[.ca] Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations (ISBN 184000035X)

Where are the combinations?:
With high hopes I picked up this hefty book, hoping for some ideas about how to combine the new plant materials in a zone 4 or 5 garden (instead of my former lifelong very temperate zone 8). What I found was quite a lot of information about discrete plants. Not what I was looking for! The promise of the title eluded me, either in the organization or in the presentation -- I am not sure which. Where the information about planting combinations was laid out, I am still unsure, and I am not a particularly uncareful reader. In addition, this is a very large and heavy book. Alas, its production values (at least in the copy I had) did not support the pages very well. The glue was not sufficient to hold everything in place. Color photos are plentiful and from the photos I certainly could see notions of combinations, but I wanted many more words. I do not recommend this as a gift. First, one worries that the book itself would fall apart far too soon. Second, I am unconvinced that the content lives up to the title. Third, I quibble with the accuracy of some of the horticultural information (relating to zones, for instance). If you are considering this book for yourself, try to get a good look at it before you buy; perhaps you'll find it entirely adequate for your interests or needs.

Fantastic Book!:
I can't figure out what book the first reviewer was looking at, but it couldn't have been Lord & Lawson's! This is a meticulous and comprehensive compilation of creative combination ideas replete with gorgeous photographs. My wife is an expert gardener and this is among her favorites! She used to take it out of the Brentwood Public Library every week till I bought her a copy from Amazon.

Beautiful book with inspiring ideas:
This lush, beautifully designed and photographed book, should provide gardeners with hours of enjoyment and help them make decisions about pairing plants in their gardens. Sections are divided by type of plants (such as Perennials, Roses, Bulbs, etc.). The author profiles each plant with a very thorough description (including growing advice) followed by a list of plants that will compliment it in the garden. It is also accompanied by a photo. The photographs in the book are mouth-watering to say the least! The only gripe I had was that the list of plants provided with each entry is listed with the Latin plant name which is often bewildering to novice gardeners. However, a common name list is located in the back of the book, which helps remedy the situation. Very highly recommend. A gorgeous book!