Product Description
During a period as artist-in-residence at Exbury Gardens, home of the celebrated Rothschild rhododendrons. She spent 15 years meticulously documenting the genus Rhododendron. This magnificent book is a collection of her paintings of rhododendron species, executed with delicacy and skill. Each painting illustrates the eight-month growing cycle and includes the flowering branch, bud, flower division and profile, new leaf growth, and seedhead. Published at $45.00 Our last copies available at $22.49 ... Read more

Product Description
Rhododendrons and azaleas are some of most popular and beautiful flowering shrubs, with over 800 species in existence and thousands of hybrids developed.Following in the footsteps of his father Peter and grandfather Euan, author Kenneth Cox runs the family nursery at Glendoick Gardens, home to one of the world's most impressive collections of rhododendrons and azaleas.His Manual is a beautifully photographed step-by-step guide to the cultivation, care, and many varieties of rhododendrons. Also in the Care Manual series: Roses, Bonsai, Cactus and Succulents, Clematis, Fuchsia, and Magnolias. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

All about rhodos
The writer, a third generation nurseryman, is a leading rhodo grower and collector having led expeditions to Tibet and China in search of new species. He has written three previous books on rhododendrons and lectured extensively. This book gives the reader an extensive background in both rhodos and azaleas, with an emphasis on proper site preparation, soils and planting and maintenance. There is a beautifully illustrated plant directory some 40 pages in length.

There are some 800 species of rhododendron, and thousands of hybrids. They come in all shapes and sizes from dwarf species that look almost like heather growing on a hillside to some that have leaves some three feet in length. The writer, having introduced us briefly to the geography of the rhododendron, gets down to the business of his main theme - caring for them. The book is readable and contains useful information for anyone interested in growing rhododendrons.

There is a glossary, a bibliography and a useful list of recommended varieties for different climates or purposes - early flowering, late flowering, scented, best pinks, reds etc. This is a thoroughly useful and attractive book. ... Read more

Product Description
From the towering Burmese magnificum, with its three-foot-diameter trunk and its masses of sweet-smelling purple flowers, to the potted pink azalea, glowing like a burning bush on the backyard garden patio, Rhododendron is a genus of infinite variety and beauty.

There are 1,025 known species: it is a native of the snows of the Himalayas and the swamps of the Carolinas, the jungles of Borneo and the island inlets of Japan. It is also one of the oldest of plants - many believe the dove that returned to Noah's ark was carrying a rhododendron sprig - although it has been known to western horticulture for only 300 years. The curious history of Westerners and rhododendrons is full of swashbuckling plant collectors and visionary gardeners, colonial violence and ecological destruction, stunning botanical successes and bitter business disappointments. And it is here related with consummate skill by Jane Brown, an English garden writer clearly besotted by these "glorious and scented strangers, with their mouth-watering candy colors, their cascades of way bells or iridescent globes proffered in ruffs of green leaves."

From its origins fifty million years ago to its arrival in England in the early 1600s; from its export from America by John Bartram in the 1760s to its vigorous collection by Harvard's Arnold Arboretum in the 1870s; from the foundation of the British Rhododendron Society in 1915 to the genetically engineered hybridizations of the early 21st century: this is the sweeping and exciting botanical epic that Jane Brown provides in this remarkable book. She achieves exactly what she sets out to do - "to construct a history of the genus Rhododendron that pays tribute to the mystery and majesty of these plants" - and does so with a scholar's thoroughness and the anecdotal skill of an enthralling entertainer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Learn about what's in your back yard
Considering how many of us have rhododendrons in our back yards, it is amazing how little we know about them.This book fills the gap in our knowledge.It is a first-class history of the plant and the early efforts to bring it to and publicize it in England. It then traces the efforts to propogate the plant around the world.If you like learning about your plants , you will like this book. Well-researched and very well written I unreservedly give it five stars.

You may find other rhododendron specialty books on the market; but none as lively and packed with human history as this.
TALES OF THE ROSE TREE: RAVISHING RHODODENDRONS AND THEIR TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD goes beyond competing gardener's guides which focus on cultivation and natural history to provide a lively historical survey of the history of rhododendrons and their movements around the world. The plant's discovery, early cultivation and collection, and its fascination to botanists makes for a lively set of vignettes and reflections which pairs natural history with human endeavors. You may find other rhododendron specialty books on the market; but none as lively and packed with human history as this.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Product Description
A revised and extended edition of this classic guide to the larger species of rhododendron, covering every aspect of cultivation, including choice of site and plants, hardiness, and instruction on planting and maintenance. Published at $22.98 Our last copies available at $11.49 ... Read more

Product Description
Arguing that success with rhododendrons is all a matter of good practice, this volume provides advice on growing them. More than 100 rhododendrons are pictured, each with a detailed description, information on their cultivation, a brief history of the species and explanation of the nomenclature. ... Read more

Book Description
A complete taxonomic & historical accountof the cultivated species of Rhododendron, with keys for identification of the series & species. Its scope & thoroughness, the fruit of more than 40 years' research at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, are incomparable. ... Read more

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Providing a practical guide to growing the various types of Rhododendrons, this book includes colour illustrations featuring the magnificent plants at all times of the year. It also includes a brief history of the plant.' ... Read more

Product Description
The overwhelming, showy spectacle of a mass of azaleas, or ahybrid rhododendron in full colour, is a glorious sight. This book iswritten with one aim - to show you how to get the best from theseextravagant plants all year round.

You will find advice about choosing and placing, planting andcaring for your plants, together with a wealth of backgroundinterest. This is essentially a practical book, providing beautifulillustrations, information on container growing, pests and diseasesand a glossary on over 200 species and hybrid rhododendrons andazaleas ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rhododendron growing
This is an excellent reference for the hobbyist and professional alike.
It is slanted towards Australia conditions and species / hybrids readily available there, however the wealth of information contained within can be applied to all areas where these plants can be grown.
Colour illustrations are good with black and white line drawings accompanying descriptions.
Lists of species and Hybrids are well laid out, descriptive and very informative.
All-in-all a highly recommended reference for any rhododendron grower. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Can you beat spectacular scenery and species rhododendron
This book not only presents spectacular photographs of parts of rural China that are never seen but plants that are now part of a reserve.The reserve area was negotiated by the Chinese Government , the American Rhododendron Society and Nature Conservancy.There are a total to date of 4 volumes of which this particular reference
is to the 2nd volume.Various libraries have all of them available
to look at but most of the volumes are no longer in print and are very hard to find.The area in which the rhododendrons are photographed is the natural home of most rhododendron species and the source for the genetic basis of all current hybrids.There are no other books that I am aware of that cover this topic with such wonderful pictures.The text is usually in English with the exception of the very first one.Other texts by various members of the Cox family, 3 generations, provide detailed descriptions and photos of the plants their parts but rarely the scenery. ... Read more

Product Description
The 104 species of azaleas are here classified into five subseries, with keys. The full-size line drawings aid identification; the color photographs show azaleas in their native habitats and in cultivation. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Rhododendron Review
A book on Rhododendrons and Azaleas describes in detail the plants including many of the newer hybrids. Concise descriptions with color photos enhance the pages. The author also lets the reader know specifically what he thinks.For example, this plant might belong in the "rubbish heap."

