Timber Press Pocket Guide to Hostas

by Mike Shadrack and Diana Grenfell

Book Overview

Boasting diverse leaf shape, size, color, and texture, it is no wonder that hostas continue to reign as the most popular perennial plants in North America. Not only are they the supreme plant for shade, but they also can be used in the landscape either as striking specimen plantings or as accommodating companion plants. Few pests bother them, and little maintenance is required, making hostas even more attractive to busy gardeners. Each year a staggering...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 088192847X
• ISBN13: 9780881928471
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A must have

This book is well organized and concise. It features more than 800 hostas with 302 photographs. Included are many new cultivars. It can easily be taken with you when visiting nurseries. This is an excellent book for the new gardner as well as the experienced collector. Among the information given is a glossary of terms and an easy index. Regarding individual hostas, it gives an approximate size and habit, a complete plant description, as well as comments regarding light requirements and location for optimal garden usage. This book has become a constant companion.

Excellent book for the purpose it serves

This is a wonderful little book. Excellent photos, and qutie comprehensive. However, it is not intended to be a treatise or all-inclusive book, so of course it doesn't have every last detail about every hosta every registered. It's portability is espcially appreciated, as it can easily be taken along on hosta hunting expeditions. Highly recommended.

Great book

This book is most helpful for the beginner and the "hostaholic". All the important cultivars are listed, plus many more expensive ones that the avid collector can strive to find. Lots of helpful tips and ideas on growing, displaying and collecting. It is a great field guide and great book to have on hand in your garden. AAAA rated by Cheryl's Gardens.

Awesome book

Love this book. During my hostas shopping I will carry this book along with me. Beautiful photos!!

Grenfell & Shadrack: Pocket Guide to Hostas

This is another in the continuing series of Pocket Guides being published by Timber Press, more or less based on TP's comprehensive collection of authoritative books on a wide variety of gardening and horticultural subjects. This volume, stemming from Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack's classic reference tome published in 2004, "The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas," will appeal to all gardeners and nursery people interested in hostas and want to know more about them. In addition to being up to date with the inclusion of over 70 new introductions, it lists the tried and tested classic hostas enjoyed in numerous large and small gardens in North America and Europe. Easy to carry around, the small volume is packed with information on cultural details, pest control and landscaping ideas. There are also succinct sections on history, botany and what to look for when purchasing hostas, an excellent index and a quick reference at the beginning on choosing hostas for different sites and climatic conditions. The photographs clearly illustrate the wide variety of textures and shades of leaf color, as well as the sumptuousness of hostas with the largest leaves. In addition, they highlight the wide variety of different shapes in which hosta leaves are available. Highly recommended for all gardeners and nursery people; a wealth of practical information at a bargain price. Warren I. Pollock Contributing Editor "The Hosta Journal"