Plant Personalities: Choosing And Growing Plants By Character

by Carol Klein

Plants can be flamboyant and voluptuous, funny and frivolous, even shy and retiring, but do they really have personalities? They most certainly do, according to plantswoman Carol Klein, who has been growing, propagating and showing plants for more than thirty years. In Plant Personalities, she demonstrates how understanding their needs and giving them the best conditions in which to thrive enables plants to develop their true characters - the qualities that make them what they are - or who they are.

Genres: Gardening, Horticulture

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2004

Reviews

[Meconopsis Lingholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not get this book from the comic section so all I can deduce is that perhaps ms klein has a night job as a romance novelist and got the ms mixed up. IN NO WAY DO I MEAN THAT AS AN INSULT. I had great fun reading sections aloud to my husband. these were our favourites:
1. of meconopsis betonicfolia she has this to say: "at the center of their shallow cups, a boss of fine stamens, their antlers dusted in gold, surround the central stigma which thrusts itself forward, intent on pollination"

2 and of papaver somniferum: "at a rapid (some would say alarming) pace its stout stems zoom up, wrapped with wavy edged, glaucus leaves and lateral shoots all terminating in plump dimpled buds"

*blush!*

elsewhere there is thrusting, pink tipped, panting, heaving, and so on, at one point she even says of a certain plant that prim gardeners must look away (!!) only I cant find it now, while wiping away tears of glee while transcibing the two above.

an excellent read, very NOT DRY and NOT BORING at all.

[Liz Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent photographs, interesting ideas. A wonderful gift for a gardening friend. Especially if s/he is also a photographer.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Facinating grouping of plants into "types" Drama Queen, Gatecrasher, Bread and Butter plants are some of the labels she chooses. I want all of these plants too!