A Guide to Species Irises is divided into a series of chapters, some of which have multiple authors. First come chapters with general information and then chapters which give information on particular species. The first is "The Iris in History" providing a brief but interesting examination, e.g. of the historic place of irises in the French coat of arms. Then comes a chapter on the cultivation of the genus Iris, a challenge since Iris contains members of such broad distribution and range of cultural requirements that it is possible to have irises in bloom continuously throughout the year in some climates. The chapter on chromosomes in the genus Iris follows with a discussion on the significance of those data for Iris taxonomy. The reader then comes to an identification guide for plants as they are received after purchase, considering bulbous irises, pseudobulbous irises, the subgenus Iris itself including bearded irises, evergreen irises, border irises, herbaceous irises, and miniature irises.
A simple and taxonomically obvious pattern is employed through the rest of the book, discussing each subgenus in turn; and within each subgenus, each section, series, and species, in descending taxonomic order. The bearded irises or pogons, subgenus Iris, come first, followed by subgenera Limniris, Nepalensis, Xiphium, Scorpiris, Hermodactyloides, and one putative species of undetermined classification. For each species described, the distribution is given along with a complete physical description. Cultural notes are included based on the literature and on the experience of the author of the species description or on the experience of others, usually drawn from the Species Group of the British Iris Society.
A list of references and a selective bibliography follows along with a handy glossary, which emphasizes iris biology. Maps of the geographic distribution of each section of each subgenus are given along with two types of illustrations. A botanical line drawing represents each section of each subgenus, and then a section with a total of 128 color photographs covers a similar taxonomic range.
In general, this volume is clearly and simply written with abundant useful information. Given the group from which its authors come, the information may be considered to be highly reliable. This is especially true since, as a group, they have done an excellent job of avoiding the trap of including only what would be of interest to British iris fans. The comments made about a given species or form tend to be objective, reasonable, and based on good evidence. This book makes a more advanced companion to the recent volume by Brian Matthew, reviewed in an earlier issue of the BSA Bulletin. Matthew is one of the authors of the volume considered at present. More color pictures, which are placed closer to the relevant text, are found in Matthew’s book, and many of the plants treated in A Guide to Species Irises would not be dealt with by the average amateur.
A Guide to Species Irises is strongly recommended for the professionals who are its intended audience, and it could be useful on the reading list for certain classes, especially advanced horticulture or taxonomy classes which deal with Iris. However this book would be of limited usefulness for introductory classes in these subjects, or in general botany, because of its scope and detail. University libraries should purchase a copy. - Douglas Darnowski, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana.
Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs Dirr, Michael A., 1997. ISBN 0-88192-404-0 (cloth US$69.95) 493 pp. Timber Press, Inc. 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527. Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs has a very simple format. In alphabetical order by genus and then species, hardy plants are presented along with relevant common name(s), followed by a paragraph or two describing the general habit of the plant, the size range for members of the species, foliage and fruit characteristics, and other relevant details. Important or notable cultivars are included where relevant. A very wide range of species is covered from osage orange (Maclura pomifera; Moraceae) to trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata; Rutaceae) to grape (Vitis spp.; Vitaceae). Finally, the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone rating is given along with the geographic area from which the plant was brought into cultivation. Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs concludes with sections including lists of plants with specific attributes useful for specific planting purposes such as salt tolerance or columnar habit, a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, and a metric conversion table.
One real flaw of this book is some of the unnecessary comments made by the author which are merely matters of personal taste rather than of objective fact. Of course he should point out various difficulties presented by a given plant species, such as susceptibility to fire blight, but some comments are pointless such as "I have never recommended, at least when conscious, a poplar." (p.291) After all: "The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm...if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and there would be no wild flowers to make the meadows gay." (The Story of a Soul, The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, trans. John Beevers, p.20, Image Books, 1957) This criticism should be taken with caution, since Dirr is not William Robinson, alienating many with vitriolic phrases. It is just that a few comments need not have been put into print.
Some other flaws exist in this otherwise fine volume. The pictures, which are highly touted by Timber Press, and which are very useful for plant identification and comparison, are mostly muted in tone. Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, often has brilliant, multi-hued fall coloration; with red, yellow, orange, and purple on the same branch; yet the picture on p. 228 is rather bland. This may be the fault of the reproductions made, rather than of the author’s photographs, but the reader cannot tell.
A few commercial details strike the reader as not completely accurate—the pawpaw, Asimina triloba, can be obtained from more than "specialty mail-order firms" (p.48) as can be seen from a look through some commonly available garden catalogs such as Burpee or Gurney’s. It would also be useful to have the plant family name listed in the entry for a given species, and unfortunately, this volume is too large to be conveniently transported for use outdoors. A smaller version would make a handy field guide for cultivated hardy woody plants.
