Sharp Gardening
From xeriscapes to maritime gardens and everywhere in between, anyone looking for fresh ideas to add a little excitement to their garden will enjoy this book.
Greenfeeder
With a keen interest in spiky plants, Holliday argues that gardens don't have to look "nice" — packed with delicate roses and pretty clematis. There is much to be said for a crisp, clean-lined planting style featuring swords, straps, and spikes. This book presents a careful selection of plants that are spiky, sharp, or brittle, whether in their stems, leaves, or flowers, so that gardeners can choose new and exciting plants that work well in their landscape. From xeriscapes to maritime gardens and everywhere in between, all adventurous plantspeople will find fresh ideas for adding a little excitement to their garden.
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 192 pp.
- Book dimensions: 7½ x 9⅝ in. (245 x 190 mm.)
- Images: 177 color photos
- ISBN-10: 088192699X
- ISBN-13: 9780881926996
- Product code: 682699
Media reviews
"With the green industry's concern about attracting younger populations to gardening, this book offers a savvy, twenty-first-century solution."
—Debra Prinzing, Pacific Horticulture
"As outlined in Christopher Holliday's new book, gardening with sharp plants provides an alternative to more typical (and higher-maintenance) planting schemes. The results can be both ecologically friendly and contemporary in design, lending drama and year-round interest."
—Jenny Andrews, Great Ideas for Outdoor Living
"Yikes! This book makes a point about prickles."
—Marianne Binetti, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"The book is replete with full-color photos of the plants mentioned and masses of plants in the sharp gardening style."
—Landscape Architecture
"Whether you're a fan of pointy, spiky plants or want a garden that neighborhood kids won't touch, here's your guide. ... Lends new meaning to the phrase, "Giving you a few pointers in the garden.""
—George Weigel, Harrisburg Patriot-News
"From xeriscapes to maritime gardens and everywhere in between, anyone looking for fresh ideas to add a little excitement to their garden will enjoy this book."
—Greenfeeder
"Who better to write a book about spiky plants than the holder of the U.K.'s national collection of phormiums, those pointy-leafed dazzlers from New Zealand? ... Christopher Holliday persuasively presents the case for swords, straps and spikes — plants that add crisp lines and sculptural effect, particularly in contemporary gardens. ... Point made!"
—Karen York, Gardening Life
About the author
Christopher Holliday
Christopher Holliday lectures and writes on plants and gardens. His published articles have appeared in Gardens Illustrated and the English Garden, and his garden has been featured in numerous newspapers and television shows. He is the National Collection holder of Phormium in the U.K.
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