A Must-Have for Rhodo lovers
If you are a rhododendron lover then buy this book. Kenneth Cox's expertise shines through his detailed and authorative book.The bookanswers all the frequently asked questions about rhododendron cultivation, propagation and maintenance. Its index is clear and accessible because, unlike most other plant books, it recognises that most gardeners want to find what they are looking for by using the registered or common name of a hybrid not by passing an exam in botanical classification.
It is a truly international book!Cox constantly demonstates a knowledge of new hybrids across world markets and records the idiosyncraticies of their breeders; he details international hardiness ratings, he recognises that the seasons vary from hemisphere to hemisphere and gives proven performances codes for where ever you live in the world. As an Australian, who is used to having to find appropriate information hidden in a foot note, this is very welcome.
Although his writing is technical, it is peppered with asides which give you the impression he is speaking to you frankly lightening the tedium of Latinised botanical terms. Cox also gives you his ten best hybrids and his ten worst together with the ten best of everything else on a great list page.
Pictures from his owngarden and nursery at Glendoick in Scotland predominate and as a result you need to supplement his text with the excellent photo indexes available of the Americian Rhododendron Society to see illustrations of flowers not common in his climate.
Most reference books I use I get a few hours worth of help. After over 30 hours worth of use I am still going strong with this book and it will be many years before my expertise is sufficient to put it away on a shelf.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas
Without question, this is one of the best, most complete books detailing the growth and species of the rhododendron family. Every type of azalea and rhododendron you can think of is in this book. It's loaded with color photographs. This book is a must have for rhododendron or azalea growers. It also contains very useful information about cultivation. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1787 William Curtis founded the Botanical Magazine, a journal containing hand-colored engravings of plants with accompanying text, which is still published today. It is now the longest-running horticultural or botanical periodical and is probably the oldest journal containing colored illustrations still in production. In the last two centuries, over 11,000 illustrations have been published. With the exception of orchids, there are more plates of rhododendrons in the Botanical Magazine than any other group of plants.

The genus Rhododendron contains some 850 species native to the northern hemisphere, many of which are widely cultivated. They display a wide range of variability, from dwarf plants suitable for the rock garden to giants which will happily fit only into a large garden or estate, and they possess flowers in almost every color imaginable.

In this volume celebrating these wonderful shrubs, the author has set out to demonstrate the classification of the genus Rhododendron as proposed by the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, using as a medium the beautiful illustrations from the Botanical Magazine. There are 121 plates, representing all of the subgenera, sections, and series within this complex genus. Accompanying each of the superb plates is a new text by Pat Halliday, providing an interesting account of the introduction of the species into cultivation, its history, distribution in the wild, habitat, relationships with other species and its classification.

The Illustrated Rhododendron is compulsive reading for rhododendron enthusiasts, it is an invaluable introduction to their classification, and provides a veritable feast of rhododendron paintings by some of the leading botanical illustrators of the last two centuries.

Pat Halliday was on the staff in the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, from 1947 to 1990. She has been involved in the study of rhododendrons for many years and carried out all the identification work for Kew. She continues to lend out her identification services today.Amazon.com Review
William Curtis's venerable Botanical Magazine, founded in 1787, is one of the oldest regular publications with color illustrations still in existence. In The Illustrated Rhododendron, Pat Halliday lays out the complicated classification of the genus according to the system approved by the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, taking as her inspiration the finely detailed drawings that appeared in the Botanical Magazine over the last two centuries. Though of course not all of the 850 or so species native to the Northern Hemisphere are pictured or discussed, every subgenus, section, and series is represented, the species chosen for inclusion based on the quality and condition of the illustration available, the importance of the species historically, the popularity of the species, and Halliday's personal interest in it. "This is primarily a book of 'pretty pictures,'" Halliday writes, but that is a modest appraisal. Halliday's accounts of the selected species' discovery and cultivation, as well as her meticulous descriptions of the plants, range, and habitats, will captivate rhododendron enthusiasts. And on the contrary, the illustrations were given short shrift in the book's production--the paper is simply too transparent to support dense text on one side and a delicate illustration on the other. Ultimately, this is a book on the classification of the Rhododendron genus, with some very pretty pictures thrown in. --Liana Fredley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative, thorough, experienced, and professional
With its 120 color illustrations and four line drawings, Pat Halliday (on the staff of the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, from 1947 to 1990 and an experienced rhododendron expert horticulturalist) offers a superbly organized and presented contribution to the literature of rhododendrons. A veritable showcase of botanical art, each of the exquisite color engravings are drawn from the pages of "Curtis's Botanical Magazine" or "Kew Magazine". The species is presented within the conceptual framework of Halliday's own personal choice of classification systems and she updates the information that accompanied the original historical plates throughout the Botanical Magazine's 213 years of publication. A personal selection rather than an encyclopedic volume, Halliday's descriptions comprising The Illustrated Rhododendron are nonetheless informative, thorough, experienced, and professional. Highly recommended, essential reading for gardeners and horticulturalists with an interest in the species, Pat Halliday's informative overview of the cultivation requirements for the rhododendron is especially recommended. ... Read more