Hardy Bamboos: Taming the Dragon
Many gardeners fear bamboo and its propensity to spread, so Whittaker's subtitle is an apt one for a manual that offers guidance for dealing with hardy, woody species with useful and ornamental characteristics that can add much to a cool-climate garden. To-the-point and opinionated, Whittaker delights in sharing knowledge gleaned over many years of growing bamboos and offering irresistible descriptions accompanied by abundant line drawings and wonderful photographs. Conveying a contagious regard for these stately plants, Whittaker puts his expertise on the line in the book's fascinating plant portraits, which include growth habits, cultural requirements, and personal experiences. His descriptions should assist gardeners in selecting an appropriate variety for the specific conditions at hand, whether looking for groundcover, a container specimen, or a vigorous species to form a shady glade. With its celebration of plants boasting culms of gold and amber, chrome and pea green, violet-flushed bronze and cornflower blue, this is the ultimate guide to bamboos for gardens.Alice JoyceCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved