Viburnums Flowering Shrubs for Every Season

Description

With their abundance of flower, handsome foliage, robust constitution, and frequently stunning fruits, viburnums are among the most beautiful and versatile hardy shrubs available to gardeners. Yet despite these outstanding qualities, there has never been an entire volume devoted to them - until now. In this definitive, comprehensive, generously illustrated guide, internationally renowned woody plant expert Michael Dirr provides a wealth of information about every species and cultivar worthy of horticultural consideration. Dirr details each plant's height, spread, foliage, habit, floral characteristics, fruits, special traits such as fragrance or attractive bark, hardiness, origin, cultural needs, and overall garden appeal. These finely judged appraisals make it easy for the gardener or designer to choose the right plant for the right situation.

A professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, Michael A. Dirr is a legend in the horticultural world and has tremendous energy for teaching about plants, writing about plants, and especially for growing plants. Michael worked at a nursery and garden center to pay his way through university while earning his bachelor and master of science degrees at Ohio State. He went on to earn a doctorate in plant physiology at the University of Massachusetts and began his teaching career in 1972 as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois. Michael has published more then 300 scientific and popular papers and articles. His teaching, lectures, seminars, garden study tours, and plant introduction programs have contributed enormously to greater horticultural awareness, and his book Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs is one of Timber's bestselling titles. He has received numerous awards and honors during his career, most recently the Liberty Hyde Bailey Medal from the American Horticulture Society. Today, he travels widely to lecture, teach, and form new opinions of plants.

An excellent reference guide for homeowners and professionals who want to grow more well-behaved shrubs in their garden. -- Marianne Binetti Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20070831 When you pick up Michael Dirr's book you'll wonder why there aren't more books on these most garden-worthy shrubs. At least if there's just a single book devoted to viburnums, it's brand new and written by a renowned plantsman. -- Valerie Easton Seattle Times 20071009 I'm thinking a lot about viburnums these days. ... It comes to mind because Dirr is once more championing a plant that serves so many roles and yet remains underused and undervalued. -- Adrian Higgins Washington Post 20071018 Michael Dirr's freely admitted 'unbridled passion' shines through the conversational narrative, personalizing his lifelong connection to this underused, underappreciated garden stalwart. A definitive guidebook destined to become the bible for serious botanists and homegrown horticulturists alike. -- Carol Haggas Booklist 20071001 This book was worth waiting for. The photos and illustrations are beautiful and the narrative thoughtful. It's like having one of the country's top horticulture professors right in the living room. -- Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp Indianapolis Star 20071027 A must-have for the viburnum geek and I know there are plenty out there. -- Elizabeth Licata GardenRant.com 20071114 A must-have for the viburnum geek, and I know there are plenty out there. -- Elizabeth Licata Garden Rant 20071114 Dirr gives readers that in-the-garden reality check. -- Susan Harris Garden Rant 20071204 Whether you're looking for fall color, fruit, fragrance, or blossom size, you'll discover the viburnum's range through Dirr's experience. ... He has observed, touched, sniffed, collected, photographed, and made copious notes on the majority of the listed species and cultivars. -- Jean Starr Northwest Indiana Times 20071129 The first book devoted entirely to this remarkably diverse genus. It is as comprehensive and authoritative as you would expect from this renowned expert. -- Ethel Fried Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer 20071028 Thoughtfully produced and beautifully illustrated. ... Excellent color photos are provided for each plant described. -- Shannon Hendrickson SciTech Book News 20080301 A book that will not only be eagerly read, it will also be carried to nurseries ... as an aide in selecting the perfect viburnum to enhance a landscape. ... Lovely color drawings add to the warm and personal feel of the book. -- Kathy Schlosser Native Plant News 20080101 A complete and informative monograph on one of the most used and beloved genera of garden shrubs, written in a concise and incredibly well researched format. -- Andrew Bunting American Gardener 20080501