Growing California Native Plants

Rating:
Summary: The Native Garden Primer
Review: Expressing my opinion of Mrs. Schmidt's book in words is like being asked to explain why I love my mother, my dog, ice cream or back rubs.

But that's because I'm a native plant enthusiast. To the lover of pansies and petunias, agapanthus and juniper, this book would hold little charm or interest.

However, if you have any interest in California natives, Mrs. Schmidt's book is essential to your gardening library. In it, Mrs. Schmidt shares with readers her years of experience gardening with California's garden-worthy native plants. Mrs. Schmidt discusses hundereds of trees, shrubs, ferns and wildflowers, detailing where each is found in the wild, the conditions it needs to flourish in the garden, and the plant combinations which will show it to greatest advantage. Mrs. Smith's writing is crisp, vibrant, and incorporates enough technical jargon to satisfy the botanists without alienating beginners.

Were I forced, at gunpoint, to make one criticism of the book, I would have to say that the color photographs are somewhat amateurish-looking. I have seen other books with prettier color plates, but have found none which rival Growing California Native Plants for its overall usefullness and enjoyability.

Rating:
Summary: The Native Garden Primer
Review: Expressing my opinion of Mrs. Schmidt's book in words is like being asked to explain why I love my mother, my dog, ice cream or back rubs.

But that's because I'm a native plant enthusiast. To the lover of pansies and petunias, agapanthus and juniper, this book would hold little charm or interest.

However, if you have any interest in California natives, Mrs. Schmidt's book is essential to your gardening library. In it, Mrs. Schmidt shares with readers her years of experience gardening with California's garden-worthy native plants. Mrs. Schmidt discusses hundereds of trees, shrubs, ferns and wildflowers, detailing where each is found in the wild, the conditions it needs to flourish in the garden, and the plant combinations which will show it to greatest advantage. Mrs. Smith's writing is crisp, vibrant, and incorporates enough technical jargon to satisfy the botanists without alienating beginners.

Were I forced, at gunpoint, to make one criticism of the book, I would have to say that the color photographs are somewhat amateurish-looking. I have seen other books with prettier color plates, but have found none which rival Growing California Native Plants for its overall usefullness and enjoyability.

Rating:
Summary: Very informative.
Review: This is an excellent book for using native plants in the garden. The only draw back is the lack of useful photographs. Other than that I would have given it 5 stars.