The Elk Mountain Nursery
Selected Books
Elk Mountain Home
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-- Selected Books
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Although all of the following books are chock full of good information, some are more readable than others. Many readers don't want to wade through a volume of dry botanical vocabulary. Therefore, I have given them ratings of (1) to (5) for style -scholarly to casual (no guarantees here, only opinions).
(1) is scholarly and scientific-for the botanist or serious amateur.
(5) is as much a literary work as it is informative-a good read!
(2) (3) (4) are steps in between.
Books are shipped separately from plants. Please use the "Book" order form.
Gardening With Native Plants of the South
Sally & Andy Wasowski
Native plant gardening means using the plants that are best adapted to the conditions where you live, not relying on plants that are unsuited to the area. This lavishly illustrated volume spotlights both common and hard-to-find plants for the South. An excellent, informative book. (4)
200 pages | 250 color photos | hardcover | 81/2 X 11
#8020 | $29.95
Growing & Propagating Wild Flowers
Harry Phillips
Propagation, the key to native plant conservation, of eastern wildflowers and woodland plants is the focus of this brook. Excellent, detailed information on culture, propagation and seed collection is given for over 75 species. The methods covered can be applied to many, many more herbacious perennials. One of the best! (3)
331 pages | 260 line drawings & color photos | paper | 7 1/2 x 9
#4131 | $19.95
Growing and Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants
Richard E. Bir
This book, prepared by a professional horticulturalist with more than thirty years experience, identifies some of the showiest woody plants native to the Eastern United States and tells how to propagate and care for them. It has one of the most practical, common-sense, up to date and understandable sections on ornamental gardening I have seen. (4)
230 pages | 106 color photos & line drawings | paper | 7 x 10
#4366 | $22.95
How Plants Get Their Names
L.H. Bailey
This classic is a basic introduction to botanical names which shows the fun and advantages of a sound , scientific approach. Contains accounts of the work of Carl Linnaeus. Other chapters cover plant identification, rules of nomenclature and a section on Latin stems and endings commonly used in botanical nomenclature. First pub. c.1935. (4)
187 pages | illustrated | paper | 51/2 x 81/2
#2079 | $4.95
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants
Steve Brill
A detailed guide for finding, preparing and using wild plants found in yards, parks, urban areas, woods and meadows. Contains both contemporary and historical medicinal information. (4)
352 pages | line drawings | paper | 81/2 X 11
#4253 | $18.95
Indian Herbalogy of North America
Alma R. Hutchins
A pioneering work on North American medicinal plants referencing more than 200 species. Native American traditions are compared with uses of the same plants among other cultures. (3)
424 pages | 147 line drawings | paper | 6 X 9
#6391 | $19.00
Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants
Charlotte Erichsen-Brown
The author, a noted ethnobotanist, has culled the earliest and original materials to find how the indigenous peoples and early settlers of the Northeast used plants for food, fiber, shelter, medicine and more. First pub. 1979. (2)
544 pages | 343 line drawings | paper | 6 1/2 X 9 1/2
#5951 | $12.95
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide
Lawrence Newcomb
This is the standard work for the serious amateur. It uses an ingenious key system for quick, positive field identification of wildflowers, flowering shrubs and vines of the northeastern and north central U.S. The geographical area is from southern Canada to western North Carolina. (3)
490 pages | line drawings | paper | 5 x 8
#6442 | $19.00
The History & Folklore of North American Wildflowers
Timothy Coffey
Generously illustrated by eighteenth and nineteenth century engravings, and covering more than 750 species, entries include both common and botanical names along with their etymologies and regional variants. Ethnobotanical histories are drawn from classical, British and early American sources. It features the uses, medicinal properties and cultural importance of each plant, including superstitions, traditions and informative anecdotes. (4)
288 pages | 350 line drawings | paper | 7 x 10
#2624 | $16.00
The Lawn-A History of an American Obsession
Virginia Scott Jenkins
A comprehensive history of the American lawn obsession. It traces the origin of the front lawn aesthetic, the development of the lawn care industry, the environmental impact, and modern as well as historic alternatives to this mania. (3)
272 pages | B&W; illustrations | paper | 6 X 9
#4066 | $14.95
Wild Flowers of North Carolina
William S. Justice & C. Ritchie Bell
