Reviews
This is a plantsman's book, written for plant-lovers. ... There is no better source of information and inspiration than this volume., Hinkley ... addresses his plant-collection procedures and standards to assure readers he's taken pains to avoid introducing pests, diseases or invasive species., "This is just the kind of information we need to know ... It is experienced guidance in choosing amongst the hosts of available plants."--Valerie Easton, Pacific Horticulture, Winter 2000, What sets Dan apart from the crowd is his understanding of how to grow plants well. His careful observations of plants in the wild give this book an edge and provide us with a better understanding of how to cultivate many of these wonderful shrubs and vines., Hinkley addresses his plant-collection procedures and standards to assure readers he's taken pains to avoid introducing pests, diseases or invasive species., The armchair traveler will relish the quotes from [Hinkley's] travel journal which introduce each chapter; the horticulturalist will be caught up in the text, which describes the origins and hybrids of an array of perennials., Hinkley has written a delightful and very informative book. ...Uncommon but striking species...are presented with descriptions that convey why they have so thoroughly charmed the author. Many beautifully-printed color photographs are an additional, powerful attraction for the reader....Highly recommended., [Dan Hinkley's] depth of knowledge, breadth of humor, and exuberant love for all things green -- or, for that matter, variegated -- translate well to the printed page, making this intriguing and informative new volume a must-have for anyone who wants to know more about unusual garden plants., Scores of exciting plants still await wider use by gardeners, and The Explorer's Garden is a masterful guide to this cornucopia., "This would be a diverting read on chilly nights to come, when we can share, from a safe distance, Hinkley's "near-lunatic" passion for exotic plants and places.", "The Ogdens put plants first when designing gardens and have assembled a photo-rich book filled with plant ideas, where they'd best flourish and in what kind of gardens. Their holistic approach embraces people, places and the natural world." , Hinkley, like all serious gardeners, knows that to understand how a plant behaves you must first see how it grows in its native environment., [Hinkley] traps us with his eloquent, spot-on descriptions as cleverly as a Dutchman's pipe bloom lures, traps, then releases its pollinators., What sets Dan apart from the crowd is his understanding of how to grow plants well. His careful observations of plants in the wild give this book an edge and provide us with a better understanding of how to cultivate many of these wonderful shrubs and vines., His writing is a fine balance of sensitive description, story-telling, and hands-on knowledge of the plants, flavoured with the excitement of discovery., Hinkley is in the old breed of plant-hunter, one who hoofs about the globe with little more than a trowel and a trusty leather carry-all to hold his botanic treasures., More than just a handy reference, it's a compete guide to the plants he's discovered in his explorations., To review a book so meticulously compiled and so competently and wonderfully written is hardly a challenge. No biting criticisms are needed here. Quite simply, this book stands far and away from a(n)... ever-burgeoning mass of garden-oriented books....Even the omnipresent hardy geraniums are treated unconventionally, exposing the reader to new and unfamiliar cultivars....In short, buy this book for your horticultural library. Buy it for your friends. Buy it for Lynn Harrison's (and Dan's) sumptuous, flawless, and artistic photography. Buy it so Dan can write the follow-up woody plant volume! Most of all, however, buy this book to gain a better understanding of our lone planet's marvelous and awe-inspiring plant diversity and of each constituent species' uniqueness--this all contributing to a constant enrichment of our gardens., What the reader of this book gets is quality first-hand information from someone who has observed the plants in the wild and grown them in the garden, all spiced with wit and insightful opinion., The Ogdens put plants first when designing gardens and have assembled a photo-rich book filled with plant ideas, where they'd best flourish and in what kind of gardens. Their holistic approach embraces people, places and the natural world., Through his poetic writing, Hinkley s passion for discovering great plants and facilitating their introduction to mainstream horticulture is evident on each page a must-have for plant collectors., It is hard to imagine that anyone other than Hinkley, who has personally grown more than 9000 plants (and most of those included in this book), could offer better advice on hardiness, cultivation, and propagation., Through his poetic writing, Hinkley's passion for discovering great plants and facilitating their introduction to mainstream horticulture is evident on each page ... a must-have for plant collectors., Graced by the author's formidable knowledge of botany, the book promises to satisfy the most demanding tendencies of today's gardener.
Table of Content
Foreword by Roy Lancaster 9 Preface 13 Acknowledgments 19 Introduction 21 Chapter 1 Woodland Ranunculids: Anemone, Anemonella, Anemonopsis, Ranunculus, Trollius, and Glaucidium 27 Chapter 2 On the Vine: The Climbing Aconites 54 Chapter 3 Berries and Bugbanes: Actaea, Beesia, and Cimicifuga 60 Chapter 4 Hepatica: Liverworts and Island Treasures 76 Chapter 5 Beyond Frilly Filler: The Genus Thalictrum 85 Chapter 6 Berberidaceous Botany 94 Chapter 7 Corydalis: Jewels in Many Hues 124 Chapter 8 Woodland Poppies 137 Chapter 9 Rheums with a View: The Ornamental Rhubarbs 152 Chapter 10 Cuckoo for Cardamine: Cardamine, Pachyphragma, and Wasabia 164 Chapter 11 Triosteum 176 Chapter 12 The Herbaceous Aralias 180 Chapter 13 The Ubiquitous Umbellifers 184 Chapter 14 Herbaceous Hydrangeas: Cardiandra, Deinanthe, and Kirengeshoma 200 Chapter 15 Singular Saxifrages: Chrysosplenium, Mukdenia, and Peltoboykinia 208 Chapter 16 Bodacious Bounty: Rodgersia and Darmera 216 Chapter 17 The Prickly Rhubarbs: Gunnera 226 Chapter 18 The Lesser Lathyrus 233 Chapter 19 Far and Away from 'Johnson's Blue': The Hardy Geraniums 241 Chapter 20 Shrieking Solanoids: Mandragora and Scopolia 259 Chapter 21 Starry Charms: Omphalodes and Myosotidium 264 Chapter 22 Comely Composites: Syneilesis and Ainsliaea 271 Chapter 23 Birthworts and Wild Gingers: Asarum and Saruma 276 Chapter 24 Enchanting Jacks: Arisaema and Pinellia 288 Chapter 25 The Wooded Lilies: Fairy Bells and Solomon's Seals 308 Chapter 26 Gargantuan Lilies: The Genus Cardiocrinum 342 Chapter 27 Boggy Beauties: Helonias and Heloniopsis 346 Chapter 28 Paris in the Springtime: The Genera Paris, Trillidium, and Scoliopus 348 U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Map 359 Mail-Order Sources of Plant Material 360 Glossary 363 Bibliography 367 Index 369
