Encyclopedia of Northwest Native Plants for Gardens and Landscapes

Description

This comprehensive reference describes garden-worthy ferns, conifers, and flowering plants (annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs) native to the Pacific Northwest. Featured are some 530 subject species that occur naturally from southwestern Alaska to Oregon's border with California, and from the coast east to Idaho. Illustrated throughout with nearly 600 eye-popping color photographs and original pen-and-ink drawings, this book is smartly separated by plant type into five encyclopedic sections. Detailed descriptions include temperature hardiness zones, flowering and fruit-ripening times, and recommendations for cultivation and siting. Whatever their motivation, gardeners and conservationists alike will find much of value and interest in this impeccably presented and illustrated regional resource, which is sure to become a classic on the subject.

Kali Robson has been attracted to plants since childhood, when she first gardened with her father. During a high school geology class field trip to Death Valley she begged the teacher to allow her to collect plants instead of rocks. He agreed, as long as she included information on the soils they were growing in as part of her class project. After high school she worked in a wholesale nursery, did some landscape maintenance, and worked other odd jobs, but her attraction to plants kept nagging. Finally - deciding she had to know more about the secret lives of plants - she joined her local community college as a botany major. A few years later she transferred to the Botany Department at the University of California at Davis where she received her bachelor's degree. She completed graduate degrees studying at the University of British Columbia and the University of Nebraska. In addition to studying rare plants, and plants of importance to the Columbia Basin tribes, she taught taxonomy for several years on both sides of the Cascades as adjunct faculty with Washington State University. Her deepest interests involve the philosophy of science, evolutionary theory, and complexity and emergence, and she wrote monthly columns on gardening with northwest natives and related topics for The Columbian in Vancouver, Washington. In her spare time Robson enjoys hiking, botanizing, vegetable gardening, and sampling the wonderful Pacific Northwest microbrews. Alice Richter received her degree from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. She taught for many years in Coos Bay, Oregon, and especially enjoyed teaching biology and other science classes. She specializes in knowing and photographing native plants and has traveled extensively throughout the Northwest to capture wildflowers in portraits, often taking trips with photographer friends. Her photographs of native plants and other subjects have appeared in various journals, calendars, and cards. After spending many years on the southern Oregon coast, she retired from teaching, moved north, and now resides in southwest Washington, where she gardens, hikes, continues to photograph plants and landscapes, and works ardently with Master Gardeners. Marianne Filbert received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Utah State University in 1989. Her accurate, artistic illustrations have appeared in a variety of scientific publications, newspapers, and magazines. In addition to art, she also has experience in the nursery industry and an extensive knowledge of Northwest horticulture. She lives and gardens in Battle Ground, Washington, with her husband, Randall, and their three standard poodles.

Loaded with good suggestions on how best to use natives in our gardens. -- Valerie Easton Seattle Times 20071003 Features over 500 species of native plants that can be incorporated into Northwest gardens, with the aim of restoring some of the biodiversity that has been ripped out. ... Gorgeous photographs by Master Gardener Alice Richter and pen and ink botanical drawings by Marianne Filbert enhance this inspiring resource. -- Barbara Lloyd McMichael Kitsap Sun 20080302 Whether looking to create a low-maintenance garden that requires little water in summer or to create a haven to attract birds, butterflies, and other native animals, gardeners and conservationists will find much value and interest in this impeccably presented publication. -- Kathleen A. Welton Library Journal 20080315 Gardeners and conservationists alike will find much of value and interest in this impeccably presented and illustrated regional resource, which is sure to become a classic on the subject. -- Scott Conner Gardening in the Northwest 20080422 This massive volume is a must-have for those serious about growing native plants. -- Richard A. Brown Pacific Horticulture 20080701 This large, handsome, easy-to-use reference book is recommended. -- Linda Scarth Booklist 20080801