Kindle Free Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs

Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs

Author: Visit Amazon's Michael A. Dirr Page | Language: English | ISBN: 0881929018 | Format: PDF

Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs Description

From Booklist

*Starred Review* With beautiful, artistic photographs and succinct text, this volume is nearly as attractive as one of the gorgeous blossoming shrubs discussed within. Dirr has added another well-written and slickly produced book to his volumes on plants used in ornamental horticulture. This volume is filled with information for the gardener, landscape architect, and all those curious about the trees and shrubs they may encounter.The chatty descriptions incorporate information often limited to tables—disease resistance, size, shape, and zone hardiness as well as some history and taxonomy. These descriptions are accompanied by high-quality photographs. Reading the entries is educational as well as inspirational for readers. There are mentions of trends, such as the note that junipers are falling out of fashion but that potentillas are highly regarded in northern gardens. An appendix listing plants for specific needs and purposes is notable. Comments like “about the closest to red flowers but still not red” speak of Dirr’s passion for and delight in the trees and shrubs as well as his expertise. His personal experiences with particular species are forthrightly and sometime wryly noted: “They sit in the garden and look at me, never prospering.” With descriptions of 380 genera illustrated with 3,500 photographs, this is likely to become a standard reference for including trees and shrubs in gardens of all types. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. --Linda Scarth

Review

“Seasoned gardeners, landscape professionals including nursery and garden center personnel, designers, architects and enthusiastic beginners need look no further.”

(Erica Glasener)

“His book Manual of Woody Landscape Plants has been a go to reference around the office years so we're excited about his latest book.” (P Allen Smith PAllenSmith.com)

“A new gold-standard.… [R]efreshingly readable and personable for a reference manual. This book will be your personal Dr. Dirr ready and willing to advise you and your customers on the right plant for the right purpose.” (Ellen Wells GreenProfit Buzz)

“If you're the type of gardener who likes to settle in with big, fat reads over the winter, Dirr's 8-pound (I weighed it) "Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs" (Timber Press) could keep you occupied until April.” (Cindy McNatt OC Register)

“…[H]e grows or has grown many of the plants he writes about. Fortunately for the rest of us, his passion for plants continues and this book is bound to gain him even more fans.” (Erica Glasener EricaGlasener.com)

“Professor Michael A. Dirr is THE MAN when it comes to woody plants.  And I agree –‘smart, opinionated, comprehensive, wonderful’ - all true!” (Susan Harris GardenRant)

“A gorgeous updated version of the classic. Do you need it? Yes!” (Jane Millman Upstate Gardeners' Journal)

“Excellent and thorough coverage… I would recommend this book to any gardener seeking a definitive book on woody landscape plants for North America.” (Jessie Keith Working Mom's Garden Blog)

“Michael A. Dirr does not disappoint." (Nursery Management Magazine)

“Dirr has guided discerning gardeners for decades -- he has made the American landscape a better place.” (Adrian Higgins The Washington Post)

“The man we have all relied on for decades outdoes even himself in sussing out the woody-plant picture today.” (Margaret Roach AWayToGarden.com)

“Dirr has added another well-written and slickly produced book to his volumes on plants used in ornamental horticulture. Educational as well as inspirational…this  is likely to become a standard reference for including trees and shrubs in gardens of all types.” (Booklist)

“Long regarded as the nation’s foremost expert on trees and shrubs, Dr. Dirr… draws on his encyclopedic knowledge and years of personal experience with trees and shrubs.” (Better Homes and Gardens)

“For obsessed plant geeks, this 8-pound tome gives renowned Prof. Michael Dirr’s rundown on just about every woody plant you’d ever want to grow (and lots you wouldn’t.) It’s got color photos, too.” (George Weigel GeorgeWeigel.net)

“Whether you're a landscape designer or architect or just a garden enthusiast, you can't do without either of these (Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs and the Manual of Woody Landscape Plants) books.  The new Dirr Encyclopedia is a sheer delight, and way too long in coming!” (Jane Berger Garden Design Online)

