Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses

An accessible and comprehensive reference to the wide range of striking grasses available to gardeners, this pocket guide features an assortment of plants with varied textures, forms, sizes, and flowering times. In a handy, compact format, new varieties are presented, as well as plant descriptions and cultivation information. More than 500 species and cultivars are covered, illustrated with over 300 color photographs.

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Media reviews of this book:

"A thorough, scholarly handbook that's valuable for identification and information."

—Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post, August 20, 2005

"It's the perfect size for trips to the nursery and provides quick reference to help you "weed" through the varietal fields of grasses."

—John Bagnasco, Garden Compass, April 2005

"This easy-to-use pocket size edition of colorful ornamental grasses with color photos taken by the author is a great help to any gardener planning on adding them to the garden design."

—Joanne S. Carpender, National Gardener, November 2004

"You'll be convinced there's a grass to solve every landscape dilemma."

—Valerie Easton, Seattle Times, September 16, 2004

"After using these lists, turning to the photos, and reading how easy many of these grasses are to grow, you'll be convinced there's a grass to solve every landscape dilemma."

—Valerie Easton, Seattle Times, September 8, 2004

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Customer reviews of this book:

"Very thorough, yet concise, descriptions, and great pictures of various species. Nice to have common names with the scientific names, and the zone information was helpful too! Very good. Thank you!"

—Nancy M. from Kokomo, Indiana, June 27, 2007

"I love the pictures in this book. They are especially helpful when I am trying to identify a specific plant."

—Angela K. from Ransomville, New York, April 20, 2007

"Thank you for publishing a book on the subject of grasses that is both interesting and a crash course in botany."

—Jim G. from Los Angeles, California, April 17, 2007

"A very informative and incredibly useful book!"

—Tom J. from St. Joseph, Missouri, February 24, 2007

"I appreciate a 'pocket size' guide because it's convenient for taking along to the nursery."

—Irene L. from Rancho Santa Fe, California, February 2, 2005

An excerpt from this book:

Though technically all grasses increase in width or spread to some degree by lateral shoots, for garden purposes it is common and practical to group grasses as either runners or clumpers. Running grasses spread rather rapidly by rhizomes, in which case they may also be called rhizomatous grasses, or by stolons, in which case they may be called stoloniferous. Most running ornamental grasses are rhizomatous. Stoloniferous growth is more common among turf grasses and weedy species, such as crab grasses, Digitaria species. When used appropriately, running grasses can minimize maintenance ...

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