All-in-all, Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs is an important and valuable reference work which no life sciences library should be without. The scope of the book and its eminent practicality make it useful for someone who is looking to make plans for their own landscape or for professionals in the trade. This volume belongs on the reading list of many courses such as those dealing with landscape architecture. Even students new to botany would find it a useful bridge between their immediate experience of plantings where they live and the study of plant biology. The limitation to plants which can be grown in at least some of USDA Zones 3-6 will reduce the usefulness of Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs especially for those in the Deep South and for some overseas readers. For example, the mild British climate will mean that many species useful there will not be found in this book. Even so, this book is a classic. - Douglas Darnowski, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana
Gardening With Climbers Grey-Wilson, Christopher, and Victoria Matthews, 1997. ISBN 0-88192-399-0 (cloth US$27.95) 160 pp. Timber Press, Inc. 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527. Yet, along with the good is the bad. The book has several problems with cold-hardiness data, an important feature for garden texts. It is great that hardiness is expressed in both degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. Yet, the most "Fully Hardy" category listed is "hardy to -5F", a temperature that highly underestimates the hardiness of many of the "fully hardy" plants listed. This may dissuade a northern gardener from choosing a perfectly suitable species. To top it off, there are "hardiness" errors. For example, the authors list Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Porcelain Ampelopsis) as hardy to only +23F. I am growing this plant in my garden where 10 below F is not uncommon. Michael Dirr, in the reputable Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Stipes Publishing Company), lists this plant as hardy to U.S. Zone 4 (equivalent to -20F). With all these "temperature" problems, the chapters "Temperate Deciduous Climbers", "Temperate Evergreen Climbers", and "Annual and Herbaceous Climbers" may group plants incorrectly for many locales in the United States.
This book also suffers from being caught between two types of books - your pretty "coffee table" garden book with lots of nice garden photos and some useful information - and an authoritative reference book that lists species by species, cultivar by cultivar, all with detailed descriptions. Here we have some horticulture and some botany, but neither is complete enough to be extremely useful. This may be a reflection of the joint authorship, which combines a botanist’s perspective (Christopher Grey-Wilson) with a horticulturist’s perspective (Victoria Matthews). If this type of book is what was intended, then the mission was accomplished. For this reviewer, it limits its usefulness. The horticulturist would not know the appearance of most of the listed plants, since the photos represent only of a fraction of the species and cultivars listed. Nor would they have any idea of pest problems, methods of propagation, etc. The botanist would be disappointed with the brief morphological descriptions. Assuming, as promoted, that the book was intended for gardeners, it would have been much wiser to list a few less plants, and describe and show the horticultural attributes of those that remained.
Nevertheless, if you have vacant vertical space in your garden and on your bookshelf this is still one of the best choices for a text devoted to climbing garden plants. If you can find photos of species that are not presented photographically and can verify the hardiness zones, I’m sure you’ll find this book of great value. Truthfully, I still thumb through it now and then thinking about those few walls I have left uncovered. I know that my potential choices have expanded well beyond the size of my house, now that I have been made aware of the hundreds of possibilities for Gardening with Climbers. - Michael Marcotrigiano, Department of Plant and Soil
Vireyas: A Practical Gardening Guide Kenyon, John, and Jacqueline Walker, 1997. ISBN 0-88192-402-4 (paper US$19.95) 96 pp., and The Succulent Garden: A Practical Gardening Guide Cave, Yvonne, 1997. ISBN 0-88192-378-8 (paper US$19.95) 104 pp., both from Timber Press, Inc. 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527. Vireyas begins after the Introduction by first defining vireyas as a group, and then by considering the cultivation of vireyas through history, at the present, and in the future. The authors then segue with a chapter on vireyas in their wild habitats, and then, since this is intended to be a practical guide, the longest chapter in the book devotes itself to the cultivation of vireyas outdoors, from general cultural requirements to pruning and propagation.
Vireyas indoors are then considered, followed by vireyas in the landscape. Sources of vireyas and gardens featuring them prominently are listed for the US, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. This breadth is commendable, though inclusion of more information on Asian gardens could be added in a second edition since most vireyas are native to countries other than Australia. Finally, the reader comes to a list of cultivars and species which are of interest to collectors. Colorful and informative photographs pepper the text, and the writing style is very clear. One limitation of Vireyas for the members of this society is vireyas’ lack of hardiness in much of North America, so for most Americans this book deals with what are greenhouse plants for much of the year.
The Succulent Garden brings a change from tropical vireyas, creating images of hot sand and fleshy leaves. Yvonne Cave begins by discussing what puts a plant in this botanically diverse group. She considers the cultivation of succulents followed by an examination of their use in landscaping. As with Vireyas, hardiness issues will limit the usefulness of the information in this book outside the greenhouse for many American readers. A discussion of companion plants for succulents and the raising of succulents in containers precedes consideration of the propagation of succulents, problems encountered in growing succulents, and a list of popular succulents. Some of the color photographs in The Succulent Garden are particularly striking, and the author has done an excellent job in producing the illustrations for her own book.
