Garden Picture

It is not hard to see where Florida got its name. Full of flowers, the state is a plant-lover's paradise. There are stunning public and private gardens everywhere. This attractive picture-book showcases nineteen of Florida's particularly beautiful and interesting gardens in all their brilliant, colorful glory. Almost two hundred gorgeous photographs team up with vivid descriptions to tell the reader about these oases and their histories. A variety of gardens is shown, from the romantic Mediterranean city-garden of Coral Gables to the two hundred tropical acres of the well-known Cypress Gardens to the quiet sanctuary of Bok Tower Gardens. A plethora of plants, including palms, live oaks, mahogany, sea grape, orchids, water lilies, bougainvillea, bromeliad, camellias, ginger, gardenias, bananas, coconuts, and citrus, can be found. The book also offers a list of other gardens and an annual calendar of Florida gardening events. Steven Brooke, an internationally acclaimed architectural photographer, was awarded the Rome Prize in 1991 and is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and the Albright Institute in Jerusalem. He received the National Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects and two Graham Foundation grants. He is also the author of Seaside ($22.95 hc/$19.95 pb), published by Pelican, and Views of Rome. Laura Cerwinske, a native of Miami, was the founding editor of Florida Home & Garden magazine and writes articles on garden design for numerous magazines including Garden Design, Southern Accents, and Veranda. She is the author of The Book of the Rose and A Passion for Roses, as well as a long list of books on architecture and design. This is her first bookwith Pelican. She describes her own garden -- a wooded acre of exaggerated botany -- as a subtropical Giverny.

A perennial garden is an ever-changing source of delight. Each season brings new colors and textures in flowers and foliage. As the years go by, perennial plantings mature and interweave into forms more beautiful and surprising than a season's growth of annuals can ever give. Best of all, a perennial garden can grow almost anywhere with plants suited to local soils, temperatures, and rainfall. This book is a complete guide to perennial gardening in Texas and similar regions of eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. In Part One, Julie Ryan offers a historical sketch of cottage gardens and perennial borders, with a sampler of some of their modern variations. In Part Two, she defines the major ecological regions of Texas and, with words and color photographs, takes you on a tour of lovely public and private gardens in each region. You'll find all the "how to" information for creating your own garden in Part Three. Ms. Ryan describes and pictures over 300 flowering perennials, bulbs, foliage plants, and old roses suitable for Texas gardens, with lists of companion annuals, vines, shrubs, and small trees. Accompanying charts provide quick reference to each plant's preferred regions and cultivation requirements. In addition, Ms. Ryan discusses how to design a garden and select plants, prepare the beds, and deal with garden pests. She concludes with substantial lists of resources, including mail-order suppliers of perennials, bulbs, and old roses.