The Gossler guide to the best hardy shrubs: more than 350 expert choices for your garden PDF
Preview The Gossler guide to the best hardy shrubs: more than 350 expert choices for your garden
The Gossler Guide to the Best Hardy Shrubs The Gossler Guide to the Best Hardy Shrubs More than 350 Expert Choices for Your Garden Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler Foreword by John E. Elsley Timber Press Portland | London Page 1: Hamamelis ×intermedia ‘Jelena’. Frontispiece: In the “stream garden” part of our landscape, shrubs mingle with trees and perennials to create year-round interest. Page 6: Chaenomeles ×superba ‘Hollandia’. Copyright © 2009 by Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler. All rights reserved. All photos are by the authors. Published in 2009 by Timber Press, Inc. Th e Haseltine Building 133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450 Portland, Oregon 97204-3527 www.timberpress.com 2 Th e Quadrant 135 Salusbury Road London NW6 6RJ www.timberpress.co.uk Printed in China Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gossler, Roger. Th e Gossler guide to the best hardy shrubs : more than 350 expert choices for your garden / Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler ; foreword by John Elsley. — 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-88192-908-9 1. Ornamental shrubs. 2. Landscape gardening. I. Gossler, Eric. II. Gossler, Marjory. III. Title. IV. Title: Guide to the best hardy shrubs. SB435.G685 2009 635.9'76—dc22 2009006146 A catalog record for this book is also available from the British Library. Contents Foreword by John E. Elsley 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction 12 How to Th ink about Climate and Growing Conditions 18 Looking at Other People’s Gardens 24 Our Personal Guide to Plant Categories 32 How Not to Kill Your Plants 40 Care and Maintenance 44 A to Z Plant Directory 54 Hardiness Zones 196 Shrubs for Specifi c Sites and Purposes 197 Index 199 Foreword The horticultural and gardening industry has witnessed dramatic changes in recent decades, especially in the marketing of plants. Large numbers of a limited range of plants are now sold through national and regional chain stores, causing smaller retail outlets to be challenged when they attempt to off er a broader selec- tion of more unusual garden-worthy subjects. For many years, mail-order com- panies have been able to satisfy many of the needs of more serious gardeners, but recent economic fl uctuations, combined with a possible decrease in demand for more esoteric off erings, has caused pressure on these sources as well. Considering this sobering industry backdrop, Gossler Farms Nursery, a small, highly respected, forty-year-old, family-owned and -operated business is to be cong ra t ulated for their remarkable achievement. Th eir success can be at- tributed to the Gossler family’s dedication to the nursery and its clientele—a fac- tor frequently emphasized in the nursery catalog’s introduction where the reader is addressed in a friendly and inclusive manner. Family activities and travels are discussed along with new plant introductions and pertinent nursery “chatter,” leaving customers with a warm feeling of personal involvement. Th is feeling is further experienced when a telep hone call to the nursery is inevitably answered by one of the owners. A conscientious commitment not to outgrow their re- sources ensures the ongoing production of quality plants and customer satisfac- tion. Th e hallmark of any Gossler Farms Nursery shipment is the uniquely suc- cessful method of fi rmly securing each plant in a “cat’s cradle” before placing it in its shipping c arton. Roger Gossler’s domestic and overseas travels ensure a steady supply of new and exciting off erings. Magnolias have always been a major specialty, with Japa- nese maples, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and witch hazels representing other key groups. I am frequently recommending their catalog as a source for such hard- to-locate subjects as Aralia elata ‘Variegata’, unusual daphnes, and other unusual choices. Brevity and honesty typify catalog descriptions. In describing the exotic Chilean fi re bush (Embothrium coccineum), it refreshingly states, “If you live out of the coastal Northwest from San Francisco to Vancouver, B.C., don’t attempt this plant!” Opposite: Magnolia liliifl ora ‘O’Neill’. 9
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