In a natural progression, The Gardener's Guide to Growing Peonies then moves on to cultivation of tree peonies and herbaceous peonies, including propagation by sexual and asexual means and cultivation in gardens. This chapter is brief, and perhaps more advice specifically aimed at the raising of peonies in particular areas of the globe, especially the U.S. and Great Britain, would have been more appropriate in a guide for gardeners. To the credit of the author, the general requirements for successful culture are discussed, so anyone who has several years experience gardening in a particular place can probably make use of the information presented.
"Peonies in the Garden" follows the
chapter on cultivation and is the only truly disappointing chapter
in this book. The perspectives offered, though they address a
broad geographic range compared to that in the chapter on cultivation,
are limited in number and some are anecdotal. For example, on
p. 37 the author gives us a short table of recommended varieties
"...based on my own experience and taste." (p.36)
This chapter breaks the otherwise good flow of this book.
This tendency to describe some plants or techniques anecdotally also is seen earlier in the author's self-inconsistent discussion of color charts: p. 9 "It is quite difficult to describe a colour in words. We all use the word scarlet, but how many of us could actually point it out in a garden?...colour charts ...by the British Colour Council...While extremely useful, the charts were not without fault and some colours, such as crimson, were clearly incorrect." A related flaw is the author's insistence on the use of locally used rather than more standard place names-e.g. Krym not Crimea.
The author gets back on track with a brief but complete chapter on diseases, pests, and cultural problems relevant for both American and British gardeners. This is followed by descriptions in chapters dealing with species of peonies, first tree peonies and then herbaceous peonies. Then come chapters on cultivars of the horticulturally important P. lactiflora cultivars and hybrids, cultivars and hybrids of tree peonies, tree-herbaceous peony hybrids, and sites in North America, Britain, Europe, Australia, and China for viewing peonies. Appendices provide a concise glossary, an excellent bibliography, a list of specific synonyms, and a list of peony sources from around the world.
All-in-all, The Gardener's Guide to Growing Peonies by Martin Page is admirable for its scope, dealing in a balanced way with both tree and herbaceous peonies and considering a wide geographic range. Gorgeous photography illustrates a large number of peonies in both garden settings and in more formally arranged plates. Of course, the subject matter of the photographs, peonies in their range of rich, vibrant colors, gives a distinct advantage. Even the dust jacket is magnificent, jumping out when the reader first sights the book.
This book would best serve those mentioned in the
title, gardeners, and for them it is highly recommended. It would
also fit well into the reading list for some introductory classes
such as floriculture or botany for horticulturists, and the excellent
photography would make this book a useful vehicle for exciting
students' interest in plants. The species descriptions
are good, though the taxonomic discussions may not be detailed
enough for a taxonomist. - Douglas
Darnowski, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois,
Urbana IL 61801