Growing Orchids in Your Garden

Description

Wherever you live in the world, you can grow orchids in your garden. From lady's slippers in boreal forests to dendrobiums hanging from tropical palms, orchids provide color and elegance unmatched by any other garden flower. Although it may sound too good to be true, many orchids are actually low-maintenance plants for various backyard habitats -- and don't need special pots or greenhouses. In this exciting book, Robert Friend shows gardeners how to introduce orchids into the garden by attaching them to trees, fixing them to rocks and walls, or planting them directly into garden beds. He details more than 500 orchid choices for every garden situation and supplies practical cultivation information. The author draws on a lifetime of experience with orchids to explain how to choose the right orchid for a given climate and how to landscape with orchids in different types of gardens from tropical to cool-climate areas, from large acreages to small courtyard gardens. Growing Orchids in Your Garden offers an array of dramatic ideas for every reader.

Robert G. M. Friend's career in orchids began more than fifty years ago, when he was just ten years old. During that time, in addition to work as a lawyer, mediator, and tropical fruit orchardist, he has grown, studied, hybridized, photographed, imported, and exported orchids. He has professionally landscaped gardens with orchids, sold their cut flowers, and run a successful orchid nursery. He has traveled throughout the world visiting orchids in their natural habitats and in gardens during the research of this book. He and his wife, Lilinoe, live on the eastern coast of Australia.

Recommended for any library serving gardeners or horticultural students and researchers. -- Sarah Williams "E-Streams" (09/01/2005) "Growing Orchids in Your Garden" has all (or at least almost all) of the information you need to make "good" choices, "wherever" your garden is located. A boon to all California gardeners that wonder what to do with orchids once all the windows in the house are full. -- John Bagnasco "Garden Compass" (04/12/2005) The book is generously illustrated and there is an extensive table of recommended orchids. The price is right! -- Yoneo Sagawa "Hawaii Orchid Journal" (03/15/2005) It is certain the fine photographs will tempt you to grow orchids in your garden, and with this book you will succeed! -- John E. Bryan "Gardening Newsletter" (02/09/2005) This beautifully illustrated guide by an Australian orchid expert explains how epiphytes can be grown on trees, lithophytes on rocks and walls, and terrestrials in the ground. Provides ample information on how to grow epiphytic, lithophytic and terrestrial orchids in a variety of situations ... Highly recommended fun to read! -- Yoneo Sagawa "Hawaii Orchid Journal" (06/06/2005) Excellent photographs support an informative, easy-to-read text that's not too technical and should encourage people to think of orchids as something for their gardens. -- Nancy Brachey "Charlotte Observer" (05/16/2005) Color photos enhance the descriptions, as do screened sidebars offering tidbits of history, anecdotes, quotations, and other short incidentals to intrigue the casual reader. -- Marge Howard-Jones "California Garden" (05/10/2005) For tropical aficionados wishing to integrate orchids into their gardens," Growing Orchids" delivers on every front and, as it has in my book collection, will become one of your most valued references. -- Greg Asbagh "Let's Talk Plants" (02/22/2005) This authoritative world-wide guide to hardy and tropical species features complete profiles of over 500 orchids. The author's enthusiasm for orchids is infectious, and he is sure to inspire readers with his innovative approaches. -- Connie Krochmal "Bella Online" (07/01/2005) "This beautifully illustrated guide by an Australian orchid expert explains how epiphytes can be grown on trees, lithophytes on rocks and walls, and terrestrials in the ground."--Library Journal, December 2, 2004 "A boon to all California gardeners that wonder what to do with orchids once all the windows in the house are full."--John Bagnasco, Garden Compass, April 2005--John Bagnasco "Garden Compass " "Recommended for any library serving gardeners or horticultural students and researchers."--Sarah Williams, E-Streams, September 2005--Sarah Williams "E-Streams "