Chasing Wildflowers: A Mad Search for Wild Gardens

by Scott Calhoun

Scott Calhoun "tells his story with wit and a delightful earthiness."— The American Gardener . What can possess a man to drive across state lines, mountain ranges, and international borders with little more than a ragged guide book, an old map, and a wild look in his eyes? Wild women? No, wild flowers !

Author Scott Calhoun invites you to join him on a rollicking adventure through Utah, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and into Sonora, Mexico. Along the way, learn how red chile on a white T-shirt can look like a gunshot wound, and how a man driving a VW Jetta with 100,000 miles on it can feel "richer than a Hollywood divorce lawyer" while he searches for the elusive beauty of blooming wildflowers. Why? Because "there are some temptations that are too great for a renegade gardener to resist." 36 full-color photographs

Genres: Gardening

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2007

About the author

Scott Calhoun explores backroads and backcountry in search of plants, gardens, architecture and food. Scott has writen five critically aclaimed gardening books. His first book, Yard Full of Sun, received the 2006 American Horticultural Society Book Award; his second title, Chasing Wildflowers, was awarded the Garden Writers Association 2008 Silver Book Award. Scott’s most recent titles include: Designer Plant Combinations; The Hot Garden; and Hot Pots. Scott is a Contributing Editor to Horticulture magazine, writes a monthly garden column for Sunset magazine and freelances for numerous print publications including, American Gardener, Fine Gardening, and Wildflower. Formerly the General Manager of Civano Nusery, Scott is now the principal of Zona Gardens, LLC. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Scott designs gardens, writes, and lectures across the United States. Catch up with Scott at www.zonagardens.com.

Reviews

[Vena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am a plant lover but an absolute novice when it comes to understanding all the varieties, their origins, habitats, etc. But Scott has written this treasure in such a way that the plant discoveries are equally accessible to beginners and engaging for the experts. And most importantly, Scott's storytelling is endearing. It was lovely to read about his adventures and left me wishing to read more of them!

[Mike Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the Denver Botanical Gardens and was mildly interested in reading it. But it was a cool read; I loved the travel stories. This is more than a dry read about wild flowers and he included some great photographs.