Vireyas is probably the stronger of the two of these additions to the Practical Gardening Guide Series from Timber Press, but that may have to do with the format of the series. Though there are three hundred species of vireyas, they form a more compact group for discussion than do succulents. That compactness lends itself well to the short format of this book series, making Vireyas valuable for a professional or amateur library. Vireyas by John Kenyon is a must-buy for professional botanists, while The Succulent Garden would make a good introduction to the topic for beginning students or amateurs new to this group of plants, though the number of botanical names used will leave them turning frequently to the list of succulents and to the index. - Douglas Darnowski, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana
Vandas: Their Botany, History, and Culture Motes, Martin, 1997. ISBN 0-88192-376-1 (cloth US$32.95) 188 pp. and Carnations and Pinks for Garden and Greenhouse: Their True History and Complete Cultivation Galbally, John, and Eileen Galbally, 1997. ISBN 0-88192-382-6 (cloth US$34.95) 104 pp., both from Timber Press, Inc. 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527. Carnations and Pinks for Garden and Greenhouse deals with the genus Dianthus, so the author begins by examining the individual species from this genus important for cultivation and their hybrids. Then the history of carnations and pinks is discussed, followed by the cultivars from various groups such as pinks and Malmaison carnations. General cultural information for indoor and outdoor growing follows, along with details for commercial cultivation and a consideration of pests and diseases. Finally, carnation and pink breeding concludes the book along with information on exhibition of the blooms. Appendices give the reader a list of monthly reminders; societies and suppliers in the US, UK, Europe, and New Zealand; and a USDA Plant Hardiness Zones map. A section of color plates clearly illustrates the various classes of carnations and pinks.
The writing in Carnations and Pinks for Garden and Greenhouse displays some flaws. The author is no shrinking violet when it comes to his own importance: "Records of the 1996 National Show reveal that I competed for all seven open-class border carnation trophies, won them all, and was unbeaten in 22 classes entered" (p.50). Unfortunately, the author also tends to ramble in the section on history. "Peter Fisher, born in Dowally, Perthshire, Scotland, and naturalized in the United States in 1893, started as an apprentice gardener at the age of 15 years. He was nicknamed ‘Honest Peter’ because of his principle to give value for money. It is said that when about to sow the seed that eventually became "Mrs. Thos. W. Lawson", Fisher realized it was 1 April (April Fool’s Day), so he postponed sowing until the following day" (p. 43). You really have to love carnations to care about that last fact.
In contrast to Carnations and Pinks for Garden and Greenhouse, Martin Motes’ Vandas Their Botany, History, and Culture is a much more compact and clearly written volume. The author succinctly takes the reader through the history of vandas, their botany, and the history of their hybridization. Various species important for breeding vandas are considered, including V. coerulea and Euanthe sanderiana. This species was formerly included in Vanda, and it continues to play an important role in the hybridization of that genus, justifying its inclusion in this book. New directions are proposed for Vanda breeding, and Vanda culture is described. Appendices which discuss troubleshooting Vanda culture and list all of the species in Vanda or formerly in Vanda round out the book along with a glossary. The figures catch the eye with their vivid colors.
Carnations and Pinks for Garden and Greenhouse will be of great value for professionals or experienced amateurs who are truly devoted to carnations and pinks, and its usefulness will extend over a wide geographic area. This book does not belong on the reading list of most university courses, perhaps with the exception of some advanced horticulture courses, because of its heavy emphasis on British growing conditions and supplies and the confusing nature of some of the text, especially the history chapters. While Vandas Their Botany, History, and Culture is the better written of the two books considered here, its audience may be more limited. It deals with a smaller group of plants, with fewer growers, particularly within the geographic scope of the BSA. Even so, Vandas Their Botany, History, and Culture should be included on the reading lists of appropriate advanced courses in fields such as floriculture, and it makes a valuable addition to university libraries, the personal collections of academic and trade professionals, and the libraries of interested amateurs. - Douglas Darnowski, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana
with Climbers is no exception. The quality of photos, paper, and page layout are so good, it is hard to believe this 160 page text with 198 color photos retails for just $27.95. This book is one of the better I’ve seen with regard to covering the vast array of hardy, half hardy, and annual climbers that can be used in the landscape. It contains some discussion on plant selection, training, and pruning, although the subjects are not covered at depth. There are interesting chapters that contain diagrams and discussion on the methods of climbing, maintenance calendars for specific types of climbers, structures suitable for climbing, training and pruning tips, seasons of interest, and unique and useful discussion on co-planting species to attain a longer season of interest. One very useful addition is a "code symbol" for pruning type at the base of each page, that refers to plants on that page. Symbols near each plant or plant type are given for correct light exposure, and minimum temperature tolerance.
Motes deals with the genus Vanda (Orchidaceae), which he believes to deserve more attention than it receives today. Also considered are close relatives which were at one time placed in that genus and which are still important for the breeding of new Vanda hybrids. Carnations and Pinks for Garden and Greenhouse by John Galbally with Eileen Galbally deals extensively with a widely popular group of flowers from the perspective of someone who observed much of its modern history. It should be noted that John Galbally died during preparation of this book, so his wife Eileen finished the preparation of the manuscript. The voice used is still John’s, as the text often refers to "my wife," so the reviewer will refer to John Galbally as the author.