T FIND IT HERE...YOU DON'T NEED IT!
Review: First of all, I do not live in the U.S.A. but American or Canadian, this book is still a wealth of knowledge. My husband is the avid gardener; I am the self-professed "plant expert" who reads tons of books and follows attentively behind proclaiming appreciative "oohs and aah's" and uttering words of wisdom, like "why the ---- did you plant the lilac tree over there?" Finally, after much puffing and panting, when he has roots firmly planted in the ground, I conjure up brilliant, creative ideas, "well, I think...just maybe, I would like to see what it looks like over by the fence." Around this time he patiently asks, "Why don't you read a book or go.... shopping, dear?" I guess there are worse places he could suggest I go. As for this book, it will make the shopping trip worth while. Whether you are looking for just the right plant for the shade, a climber for the fence, or trying to identify an unknown perennial, this l-a-r-g-e book contains tons of info. If you are a beginner, here is your opportunity to read and learn. If you are an expert, well, even experts can still learn. If you, and not the rose bush, are the pain in your partner's side, you can always sit back in the lawn chair after he/she reaps the rewards gained from this book and silently say to yourself...."See, I told you it would look better over there." This book is, without question, an extensive book, but worth it's weight in gold.
Rating:
Summary: First Class!
Review: Hands down the most comprehensive compilation of information on plants I have come across. Very well organized. Lot's of photos. Tells you everything you need to kmow about a plant you are researching. Highly recommend as a resource for looking up plants and identifying plant needs.
Rating:
Summary: Plant Encyclopedia is limited.
Review: I agree that many species and cultivars are listed, but (and this is very important to gardeners in the "Zombie Zones", i.e., the lower midwest (zones 5 and 6)), there is no specific information about pest and disease resistance. The reference may state that resistant cultivars are available, but does not note which ones they are. This is a real problem. I also found lacking important information regarding plants that might technically be hardy in a given zone but do not tolerate abrupt temperature or moisture changes, and so forth. Also, invasive plants are included but not noted for the tendency, nor for which regions of the country. Neither are native species well-delineated. This is a very British-oriented sort of book, which may be sufficient for the old-fashioned, but for the gardener who admires our regional North American landscapes and is considerate of our native species, this book is of limited use.
Rating: 
Summary: The Title of this Book VERY Misleading
Review: I bought this relying on the title to reveal the contents. This book is angled toward Americans, and it lists the AHS hardiness zones, the common names used in the States and such; but beware, this is book is not written by Americans. Check the credentials of the editors, which is given straight off in the front of the book. The information contained within is very good, but clearly lifted from the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society). This will be apparent when the text is studied. I was disappointed. When will the AHS come out with a real "American" reference? Why must we keep using foreigners as our experts, dear AHS? We have AMERICAN experts. Use them.
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