From Publishers Weekly
Hydrangea is a broad and varied genus, one "difficult to compress under a small umbrella." University of Georgia horticulture professor Dirr casts a wide net to provide comprehensive information about these versatile plants. That his passion for hydrangeas "knows no bounds" is clear from this enthusiastic combination of rigorous science, concise description and seasoned advice. The first chapter, "Characteristics, Taxonomy and Nomenclature," is the most academically oriented but brief and readable enough for the home gardener. Ten well-organized and liberally illustrated chapters follow, each devoted to a single species and its subspecies, ranging from the familiar and hugely popular H.macrophylla and H. paniculata, to relative rarities boasting flower buds that remind Dirr of "purple-brown cauliflowers" and are sometimes "quite large and Martian." Chapters on care and culture, propagation, pests and diseases, potpourri, and breeding offer a wealth of practical insights equally valuable to the casual green thumb and the professional horticulturist, in every region of the country. Readers will learn the often-misunderstood chemistry behind pink/blue color shifts, how to dry and dye flower heads and where to register new cultivars. A first-rate listing of resources and nursery sources and 160 luscious color photos complete this definitive and irresistible tribute to one of America's favorite shrubs. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Mopheads and lacecaps are among the alluring types of hydrangeas that gardeners are enticed to purchase and plant, but not all hydrangeas thrive in the various U.S. climate zones. Dirr directs his authoritative voice and vast knowledge to helping the gardener understand the botany of hydrangea species, as well as the horticultural pluses and minuses of countless cultivated varieties. A bounty of color photographs documents mature climbers, shrubs with lavish foliage, and detailed views of gorgeous inflorescences, including snowballs, while the text covers a fascinating panoply of worthy specimens that embraces the rare and the commonplace. Informative yet entertaining, Dirr's descriptions warn of anemic green leaves and lack of cold hardiness or draw appreciative nods with superb frost tolerance and the frizzy effect of rose to mauve inflorescences with little white eyes. Chapters also provide information on lesser known hydrangeas, care and culture, propagation and pests, and future breeding, as Dirr's reigning expertise in the realm of trees and shrubs comes through once again. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Marianne Binetti, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"A great inspirational read before heading to the nursery to pick out hydrangea shrubs in bloom."
Carol Stoker, The Boston Globe
"The only up-to-date book on the subject."
Book Description
Hydrangeas are among the best-loved flowering shrubs and vines for American gardens. Their long-lasting blooms provide months of color from spring to the autumnal frosts; their adaptability under the extremes of cultivation (from USDA hardiness zones 3 to 10) makes them a sensible choice as well. However, the sheer number of Hydrangea species, hybrids, and cultivars can prove overwhelming even for the most advanced gardeners. How to choose from the hundreds of mopheads, lacecaps, climbers, and oakleafs, to name just a few? Respected plantsman Michael A. Dirr has written the first book to accurately describe the selection, care, and culture of hydrangeas for the length and breadth of North America. With practical "hands-in-the-soil" advice and detailed observation based on years of scientific research, Hydrangeas for American Gardens is an indispensable reference for all gardeners and hydrangea enthusiasts. Professor Dirr explains in understandable terminology the basic botanical categories of hydrangeas and how they've yielded the colorful hybrids that are treasured today. He enumerates the horticultural assets and liabilities of each type of hydrangea, and offers invaluable advice on which choices are best for which regions of North America --- the optimum choice for Seattle's misty climate might melt like butter in the steamy heat of Atlanta. Professor Dirr even provides a futuristic glimpse of the interesting and unusual species and hybrids --- including reblooming types --- that will be making their way into nurseries in the years ahead. With treatises on propagation, pruning, breeding, drying, design, and pests and diseases, this book will become the classic reference for gardeners in the United States and Canada.
About the Author
Michael A. Dirr is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. He is the author of eleven books, including Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia and the text and reference book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, and has published more than 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. He has received the highest teaching and gardening awards from the University of Georgia, American Society of Horticultural Science, American Horticultural Society, American Nursery & Landscape Association, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Southern Nursery Association, and Garden Club of America.
Hydrangeas for American Gardens FROM THE PUBLISHER
Professor Dirr explains in understandable terminology the basic botanical categories of hydrangeas and how they've yielded the colorful hybrids that are treasured today. He enumerates the horticultural assets and liabilities of each type of hydrangea, and offers invaluable advice on which choices are best for which regions of North America - the optimum choice for Seattle's misty climate might melt like butter in the steamy heat of Atlanta. Professor Dirr even provides a futuristic glimpse of the interesting and unusual species and hybrids - including reblooming types - that will be making their way into nurseries in the years ahead. With treatises on propagation, pruning, breeding, drying, design, and pests and diseases, this book will become the classic reference for gardeners in the United States and Canada.
SYNOPSIS
To fill a perceived gap in garden references, a horticulturalist working in hydrangea breeding at the University of Georgia describes the primary species and cultivars of this popular shrub grown in North America. He discusses their cultivation needs, uses, and prospects for further exciting varieties, such as the new repeat bloomers. The book includes lists of specialty associations, gardens, and nurseries. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Hydrangea is a broad and varied genus, one "difficult to compress under a small umbrella." University of Georgia horticulture professor Dirr casts a wide net to provide comprehensive information about these versatile plants. That his passion for hydrangeas "knows no bounds" is clear from this enthusiastic combination of rigorous science, concise description and seasoned advice. The first chapter, "Characteristics, Taxonomy and Nomenclature," is the most academically oriented but brief and readable enough for the home gardener. Ten well-organized and liberally illustrated chapters follow, each devoted to a single species and its subspecies, ranging from the familiar and hugely popular H. macrophylla and H. paniculata, to relative rarities boasting flower buds that remind Dirr of "purple-brown cauliflowers" and are sometimes "quite large and Martian." Chapters on care and culture, propagation, pests and diseases, potpourri, and breeding offer a wealth of practical insights equally valuable to the casual green thumb and the professional horticulturist, in every region of the country. Readers will learn the often-misunderstood chemistry behind pink/blue color shifts, how to dry and dye flower heads and where to register new cultivars. A first-rate listing of resources and nursery sources and 160 luscious color photos complete this definitive and irresistible tribute to one of America's favorite shrubs. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Like many beloved, old-fashioned garden shrubs, the hydrangea comes in many more forms than commonly grown. One usually sees a mop-headed hydrangea in white, blue, or pink, depending on the species and soil conditions, or perhaps an oakleaf hydrangea growing in shade. In this comprehensive study of the genus, gardener Dirr (Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs) devotes chapters to nine species of hydrangeas, with charts and descriptions of important varieties, including new forms recently hybridized. In other chapters, he covers general care, propagation, pests, and diseases. Dirr clearly adores hydrangeas, but he doesn't gloss over their occasional problems, such as drooping leaves, Japanese beetle infestation, and old flower heads that look like "dirty brown socks." Gardeners will find useful advice about which varieties perform best in their part of the United States. However, much of the text is extremely technical, suggesting that breeders and nursery owners make up the primary audience. Toni Lawson-Hall and Brian Rothera's Hydrangeas: A Gardener's Guide, also from Timber, is out of print, but smaller libraries owning that title may not need another on the same topic. Recommended mostly for comprehensive gardening collections.-Beth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Art & Photography
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