Dream Plants for the Natural Garden

The cover is the best part. All plants are referred to by their Latin names which makes it a bit harder for amateur gardeners to follow. Mainly the layout lacks interest. Not all of the plants have a photo and the descriptions are very limited. This seems more like a reference book for you to then explore further with other resources. It was not inspiring and I’ve found free plant catalogs more informative and exciting. Would not recommend.

I've been interested in the "naturalistic" style of gardening ever since a visit to the Highline in New York City five years ago. It seemed to be a great solution for my weedy, barren back yard. I've read, studied, pondered, dug, planted, weeded, experimented ... learned a lot, had a few successes, wasted some $$ ... and I wish I'd had this book several years ago. Of all the books I've read, this one provides the most thorough and practical advice on plant selection and placement. I'm making much more focused and confident plant purchases now!

The book appears to be good reference, but not all plants listed are photographed and there is no information about the plants' water requirements - for instance, are they drought tolerant??? The book size, format, and cover feel is great. The content organization is good - plant types and alphabetical - I would appreciate grouping suggestions.

Dream Plants: Over 1200 beautiful and reliable plants for a natural garden is a beautiful well designed book intended to list plants that World Famous Garden Designers Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen have found to be reliable in their gardens.The brief introduction and preface set the stage for a potpourri of plants from “tough perennials” to “playful” to Troublesome.” There comes a list of 1200 plants that these two world famous garden designers have selected as useful, reliable, sturdy, and mostly low maintenance in the many gardens they have designed. The few words are a good read. The 250 plus pictures of flowers are marvelously beautiful and details. The descriptions give zone, sun/shade preference, height and width, comments and some useful growing hints. The index appears complete. With the organization of this book, you can start with your problem area find plants to fit in most cases. They do not cover wetlands, or trees or large shrubs.Recognizing that this book is intended for world wide audiences, the selections are at times a little strange, but their choices are well explained. Many of the plants are simple basic common. Many of the plants are unusual. In many cases the exact cultivar the authors used is listed with alternatives. Many of the plants we can only dream of as they are not in our zone or range. But the selections for even Zone 3 are plentiful and well done.Is this the end all book on plant selection? No! However, this is a very useful, beautiful reference book with which to research plants you find in you local nurseries and stores and with to dream of gardens far away.. A local guide is still very necessary, whether a guide book, or a local plant expert. A good book to have in any gardener's library.

Great for planning a garden or choosing the right perennial for the right place. Also shows the not-so-familiar plants. A wonderful gift to give to a gardener or give to yourself!

Not for newbies. Too many plants for pictures of each. Eurocentric plant list contains some plants that are considered noxious weeds elsewhere. Best part is plants are lumped by character with scientific names which lets chose local alternatives.

I love this book. The pictures are beautiful and in color. There is a variety of plants and plant combinations with clear identification of each. I like the overall theme of planting with grasses and low maintenance with such a beautiful outcome. I love that the designs are planned out to have a year round appeal and even though some of the plants may not be available in the US, enough information has been given so that you can find a substitute. So much can be done if you learn the basics and this book does that.

This is a beautiful and very well-organized, informative, and helpful tool for the home gardener and gardeners of public places, such as office gardens and public parks, who want to use lovely and reliable plants that are hardy, will not invade their neighbors, will not seed themselves so they become troublesome, and demand little attention. Piet Oudolf, a British horticulturalist and landscape architect, describes 1,200 plant species in three parts: Part 1 Tough perennials, grasses, ferns, bulbs,and ferns; Part 2 Playful self-seeding perennials, biennials and tender perennials, and annuals; and Part 3 Troublesome invasive, capricious, and demanding plants who fail the test. Detailed descriptions and information include growing conditions needed, and species that are most reliable.

I was so looking forward to getting this book but my enthusiasm slipped away a couple pages in when I noticed the poor quality of the photos. Many are pixelated and the cmyk channels are not aligned properly on a number of photos making them look blurry.A real disappointment on the visual front but the plant details and information is top-notch. I cannot fault the text.

Although by no means a 'specialist gardener', I was attracted both by the approach (natural garden) and reviews plus the fact that the authors are Dutch (as am I). Their straightforward 'no nonsense' approach with all of the helpful tips is great. For amateur gardeners like me, you may be overwhelmed with information, but the categorisation system and tips as well as links made by type of plant are very helpful and allow the reader to be as creative as possible within the parameters of their own garden. Highly recommended.

There is a lot of detailed information about the plants and you need to have time and patience to work your way through what you think may best suit your own garden

Gorgeous pics and v informativegre

Huge range of plants. Piet Oudolf's designs and ideas are wonderful