The bible of woody plants and the seminal work from the preeminent Dr. Dirr.
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Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs
£50.00
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With Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs and Dirr's Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates, Michael Dirr set the gold standard for horticultural reference. This season, Timber Press is proud to publish his seminal work, Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs, the most comprehensive visual reference on this important subject. A combination of Dirr's bestselling books under one cover, adding new plants, new photographs, plus all new commentary in Dirr's signature style, it is the bible of woody plants. From majestic evergreens to delicate vines and flowering shrubs, Dirr features thousands of plants and all the essential details for identification, planting and care, plus full-colour photographs showing a tree's habit in winter, distinctive bark patterns, fall colour and more. In a class by itself for its quality of information, the best researched recommendations for hardiness in the industry, beautiful photography and Dirr's own preeminence as a master plantsman, Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs is a critical addition to any garden library.
Media Reviews
'One of the best plant selection guides.'- Tony Kirkham.
This weighty volume provides a welcome addition to the library of any person interested in woody plants, from keen amateur through to senior professionals...The text is full of concise and erudite plant descriptions based on personal experience and individual observations, coupled with author's natural enthusiasm for the subject...It is a worthy book for all gardeners to embrace and enjoy.
This latest offering from the US authority on woody plants is certainly an impressive volume... The text is lively and packed with useful information, largely based on personal experience. The crowning glory, however, is the 3500 coloured photographs, all taken by the author ... and overall are of excellent quality ... This volume will be valued by keen gardeners, nurserymen, landscapers and all who love woody plants.
... through its comprehensive photography, this book excels as an aid to identification ... At £50, this book is not cheap, but it has already become a valued addition to my bookshelf.
American Expert Michael Dirr has combined two of his most lauded tomes to make this collected work, a definitive guide that has much to offer UK gardeners.
The book that belongs on every serious gardener's bookshelf is Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs ... this is a new spruced up edition of the bible of the industry with a cleaner design, wipeable cover, newly introduced plants and changes of plant names .... as charming as it is refined. Even the captions are full of personality.
The one thing all designers will tell you is that every garden should have a tree to provide a focal point of interest, however random that design may be. It's just a question of choosing the right tree for your space, and it's best to choose one that is interesting in more than one season. The things to look for are beautiful spring blossoms, textured summer foliage, autumn colour and dramatic winter bark or shape.
You won't find one that does all those things and is still small enough to fit in your garden, but for an idea of how wide the choice can be take a look at Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs (Timber Press £50) by American expert Michael A. Dirr, who was Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia. You'll never need to buy another book on trees after you've ploughed through the 951 pages with sections for every type of tree you can find.
Dirr has his own writing style which is fun, entertaining, a joy to read, easy to understand and easy to relate to, and still extremely factual ... Another great-value offering from the Timber Press stable and provides identification and cultivation information on many woody plants that can't be found in any other woody encyclopedia on the bookshelf.
One of the best reference books for years, with lots of introductions and plants I do not know. Dirr is widely acclaimed by those who know woody plants, so this is a must for tree and shrub lovers.
The ultimate illustrated reference to woody plants from a leading expert, combining the best from Dirr's previous two books: Dirr's Hardy Trees & Shrubs and Dirr's Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates with the latest changes in plant names and new introductions - more than half the text and photos are new. This comprehensive, authoritative book features over 3,500 colour photographs, gives full details of the plants and includes help with plant selection.
