Resources
sparklemama
Posted: Jun-08-2004 at 2:13pm
hey there guys..i was wondering if anybody had any good resources that they would care to share with us? I bought myself sunsets western book, and steve solmons book, among a few others but i am not having very good luck in finding any good information on the web. i noticed that lots of you have tons of places that you suggest sometimes, but i am haven a hard time coming up with anything. still lookin for the tree for my garden and have not beenable to find a good site were i could look at different types and whatnot. so anybodys suggestions on a good source would be warmly welcomed!.....jenn
Sunny Days are here today!
__________________ Gardening is the only therapy I can afford.
Bill N
Posted: Jun-08-2004 at 4:41pm
Jenn, Here's a link that may be useful:
Oregon State University Landscape Plants
Bill
Corvallis
Wanda
Posted: Jun-08-2004 at 4:57pm
I have two favorite resource books. They're both very heavy! One is the AHS A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. The other is Manual of Woody Plants by Michael Dirr. The latest book on the scene is Flora (two books and a CD to be precise). It's expensive but your library should have it. I have never used it but it's supposed to have good information pertaining to our PNW area. Also, I get a lot of ideas from Ketzel Levine's "Plant This!" and Dan Hinkley's "Winter Ornamentals". The only cure really is to get them all - gardening and reading go together!
-Wanda
Lisa A
Posted: Jun-08-2004 at 5:34pm
Bill beat me to the punch to list one of my well-used sites.
Others I like are: Great Plant Picks
Urban Forest Ecosystem institute is one of the rare sites I have found that addresses tree's roots.
Although not local, I still find the University of Connecticut plant database useful.
There's lots out there, Jenn. I've got a few more bookmarked but it all depends on what exactly you are looking for - grasses, conifers, roses, etc. Are you wanting general sites only?
__________________ Gardening in Sunset Zone 6, USDA Zone 8.
Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. - The Koran
tommyb
Posted: Jun-08-2004 at 6:12pm
Always the frugal one, I find letting someone else drive as I rubberneck the world is where I get my "shopping" list assembled. Then I, er, google, to find "what the heck is that?" A digital camera is a huge help. And the books, books, books, and weird sale things that appear in my mailbox.
I find that this approach helps defray the "it don't grow here" disappointment as well.
We need more plant malls in the world! Nurseries are too compressed and filled with temptation.
Tom
__________________ tommyb
Patience?? We don't need no steenk-king patience!!
sparklemama
Posted: Jun-09-2004 at 9:56am
thank everyone for all your great suggestions! I will be sure to look at them all..lol..hubby will be so thrilled when dinner is put off for reading again!lol. whats a girl to do though...
lisa as to what kind of information i am lookin for I would have to say right this moment it is garden trees, but i am always looking for a good place for general information with a variety of coverage. I know the best way to find info is to look and i have but been very disapointed. Been usuing google lately which has been a good source as you all have said before.
Tommy lol..i like the plant malls. good idea. I am also a big fan of books but if i buy to many more gardening books this year i think hubby will have a fit. Figured the net would be a good free place..lol. thanks again guys..have a great one, Jenn
__________________ Gardening is the only therapy I can afford.
cjmiller
Posted: Jul-01-2004 at 6:02pm
Here are a couple of titles that are helpful and local:
Plant Life, by Valerie Easton (2002) 19.95
Growing a garden in the Pacific Northwest. Month by month helpful to get the right prep done at the right time for the best display.
Tree and Shrub Gardening for Washington and Oregon by Alison Beck and Marianne Binetti(2001) $ 18.95 A great top to bottom--start to finsh, description, growth habits. pests, tips and suggestions. good pictures, long views and close ups of each plant.
__________________ grammagt
tommyb
Posted: Jul-02-2004 at 6:57am
sparklemama, I'm wondering if what you need are websites for window shopping. Mentioning books can send some of us off wildly in that direction. Web searching can be frustrating, try to remember that the Web is A: extremely literal (exactly what you enter) and B: the product of many different committees (absolutely no logic involved). Sometimes it's tough to see the trees for the forest.
Try Monrovia.
Just wander around and see some ways to lighten your wallet. Try "About Our Plants" for themes and more.
If this helps, I got tons more, as do many other 's.
Books are great for reference, but waste resources better spent on plants, manure, dirt, and chocolate. And plants.
Tom
__________________ tommyb
Patience?? We don't need no steenk-king patience!!
Garden Spider
Posted: Jul-02-2004 at 6:19pm
Sparklemama, what are the requirements for your perfect tree? Size in height & width, evergreen, deciduous?
Something else you might do is visit an arboretum or botanical garden (I recommend the Bellevue Botanical Garden, but can't remember where you live)--take a notebook and pen, write down the names of the trees you think might work for your situation, and then do a Google search for those specific trees for more information.
You can visit a nursery, and do the same thing. Just write down the names of the trees you like the looks of, go home, and look up specifics on them.
__________________ Barb
I LIKE being crazy. It makes life interesting, and the dogs haven't complained yet. (Denise Groenewald)
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