Re: Schmid book on shade

Well, Claire, I am about 3/4 of the way through a thorough reading of
this book.  I got it for Christmas and my first take was simply
looking up plants I was researching.  Then, I started at the
beginning.

I'm finding it quite useful, but I garden considerably south of you. 
I agree that it will be more useful to southern than northern
gardeners, although he does describe quite a few plants with the
caveat that they are going to do better in more northern climates,
or, I should say, cooler climates than his (and, sadly, probably
mine).  

There are, as you say, a number of plants not mentioned that can be
used in shady gardens, but I have found many described in good detail
that I either grow or want to grow and have not found much about of a
practical nature prior to Schmid's descriptions.  The book contains
photos of some plants that I have wanted to see and did not know. 
All in all, I am finding it a good overview of plants suitable for
shady gardens.  He also gives a very good description of the types of
shade - something not easy to pin down well and notes the range of
shade for each plant described.  He also describes soil moisture
requirements for each plant, something often neglected by authors,
and which is of importance, especially where summers are hot and dry.

The emphasis is on foliage and he states that he's not fond of
ephemeral plants (since his is not a large garden and he wants no
gaps) nor a lot of variegation.  Well, I have room for ephemerals and
love variegation, so we do not agree there, but that does not, IMO,
devalue his obvious experience with the plants he is describing.

My only quibble with the photos is that they are all located in one
section instead of being with the plant description and, of course, I
would like to see a photo (or three) of EVERY plant described:-)  I
am sure that the reason for the photo locations had to do with
publishing costs, but that decision takes away from the overall
quality of the book; I am fairly sure it was not his decision to
make.  

I do think he is very conservative in his hardiness ratings, but that
is to be expected as he gardens in the south and the book is written
from what appears to me to be his personal experience with the plants
described.  I would, actually, rather read a book written from
personal experience that does not cover every conceivable plant than
one that lists everything, but for which descriptions have been
garnered from other literature and not personal experience.  The book
also reflects his taste and preference in plants.  I have no quarrel
with that, whether I agree or not.

Plants that go summer dormant for him when dry will often do the same
for me, so I appreciate this knowledge.

My primary disappointment is the lack of information about seed
propagation - he will say (particularly about something I'm trying to
grow from seed and can't find germination requirements for) that such
and such is difficult or slow and that is all.  I would much rather
he'd simply stated what germination requirements were and let me
determine whether or not it was worth attempting!  It could be he
does not do much seed propagation, so does not know, but if he did
know, I wish he had shared the information.

You seem particularly displeased with this tome...am not sure what
you expected from it, but does not seem you found it:-)  I think, for
my part, that it will be a very useful reference although I differ in
my assessment of some of the plants he describes with which I am very
familiar...for instance, Pachysandra terminalis, in my experience,
will turn icky yellow in too much sun and absolutely needs acid soil.
 But, that's nitpicking and every author is entitled to their
viewpoint...I do not have to agree:-)

I also received for Christmas (Santa was good to me), and have read,
"The American Woodland Garden" by Rick Darke.  While expensively
produced on highly glossy paper, with excellent photographs adjacent
to the pertinent text and a good general overview of eastern
woodlands, it is of considerably less value as a reference. 
Information on specific plants is quite sketchy; nothing new and less
than most plant descriptions found elsewhere.  More a coffee table
book IMO.  If I had to choose, it would be no contest...as a useful
book for the shade gardener (particularly one south of the
Mason-Dixon line), George Schmid's "An Encyclopedia of Shade
Perennials"  wins hands down.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
-----------------------------------------------
Current Article: Wild, Wonderful Aroids Part 3 - Amorphophallus
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
------------------------------------------------
Complete Index of Articles by Category and Date
http://mtalt.hort.net/article-index.html
------------------------------------------------
All Suite101.com garden topics :
http://www.suite101.com/topics.cfm/635





----------
> From: ECPep@aol.com
> 
> I have George Schmid's "An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials" to
look and 
> offer comment for a group discussion.  I am taking a pass on this
book.
> 
> Anybody else have a good look at this 49.95 book?
> 
> It is heavy on Hosta and ferns.  It is primarily a book aimed at
states below 
> the Mason-Dixon line.  The illustrations are nearly all plants
known to 
> gardeners who would shell out 50 dollars for a reference with the
less well 
> known plants not in the pix section.  Missing entirely are all
woodland 
> phlox, digitalis, species hems, lilies that ARE perennial, many
other plants 
> that bloom.  Schmid calls lilies annuals.  Good old feverfew, a
plant that 
> will help out any shaded area is entirely bypassed.  Many other
common plants 
> are there.  Not being a shade gardener exclusively, it seems to me
that books 
> on this subject usually make an effort to get some color into the
garden.  
> Failing that, they make an effort at composure of foliage plants in
the 
> garden,  a very good subject.
> 
> I did not expect low rainfall areas to be represented but 90% of
the book 
> buying public live on one coast or the other and one half the East
Coast is 
> cold.  Tropical or Gulf coasts are not there either.  Maybe this
book should 
> have been My Georgia Shade Garden. He often says this condition or
that 
> plague is "reported" but never seen by him in his garden.  For
instance the 
> Pulmonaria are all fine in George while they in much cooler New
York collapse 
> from mildew regularly.  That one species never does is not
mentioned.  There 
> are many issues in this book that are not explored when the issue
is a common 
> problem with a described plant.  Dr. Schmid has not seen the
catalog of 
> insect life that plagues my area.  The Japanese beetle does
virtually no 
> damage in the shade for instance, not known to him.
> 
> Schmid also states that some of the plants he deals with are summer
dormant. 
> Some of those are absolutely not summer dormant in the Northeast. 
He, 
> obviously good gardener that he is, admits in several places that
he has 
> pinched, removed in part and appropriated plants from public
places.  I would 
> not comment on a snipped cutting here and there, the best of us
(Christopher 
> Lloyd for one) have shyly admitted to this but not in a book
intended to be 
> reference on your keeper shelf.
> 
> Another point which rankled me is his explanation that he will not
be using 
> Latinate terminology.  The example given is that cordate will not
be found as 
> heart shaped is easier on the ear for most of us.  The use of a
glossary is 
> not offered and does not appear in this book.  
> 
> Now those who love this book can give me differing point of view. 
I tried to 
> find a better reason to spend fifty dollars (much less already on
many seller 
> sites) but could not.  There is a smaller paperbound shade
gardening book for 
> those of practical nature that is a filled with practical
information for 
> less than ten dollars, "Easy Care Shade Flowers" by Patricia A.
Taylor.  
> Beyond that I would spend my money on a monograph for a genus I
liked.  
> 
> This is a Timber Press book.  That would be the same Timber Press
that has 
> been announcing annually that an update of Dr. Schmid's Hosta book
is on the 
> way.  Nearly ten years now.
> 
> I should add that I have Schmid's book on Hosta and the two do not
compare.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index