The Trouble with Plants: Tales of Trivia and Tribulation from an English GardenThe Trouble with Plants is unique. Out has gone the traditional recipe for a garden plant guide, plant directory or plant encyclopaedia of compiling a plant's cultural details into a dry and dusty list, decorating with a stock colour photograph, and repeating for 10,000 plants. Instead here's a book that pioneers a radical new recipe for each of maybe 200 popular plants from 100 or so genera. To a simple base of cultural details add the author's personal experience of growing them. Stir in a generous measure of trivia, either directly or peripherally connected to the name, folklore, history and usage of the genus. Spice with a dash of the author's own wry perspective, and serve in digestible portions. The result is destined to please the palate of most gardeners, and perhaps even some non-gardeners too. |
Contents
How to Become a Plantaholic | 1 |
Whats in a Name? | 7 |
Abelia | 11 |
Acanthus | 13 |
Acer | 15 |
Agapanthus | 18 |
Alchemilla | 20 |
Amelanchier | 22 |
Lavandula | 116 |
Lilium | 118 |
Lobelia | 120 |
Lobularia | 122 |
Lonicera | 123 |
Lychnis | 125 |
Macleaya | 127 |
Magnolia | 129 |
Artemisia | 24 |
Aster | 26 |
Astilbe | 28 |
Aucuba | 30 |
Berberis | 32 |
Bergenia | 34 |
Brachyglottis | 36 |
Buddleja | 38 |
Buxus | 40 |
Camellia | 42 |
Campanula | 44 |
Ceanothus | 46 |
Centranthus | 48 |
Choisya | 50 |
Chrysanthemum | 52 |
Cistus | 54 |
Clarkia | 56 |
Clematis | 58 |
Cordyline | 61 |
Cornus | 63 |
Cotinus | 65 |
Cotoneaster | 67 |
Crocosmia | 68 |
Crocus | 70 |
Daphne | 72 |
Digitalis | 74 |
Dorotheanthus | 76 |
Eucalyptus | 77 |
Euonymus | 79 |
Euphorbia | 81 |
Fatsia | 84 |
Fritillaria | 86 |
Fuchsia | 87 |
Geranium | 89 |
Hebe | 91 |
Hedera | 94 |
Helichrysum | 96 |
Heuchera | 97 |
Heucherella | 99 |
Hyacinthus | 100 |
Hypericum | 101 |
Impatiens | 103 |
Iris | 104 |
Jasminum | 107 |
Juniperus | 110 |
Lamium | 112 |
Laurus | 114 |
Malus | 131 |
Mentha | 133 |
Mimulus | 135 |
Narcissus | 136 |
Nicotiana | 139 |
Origanum | 141 |
Osteospermum | 143 |
Ozothamnus | 145 |
Pachysandra | 147 |
Paeonia | 148 |
CONTENTS | 149 |
Pelargonium | 150 |
Penstemon | 151 |
Petroselinum | 153 |
Petunia | 155 |
Philadelphus | 156 |
Phlox | 158 |
Phormium | 160 |
Photinia | 162 |
Pittosporum | 164 |
Polystichum | 166 |
Potentilla | 168 |
Prunus | 170 |
Pyracantha | 173 |
Rheum | 175 |
Rhododendron | 178 |
Rhus | 181 |
Rosa | 183 |
Rosmarinus | 186 |
Salvia | 188 |
Sedum | 191 |
Skimmia | 193 |
Sorbus | 195 |
Spiraea | 197 |
Tagetes | 199 |
Thymus | 201 |
Trachelospermum | 203 |
Tradescantia | 205 |
Tulipa | 207 |
Viburnum | 210 |
Vinca | 212 |
Vitis | 214 |
Weigela | 216 |
Wisteria | 218 |
Yucca | 220 |
Common terms and phrases
American annuals appear attractive autumn become berries blue border botanist bright British called century close collection colour common name contains couple course cultivars cultivated dark deciduous derived designer discovered early evergreen example fact fence flowers foliage French frost full sun garden centres genus give given golden Greek green grow growth happy hard hardy height herbal hybrid interesting it’s Italy known landscaper late later leaf least leaves less look means medicinal moved native nature never North once original perennials perhaps pink plant probably produce pruning purple range reached recently reference replaced roots rose seed seems shade shrubs simply soil species specimens spread spring stems suffer suggest summer supposed there’s things tree turn varieties whilst white flowers widely winter yellow