Seedheads in the Garden [Gebundene Ausgabe]

Prolific writer and designer Kingsbury focuses on a key element of the naturalistic garden style with which he is associated: the fading allure of plants flaunting their showy seedheads. Winter gardens have been all the rage; now Kingsbury accords the autumn season equal attention in his discussion of the ornamental cycle of grasses, flowers, and herbaceous perennials. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, Kingbury's richly descriptive writing draws readers into a fascinating botanical realm where pods, papery seedcases, awns, and burrs dance on the wind, find their way to terra firma, and ultimately germinate, continuing the circle of life. Designing with seedheads utilizes their visual impact up close and from a distance. Presenting a wealth of options, Kingsbury acts as an aesthetic guide to seeing beauty from a wilder perspective while also explaining how to integrate seedheads into formal settings. With tips on cultivation and a comprehensive plant directory, Kingbury's latest should prove exciting for gardeners open to new ideas. Alice Joyce
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A very useful compendium for anyone interested in year-round gardening with a different kind of impact. -- Jane Berger Garden Design Online 20060622 Gorgeous photographs ... throughout the book offer a great way to visually understand what the author is describing. -- Micki Brown Victorville Daily Press 20060728 Garden books are often beautiful; they are often educational or useful. Less often they are all three. Kingsbury delivers the dramatic impact of nature's fantastic wombs. -- John Bagnasco Garden Compass 20060901 Noel Kingsbury and photographer Jo Whitworth capture the shapes, textures and, yes, drama of plants gone to seed. ... But just as important as the appreciation lesson is the book's plant directory, the only directory of plants chosen for their spectacular seedheads. -- Sharon Wootton Olympia Olympian 20060930 This beautifully photographed book showcases the unusual textures and striking silhouettes of plants past their prime. ... If you aren't interested in the botany of seedheads, you'll find plenty of design ideas to keep you reading. -- Valerie Easton Seattle Times 20061001 I'd be very much surprised if, after a few hours with Seedheads in the Garden, the garden neatniks out there don't think twice before chopping everything down to the ground in the fall. I don't think you can come away from this book without wanting to enjoy the beauties described and pictured here. -- Ethel Fried Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer 20060930 Seedheads in the Garden isn't simply 'garden porn,' as we say in the trade. ... This pleasurable hardback ... actually [has] something to say. -- Ketzel Levine NPR.org 20061127 Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, Kingsbury's richly descriptive writing draws readers into a fascinating botanical realm. ... With tips on cultivation and a comprehensive plant directory, Kingsbury's latest should prove exciting for gardeners open to new ideas. -- Alice Joyce Booklist 20061128 Any lover of nature who has been teased about letting the garden 'go to seed' will welcome this beautiful book. It's perfect to display proudly on the coffee table to silence any critics who fail to see the beauty in an unmown patch of grass or a flower border that has not been deadheaded. -- Marianne Binetti Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20061127 The photos alone will make any keen gardener salivate. -- Fran Sorin USA Weekend 20061203 A perfect book to settle down in front of the fire with. Reading it will enlighten you. ... [It] will teach you to appreciate seedheads and how to plant with winter in mind so you can improve your winter setting. -- Linda Cobb Spartanburg Herald-Journal 20061205 Clear prose and the sort of photographs that look like paintings convey the beauty and interest that seedheads offer through the cold months long after the plants have flowered. -- Irene Virag Newsday 20061217