[.ca] Lavender: The Grower's Guide (ISBN 0881924784)

not the book I hoped for:
The author, Virginia McNaughton, is a botanist, and this book is lavender from a botanist's point of view. Her descriptions of each variety are long on botanical terminology and measurements, and short on information that would help gardeners choose and grow lavender. Here is an example of an entry, this one for Lavendula angustifolia 'Maillette': A medium plant (60-70cm) of bushy habit with semi-open, mid-green foliage. Penduncles are long (18-25cm), mid-green and upright. There are usually medium-stemmed laterals terminated with one to three flowers. Spikes are long(12-18cm), cylindric and mostly evenly interrupted, with the base whorl 1-7cm below the main spike. Fertile bracts are large and quite long. Bracteoles are thin (1-2 mm). Corollas are violet-blue (93C), calyces are finely pubescent and green, with the upper half dark violet (86A). A very attractive cultivar raised in France and introduced by Pierre Grosso, 'Maillette' is suitable for ornamental, fragrant and oil purposes. The first section of the book is useful, with information on propagation, pruning, and diseases. But that is only the first 20 pages. The rest of the book consists of descriptions like the above. Also the author lives in New Zealand, and there is no information on growing lavender in the various climates of the United States.

Usable tehnical growers guide:
If you are looking for indepth information or good reference material, this is the book for you. No fluff here. Botanical info is clear and concise. As growers, we use this book as reference material on a regular basis. Well worth the money. Would love to see more of this caliber. The only draw back is that several of the varieties listed are not available here in the U.S..

So much lavender so little time:
Lavender blue, dilly dilly, lavender green, If I were king, dilly dilly, I'd need a queen. Congratulations must go to Virginia McNaughton for she must be the queen of Lavender. What an incredible book she has provided for all lavender enthusiasts. Photo after photo and description after description both tickles and satisfies our curiosity. So many questions are answered in this book that each time it is reread there is another bit of enlightening information that makes you go' ah ha! now I get it'. A botanist, Ms. McNaughton has provided us with specific detailed descriptions of the plant's origins, the proper botanical nomenclature, the color of the flowers AND the foliage, and special pruning and growing requirements. She has broken the groups of lavenders up into sections and listed the specifics for that group, for example the Lavandula angustifolias, as well as, the multitude of named varieties that belong to that group. Also of great help are the other common names a plant may be called. For instance, Dilly, Dilly is a common name of Lavandula x intermedia Grosso. The only draw back to this book is that when you are finished reading it you just have to have all the lavenders she describes. So many lavenders so little time.

Not an Enjoyable Read:
Very disappointed with this one. Although the author is quite knowledgeable about the subject matter, for the lay person, too much of the book is dedicated to the description of each cultivar, etc. Not enough attention given to propagation and care for the average gardener. The book is written in a very condescending way and I felt that the author is a bit "out of touch" with the rest of us who are interested in lavender but do not need to know the anatomy of each species. There are certainly more enjoyable books out there on the subject that are a pleasure to add to your home library--this is NOT one of them.

LAVENDERS GALORE:
AT LAST SOME HAS WRITTEN A DEFINITIVE BOOK ABOUT LAVENDERS AND THEIR GROWTH. YES, THIS IS A TECHNICAL BOOK BUT EVEN THE NON BOTANY LOVERS WILL FIND IT EASY TO USE. VARIETIES ARE NAMED, ALONG WITH ALL THEIR OTHER NAMES, PICTURED AND EXPLAINED. AFTER READING THIS YOU KNOW WHY GROSSO AND DILLY DILLY LOOK ALIKE. THIS IS A GREAT REFERENCE BOOK AND THE COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS MAKE IT AN IDEAL COFFEE TABLE BOOK. IF LAVENDER HANDICRAFTS ARE YOUR THING, THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU