Of course, buying books online, where you can't thumb through the pages, does have its pitfalls, too. I have bought books that were disappointing. But the treasures I find usually outweigh the disappointments.
So, what book did I get for such a bargain?
Beautiful American Rose Gardens
by Mary Tonetti Dorra
No matter what kind of rose garden you wish to have, there is a rose garden design in this book for you. Roses grown formally in rows. Roses grown informally mixed in with other plants, cottage style. Roses behind boxwoods. Roses grown over arches. Miniature roses, shrub roses, climbing roses, old garden roses, hybrid tea roses.
What I really liked about this book is that it is divided into five different sections of the country: New England, South, Center, California, and Northwest. Anyone that grows roses knows that climate makes a big difference in the type of rose that's best for your garden.
What I didn't like so well was that each garden was only given a few pages. As beautiful as the pictures were, I wanted to see more. I also wanted to know more than what the author presented. I wanted to know more specifics about the roses, and their companion plantings. I would have loved to have each garden given twice as many pages each, possibly more. This book was much like an hors d'oeuvre - it whetted my appetite for more.
Still, I definitely got more than my money's worth! If you love roses, want to put in a new rose garden, or just love looking at beautiful photos of rose gardens, I recommend you snatch it up. Especially if you can get it at a bargain.
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Now it's your turn! Please join us on the 20th of every month with your own garden book review.
Any book with a gardening influence qualifies! And please take the time to visit each of the other participants, too.
Any book with a gardening influence qualifies! And please take the time to visit each of the other participants, too.
Hi Holley, I have this book myself and like it quite a bit for the beautiful and inspiring photos. I always had seen it as a coffee table book containing mainly lovely photos, but not written to be informative other than on a superficial level. I was OK with that ;-)! Thanks for another nice book review!
ReplyDeleteChristina
You are right - the writing is quite superficial, and I wish there were even more photos of these gardens in it. Still, I got quite a few ideas out of it, so it was quite useful to me. I'm glad you have this book, and that you like it.
DeleteHolley,you got a real treasure for 49 cents.
ReplyDeleteYou can read and re-read this book: if you have any questions or doubts you can open the book and clarify variety of roses, the soil and climate.
I'm glad you have such a good helper in the garden
Yes, that's why I love books - you can read and re-read them as often as you want! Plus, I love just thumbing through books I've already read when I want a new idea for my garden.
DeleteHolley ~ What a wonderful book and at such a great price too. I love books like that and know what you mean about wanting to see more and read more about what's being protrayed.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely Sunday ~ FlowerLady
I fell in love with one of the gardens in this book, and would have really loved to have seen more of it, and read more about the plants in it. There were several of the gardens that I wished this about in this book, actually!
DeleteI love wonderful book finds like this...sounds like a fab book...i will link in tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna, for always linking in. I appreciate you. :)
DeleteThat sounds like a nice book to have, and the picture on the cover is very enticing, such a great price too. I don't like ordering books off the internet simply because you can't thumb through them.
ReplyDeleteThe picture is very enticing - as is all the photos of the gardens in this book. I guess that's why it left me panting for more! I always order books off the internet (I can always find a good price), but you are right - sometimes you never know what you're really going to get!
DeleteI love books....in general...I am needing some guidance..will look into that one.
ReplyDeleteI have tons of books, Janie! I think you would like this one, but it will not give you a lot of guidance, only inspiration. :)
DeleteSounds a lovely book, and at 49c too good to pass up on!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining in, too! :) I would buy just about any book for 49 cents! I wish I could find more bargains like that!
DeleteNow that is a splendid idea and I will make a note for February 20th to join in.
ReplyDeleteI am the dog blogger reincarnated and loving the books idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catherine, for letting me know your alter ego. :) I hope you will join in next month. The more the merrier! Plus, I love to hear about great gardening books!
DeleteWhat a fantastic buy. I love garden books with great photos, that alone can be worth the price.
ReplyDeleteSo true! I love to thumb through books with lovely pictures. Sometimes just one element in a photo can spark an idea for a whole new bed!
DeleteDefinitely a bargain. I do enjoy your book review meme, Holley, thanks for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoy it, Lyn! I love finding new books, too! :)
DeleteHi Holley, I enjoyed your review of this rose book. I am missing my roses, but spring will soon be here. I like the idea that they show what roses grow best in the various regions of our country. But I know that even within California there are roses that will do well in my area but not so well on the coast. It's a big state and a big country we live in!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right - and she has more gardens in California than any of the other areas, perhaps that's why. It's hard to know which rose will do well in one's own particular garden sometimes, until you just give it a try!
DeleteThats actually really exciting to find a good book for .49 cents. I'm going to look it up on amazon! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's where I got it. I hope they still have some more for that price! :)
DeleteI love gardening books and cook books. I don't read them cover to cover. I peruse and stop when something looks interesting. All that skimming seems to create an idea in my head that I then implement whether it be a plant combination or dinner.
ReplyDeleteI do "scan" a lot of my books, but eventually, I always read them cover to cover. The gardening books, that is. Cook books, no. :) I agree that just looking at photos can generate a lot of ideas!
DeleteI tried entering my link and it seemed to go through but is not showing...
ReplyDeleteIt's showing now, Donna. Thanks! :)
DeleteAt that price you cannot go wrong! And when it comes to roses, I have to settle for admiring them in other people's gardens or in the pages of a book. They are just to finicky for my own garden. Books like this are visual vacations for gardeners, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteVisual vacations - I love the way you said that. And winter is a wonderful time to take a visual vacation! I don't know, but I suspect you have been growing the wrong type of rose. I wonder if the once-bloomers (very hardy and disease resistant) would do better in your climate. I do agree with you, though - any finicky rose in my garden gets the boot!
DeleteAnd I love how the pink of the roses on the book echo your header...it brings a smile to my face everytime I see it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bargain.
Jen
How sweet of you! And, yes, It was a real bargain to a rose lover! :)
DeleteA taster menu for 49 cents? Surely that can't be beaten? I like the idea of breaking the book into geographical sections. I suspect that were this book to show more photos of all the gardens, it might become a series and that would suit you very well!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it can be beaten! And yes, I would have loved an entire series. Can't get too much of beautiful rose gardens! :)
DeleteI agree, I have bought some great used books online and the prices are great! Recently I found a book on California mansion gardens at a store for $50 and then went on Amazon and bought it for less than $5. So worth it! Some books are good for my electronic reader but beautiful garden books are so much better old school! And even better at a bargain price. Jeannine
ReplyDeleteWow - that was a great price on your book! I don't have an electronic reader. I prefer to be able to touch the pages. Now, if they ever create a device where you can actually walk into the book - and into the garden - I'm in! :)
DeleteGreat bargain! I too have discovered one can get books online for terrific prices. Now I just have to find room for all the great garden book buys!
ReplyDeleteI do wish I could thumb through the books, but the prices can't be beat! And I have found some real treasures that I otherwise wouldn't have.
Delete49 cents! Who could pass up such a bargain! Great books don't need to be pricy. Sorry, I didn't get a review together in time this month Holley. Next month, I will for sure.
ReplyDeleteI surely couldn't pass up a 49cent garden book! I love finding bargains like that! And I understand about not getting a review in this month - it's been a crazy month here, too! :)
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