The classic field guide to the wild flora of the Carolinas, Virginia and parts of adjoining states. "A model for any state field guide. . . Comprehensive enough to be useful in much of the central Atlantic area, from Delaware to Georgia and from the coast to Kentucky." - Katherine White, in The New Yorker (3)
217 pages | 196 color photographs | paper | 51/2 x 81/2
#4192 | $15.95
The Wild Lawn Handbook-Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn
Stevie Daniels
A well researched reference explaining how to use native grasses, mosses, wildflowers, shrubs and perennials for a hardy, drought-resistant and very beauutiful lawn. The author has lived and gardened in Vermont, Pennsylvania and Georgia. (4)
256 pages | line and color illus. | hardcover | 7 X 9
#4458 Not Available
The Book of Forest and Thicket-Trees, Shrubs and Wildflowers of Eastern North America
#1173 | $16.95
The Book of Swamp and Bog-Trees, Shrubs and Wildflowers of Eastern Freshwater Wetlands
#1172 | $16.95
These two volumes by John Eastman pick up where typical field guides leave off by taking an ecological approach. Why the plant grows where it does-how it interacts with the community. (4)
236 p. each | line drawings | paper | 51/2 X 81/4
Gardening for Wildlife
Craig Tufts and Peter Loewer
The National Wildlife Federation's guide to creating a beautiful backyard habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. (4)
192 paces | color photos | hardcover | 71/2 X 95/8
#6756 | $27.95
The Wild Gardener
Peter Loewer
Noted author and artist Peter Loewer explores the native American plants for the wild garden. Besides the wealth of fascinating history, the book contains reliable information on propagation and cultivation of the best native plants. (5)
224 pages | 65 line drawings | hardcover | 51/2 X81/2
#8853 | $19.95
Stalking the Wild Asparagus
Euell Gibbons
First published in 1962, [Stalking the Wild Asparagus] emerged as the classic resource for lovers of wild food. (5)
302 pages | | paper | 51/2 X 81/2
#9036 Not Available
Culpeper's Color Herbal
Nicholas Culpeper
A modern presentation of Culpeper's 1649 text. Almost 400 herbs are illustrated and described-17th Century details on the medicinal and astrological virtues of plants. (4)
224 pages | full color illus. | paper | 71/2 X 93/4
#5682 Not Available
Guide to Flowering Plant Families
Wendy Zomlefer
A recent work describing the characteristics of 130 plant families common to the United States. Features an illustrated glossary and charts comparing the characteristics of related plant groups. (1)
380 pages | fully illustrated | paper | 81/2 X 11
#4705 | $27.50
Travels of William Bartram
Mark Van Doren, editor
From 1773 to 1778 William Bartram traveled Southeastern N. America. "Travels" is his journal-like book that became a highly respected literary work of the period. A classic of natural science, observation, adventure, history and literature. It will change your views of what the Southeast was like during the first years of our country. Excerpt from "Travels" (5)
408 pages | line drawings | paper | 51/2 X 8
#1132 | $8.95
Seeds
Peter Loewer
Unlike any other book on the subject, Seeds artfully blends a wide scope of hands-on gardening techniques with scientific information and folklore. The result is a comprehensive tome on the subject of seeds replete with listings of seed nurseries, seed exchanges, and even poetry related to seeds. (5)
230 pages | line drawings | hardcover | 61/4 X 91/2
#4423 | $25.00
Medicinal Plants-Eastern and Central North America
Peterson Field Guide
(3)
384 pages | line & color | paper | 41/2 X 71/4
#7225 | $16.95
Edible Plants-East and Central North America
Peterson Field Guide
(3)
308 pages | line & color | paper | 41/2 X 71/4
#1870 | $17.00
Botany for Gardeners
Brian Capon
A highly readable book that explains how plants work, always looking at botany from a gardeners point of view. Covers the structure and function of plants in clear, understandable language, including and defining all the relevant scientific terms. Timber Press' #1 Bestseller in 1996. (3)
220 pages | color photos | paper | 6X9
#2587 | $17.95
Japanese Maples
J.D. Vertrees
The definitive book on Japanese Maples. Thoroughly discusses characteristics, history, nomenclature, culture and propagation of these exquisite trees. Complete listing of cultivars with color photos on every page. (3)
189 pages | 250 color photos | hardcover | 81/2 X 11
#2487 Not Available
Azaleas
Fred C. Galle
The comprehensive, standard reference work on this group of shrubs. Describes over 6,000 species and cultivars. Information on every aspect of Azaleas, including culture, history, nomenclature and pest control. (3)
627 pages | 366 color photos | hardcover | 81/2 X 11
#2916 | $75.00
Elk Mountain Home
-- Catalog
-- Selected Books
-- Ordering Information
Last modified: 5/28/01
Copyright 1996, Elk Mountain Nursery
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