Bamboo for Gardens Hardcover – September 20, 2001

I was not expecting this book to be what it turned out to be. I had hoped it might be another Hardy Bamboos ala Whittaker. But it is certainly not that. But now after having read it I am glad it is what it is, that being a very useful, fact-filled compendium and quasi-encyclopoedia on the bamboos.Ted has done his homework. He has read thoroughly the recent literature, esp. Lynn Clark's work at Iowa. His botanical erudition was surprising and welcome. I know more now about bamboo's physiology than I ever thought I'd wanted to know! There are not alot of photos. Certainly nothing like Whittaker's photo selection which includes shots of just about every bamboo covered. Nor are his species descriptions anything like the comprehensive and often highly personal accounts of Whittaker. So don't buy this book for a guide to the specific bamboos. It is more useful for the bambusaphile and botanist and ardent plantsman who wants to really get down and know bamboos inside and out. If that is the order of the day, then this is a great book.But I am still in love with Hardy Bamboos: Taming the Dragon!

Truly a great source of information about bamboo. Also, the pictures in the book are really excellent!

Great bamboo reference!

As an amateur gardener who had to learn everything about bamboo - in a place where my neighbors were paranoid that all bamboo runs rampant, this book could answer all my questions and give me detailed information on bamboo in general and then by each species. I now know what bamboo to contain (and how) and what bamboo can keep my neighbors fretting to a minimum.I also learned that many types of bamboo have been wrongly classified (or reclassified) so it is important to know their various Latin names when e-mailing garden centers for info.The book is well-written in layman's terms and I would recommend this book to anyone starting out learning about bamboo. It is my bamboo bible - I keep it up by my bedside and often open it up just to learn about another type of bamboo - they are so different and varied!

Very informative helpful bookHighly recommended

Very informative.

A great resource for those considering bamboo or as a reference for maintaining your own bamboo. Highly recommended.

Nice big and informative book.

I was disappointed with this book. The author Mr. Morgan (a native of Montana) is specifically writing about bamboos growing in America!I'm sure somewhere in the book he stated that the climate in Minnesota was similar to 'cool and cloudy England.'I get the impression that in the first part of his book Ted is erring on the 'scientific' side, whilst n the Chapter/Section 'Bamboo Genera, Species, and Cultivars' where Bamboos are named, there is extremely little information on actually growing a particular Bamboo. For example under the heading Fargesia Robusta - you just get the Max height, Culm diameter, (when grown in America?) Min temperature, that it likes 'partial shade', and Pandas find it tasty. An interesting book if you want a Pseudo Scientific read, but not much advice for actually growing them. For the 'average Jo', Paul Wittaker's book 'Practical Bamboos' at some £11 cheaper is a better buy.

brilliant informative book