The New Encyclopedia of Hostas

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About The New Encyclopedia Of Hostas

Product Description Fully revised and updated with the best new cultivars The lush, sculptural hosta is loved by gardeners for its ability to both combine well with other plants and project a strong presence when planted alone. The New Encyclopedia of Hostas—the second edition of Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack's classic work—provides growth and cultivation information for seven hundred cultivated hostas. Detailed, easy-to-read descriptions include growing tips, recommendations for landscape use, and suggestions for companion plants. Clear cultivation advice is provided, including recommendations for hostas that succeed in challenging environments, such as the warmer regions of the United States. Captivating photographs show hostas up close and in a wide range of different garden situations. Review “This well-illustrated encyclopedia contains color photographs of over 750 of the finest hosta varieties. Grenfell’s hostas knowledge and Shadrack’s striking photographs combine to make this the definitive volume.” — Choice “Offers deep but readable education about the genus, with pictures to drool over.” — Buffalo News From the Back Cover “A worthy reference for readers on both continents.” —Carol Bishop Miller, Horticulture   “Some hosta collectors have called this book the definitive book on hostas…The photos of this book alone make the purchase worthwhile. Every collector of hostas must have this book in his or her library.” —Len Philips, Hosta Magazine   “This well-illustrated encyclopedia contains color photographs of over 750 of the finest hosta varieties. Grenfell’s hostas knowledge and Shadrack’s striking photographs combine to make this the definitive volume.” —M. S. Muskiewicz, Choice   About the Author Diana Grenfell is co-founder of the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and a life member of the American Hosta Society. With her husband, Roger Grounds, she is former co-owner of Apple Court, a British nursery specializing in hostas, daylilies, and grasses. Diana has done much to raise the profile of hostas throughout the world, broadcasting, lecturing, and writing many authoritative books and articles on the plant. Her garden in Gloucestershire is home to a National Plant Collection of miniature hostas. Michael Shadrack is a photographer and active member of the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and the American Hosta Society. He regularly lectures in North America and Europe, and is an avid hybridizer. With his wife, Kathy Guest Shadrack, he keeps five distinct gardens at Smug Creek, New York. Learn more at smugcreekgardens.com.  Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Preface Hostas have moved on since my first book about them was published in 1990. During the research stage for that book, in addition to my own observations, I waded through all the learned publications available, sifted through the records of various societies, spent days in libraries and museums, wrote numerous letters, and made endless telephone calls. Now one only has to switch on the computer to find this information at the touch of a button, and communication is almost instantaneous.             Before the 1990s hosta enthusiasts were thirsting for knowledge and were less discerning, or less critical, about the available hostas, rarely discarding any which were considered less than perfect. Now, thanks to the expeditions being undertaken by more and more collectors, breeders, and nursery owners who study hostas in the wild in Japan, Korea, and China, we know more about the habitats and conditions in which the species live and so are better able to grow them more successfully in our gardens. We are also learning from scientific research which hostas should no longer be considered species, and that the input of taxonomists on hostas is still in its infancy—the ploidy of hostas being a topic of much interest and debate. There is even a recently approved National Plant Collectio