“This is likely to become a standard reference for including trees and shrubs in gardens of all types. Highly recommended.” (Booklist)

"More like an arboreal expose than an encyclopedia, everyone who has something woody in their life needs to own a copy of this book…Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs helps us separate the dynamos from the dregs" (Cuttings)

“Dirr’s frank and often witty assessments make his works all the more special, unique, and fun to read.” (James B. Calkins The American Gardener)

The world of trees and shrubs is dealt with as thoroughly as anyone has done it before. (The Oregonian)

"This is an important and valuable book, truly Michael Dirr's magnum opus, and well worth the price." (Catriona Tudor Erler Smith Mountain Laker Magazine)

"Dirr... fills the text with fascinating information for the gardener, landscape architect, and all those curious about the trees and shrubs they may encounter." (Linda Scarth Booklist)

"Everything you will ever need or want to know about the...beauties in your own yard...is here." (Barbara Mahany Tri-Valley Herald)

"For any serious gardener, the expense of this book will be repaid many times over in the valuable advice and information it will impart, page by page and pound by pound.”

(Country Gardens)

See all Editorial Reviews

• Product Details
• Table of Contents
• Reviews

• Hardcover: 952 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (October 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881929018
• ISBN-13: 978-0881929010
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

I've been in love with Michael Dirr's brain since I was a student of his at U of I, Urbana in the 70's. Like other fans, I've got each addition of his "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants", the industry Bible. If your nursery or landscaper does NOT have a weather-beaten copy of the Manual in their shop or truck, DO NOT HIRE THEM!!! lol

I received advance notice of this book's release and placed an advance order, counting the days until arrival. And it's finally HERE<<<, in my hot little hands, and ready to be devoured and enjoyed.

Note: The weight of this book is NOT for the faint of heart. It must surpass 6-7 pounds, as a hard cover. The quality of the paper used for printing is of high quality; the way a high-priced coffee table book should look and feel.

The photos show a lifetime of passion by Dr. Dirr; this must be one of his proudest achievements, to place in ONE spot just some of the photos he's taken throughout his career. Crisp, clean and sharp; some show Autumn colour, flowers, and adult form, which will be invaluable to landscape services. When you are trying to impress upon a client just HOW BIG a certain tree will become and they don't believe you, THIS book will put that topic to rest.

This certainly does not replace the Manual of Woody Plants; it's a short cut with Dirr's usual pithy comments. There's adult size and zoning, with a paragraph or two about each genus and species, but you'll certainly need the Manual for more specifics.

What is missing from this book, which I was hoping was present but is not, is clear close-ups of terminal buds of the trees and shrubs.

The internet has removed the need for so many types of book. Between the online nursery descriptions and search engine image searches, you can find basic information on many types of plant, and that's often good enough.

However, things become tricky when you're trying to compare plants. For example, recently I wanted to plant a Spirea `Neon Flash', but all the nursery had was `Anthony Waterer'. Using the internet, the descriptions looked remarkably similar, to the point where I wondered whether I was dealing with the same plant under two different names (this happens a surprising amount in the plant world).

This is where a giant, thorough encyclopedia comes in handy.

Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs is a game-changer. Twice as thick as Dirr's most famous work, Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, it is crammed full of photos and deliciously blunt descriptions of each of the varieties listed. The book feels like a gift - the essence of Dirr, immortalized - and is clearly going to be the new must-have book for anyone serious about gardening.

The benefits of a comprehensive enclyclopedia like this are numerous. First, in my Spirea research, I was able to get a clear comparison between `Neon Flash' and `Anthony Waterer'. (If you're curious, `Neon Flash' is slightly shorter, much less wide, and doesn't have the tendency to develop cream-colored foliage reversions as does `Anthony Waterer' - in short, had I gone with the internet's advice I would have been pruning dear Anthony off his neighbors for years to come.)

Second, I trust Dirr. He's brutally sarcastic, thoughtful, and has no motive to make a plant sound better than it is (hello, nursery catalogs!).

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