An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis

“If you love clematis, and encyclopedias, you’ll love An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis by Mary Toomey and Everett Leeds, which is the last word on the subject.” —The New York Times Book Review

“This encyclopedic reference may well prove to be the ultimate resource for years to come; offering gardeners help in selecting plants appropriate for various geographical regions and growing conditions, and detailing the cultural requirements for a plant already acquired.” —Booklist

“Toomey and Leeds’ extensive encyclopedia, which includes 650 color photographs (one for nearly all of the selections discussed in the book), should largely put an end to the multi-volume search. It is that comprehensive.” —American Gardener

“Indispensable for any horticultural library as well as the library of any gardener seriously interested in clematis.” —Choice

“Among several gardeners’ guides to Clematis published in recent years, this book is one of the most comprehensive and lavishly illustrated. . . . For someone planning a garden and seeking appropriate colors and textures, this catalogue is invaluable.” —Plant Science Bulletin

“It is the most comprehensive reference to this genus to date, examining more than 550 species and hybrids in great detail, by two of England’s foremost clematis experts.” —Avant Gardener

“This volume, given the endorsement of the British Clematis Society, is the first pictoral encyclopedia to deal with the more than 800 species and hybrids of the genus clematis. . . . This is an easy-to-read, beautifully photographed piece.” —American Reference Books Annual

“Mary Toomey and Everett Leeds have hit the nail on the head with An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis. . . . The first section covers care and cultivation of clematis, the second half is a gardener’s delight of clematis options arranged alphabetically, including information on description and flowering period.” —Home and Garden

“A standard reference work on the subject has long been overdue and it now appears in the magisterial form of An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis.” —Times

“A lovely encyclopedia. . . . The first to cover all garden-worthy varieties.” —SciTech Book News

“If you’re a fan of clematis then this is definitely for you. . . . Vibrant pictures, maps of origin and diagrams make this an impressive and accessible guide.” —Gardens Monthly

“This valuable book will prove useful and practical to new and experienced gardeners alike. . . . Toomey and Leeds clear the air with a well-organized, beautifully illustrated guide to this genus.” —E-Streams

Préface
The popularity of clematis has risen in recent years, in part because of the extraordinary diversity of its flowers and that gardeners have been exposed to a better and wider range of cultivars. This volume is the first picture encyclopedia on the genus to encompass all the garden-worthy species and hybridsmore than 800 total.

Auteur

Mary Toomey, Ph.D., trained as a biologist, botanist, entomologist, and soil ecologist. A keen gardener, she has been growing and studying clematis for more than 30 years. She is currently editor of The Clematis, the journal of the British Clematis Society. She lectures widely on clematis, gardens, and gardening, and has written a number of previous books and articles. Born in Jaffna, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), she lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Texte du rabat

A picture encyclopedia of the genus Clematis; encompasses an international selection of garden-worthy species and hybrids.

Échantillon de lecture
Clematis are very accommodating garden plants. With their agile vertical and horizontal mobility, they create drama, rhythm, and movement in a garden of any size or shape. With careful selection there can be a clematis in bloom for more or less each month of the year.

While most clematis are well known and widely grown as climbers, the genus also comprises a number of perhaps more or less familiar shrubby, subshrubby, and herbaceous species and cultivars. They too are beginning to make their way into herbaceous and mixed borders of gardens all over the world.

With the ever-increasing popularity of clematis as decorative garden plants, hybridizers and nurseries have risen to the challenge and have been busy raising and introducing more and more large-and small-flowered cultivars. Also, during the recent past, a great number of books on clematis have become available to inform and educate gardeners about this magical genus; however, not a single, comprehensively illustrated work has been published to serve the needs of passionate gardeners who grow a large number and variety of clematis. Nurseries have often articulated the need for such a volume of work. The British Clematis Society was also anxious to see this void filled, and is delighted to be associated with this publication.