This
comprehensive handbook on all types of rhododendron is now out of print and
available to publishers. The
genus Rhododendron commands a very special respect
in the world of horticulture. Among
its diverse forms are plants that are suitable for most
climates, from the tropics to the cold winters of northern
Europe and America. The
broad-leaved 'Asiatics' recall epic journeys of the great
plant hunters to exotic habitats and the thousands of prized
hybrids provide focal points in great gardens around the
world. Azaleas
have been revered and cultivated in Japan for centuries.
Even
when not smothered by masses of spectacular flowers, the
lush foliage of the evergreens remains a soothing delight. The
deciduous types offer abundance of vibrant flower colour
when little else is happening in the garden, and foliage
rivalling the best for beauty in growth and colour towards
fall. The
so-called 'tropical' vireyas, rapidly gaining in popularity,
can flourish anywhere they can be protected from frost,
and are still grown as glasshouse specimens in the coldest
of climates.
Prior
to this work, information on rhododendrons was restricted
to either compact - but superficial - handbooks which listed
only a small selection of plants, or lavish, expensive texts
which exceeded the needs or budget of the average grower. This
book sets out for the first time to bridge this gap by providing,
in one comprehensive volume, the rhododendron in nature,
the fascinating story of its cultivation, and how it can
be best used in landscaping, along with detailed advice
on its cultivation, protection and propagation.
To
assist the grower in the selection and identification of
plants, the author provides detailed listings of 968 plants
of all the rhododendron types available in nurseries around
the world - 157 species and 811 hybrids. The
history, taxonomy, landscaping, cultivation and detailed
lists of almost 1,000 species and cultivars of all rhododendron
types including azaleas and vireya rhododendrons.
176 pages,
144 colour pictures. Kangaroo Press/Simon & Schuster,
published November 1997.
Please
don't just take my word for it, please read what some reviewers
and rhododendron experts think about it. Take a look at
these reviews.
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