The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides)

If you are like me, you have probably looked at the American Horticultural Society's two huge encylopedias (The Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers - this book, and the A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants) wondering why they would produce two seemingly similar books and which you should buy. <br /> <br />My advice for people looking for a comprehensive GARDENING guide is to purchase THIS book. This one - the Plants and Flowers book - should be viewed as a very comprehensive plant type, size, zone, and technique book - all of which provide the book's context mentioned below - while the A-Z guide really is more like a traditional encyclopedia and is heavily focused on individual plant entries. Much of the same material on plants can be found in both books, but this one structures the entire volume into a gardening context, while the A-Z guide provides more detail on individual plants (as well as coverage of more plants and varieties). <br /> <br />Even a relatively advanced gardener is unlikely to need the additional plants coverage in the A-Z guide, as many cannot be easily found. The reason a number of people end up buying both is that the additional depth of material in the A-Z guide for plants found in both books can be helpful in special circumstances. Naturally, some avid gardeners simply enjoy the additional botanical detail also. <br /> <br />This is a superb book for extended study and planning. Is is less helpful as an in-season guide and problem solver, due to its size and complexity.

Great for anygardener and it is a useful reference for people trying to figure out what to plant and where to plant it. Great book would highly recommend to any one.

My kids and I use this as part of their homeschool education. It has wonderful pictures and TONS of information!