Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants, 1640-1940

by Denise Wiles Adams

Overview

Today's gardeners have more plants and design ideas to choose from than ever before. But is there something missing in their gardens if they ignore their ties to the past? Denise Wiles Adams has written a remarkable book of history and horticulture that documents the changing plant palette of American gardens. From the colonial era to the pre-World War II period, no region of the country is neglected and no major plant group unrepresented. From a database of more than 25,000 plants and hundreds of antique nursery catalogs, she has distilled a unique survey of American ornamental gardens. Nobody concerned with historic homes and properties can afford to be without it. An important resource that will be consulted for generations, Restoring American Gardens is a vital link between gardeners and their predecessors throughout history.

This book is only available through print on demand. All interior art is black and white. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781604690804
Publisher:	Timber Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/27/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	420
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Denise Wiles Adams is a highly respected historian of ornamental plants and American garden design. She has a Ph.D. in horticulture from The Ohio State University and is a prolific writer and lecturer on topics related to the history of American gardens. She is the author of Restoring American Gardens.

Editorial Reviews

Reassuringly domestic. . . . a valuable resource.” —The New York Times

“Home gardeners will discover untried plants and rediscover familiar ones from a rich historical perspective, while professional and amateur designers alike will find a wealth of practical information on how to approach the historic landscape, document key features, develop a list of appropriate plants and pursue investigations. . . . Adams’s enthusiasm in infectious. . . . Destined to become an indispensable reference for anyone interested in heirloom ornamentals and their history.” —Publishers Weekly

“Adams’s engaging writing and the abundance of both contemporary and historic photographs and plans make this reference book both a pleasure to use and one that fills a gap in the literature. Recommended for all gardening and historic preservation collections.” —Library Journal

“The home gardener, professional landscape designer, bed-and-breakfast proprietor, and all those who have taken to heart the task of re-creating plantings that are in keeping with a mode of yesteryear will love delving into this satisfying, well-organized, and beautifully produced resource.” —Booklist

“This work is packed with information that the history-minded gardener will appreciate.” —Bloomsbury Review

“Restoring American Gardens is a useful addition to a growing body of historic landscape resources and is particularly important for its methodical focus on heirloom plants and their appropriate use.” —Landscape Architecture

“Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants 1640-1940, by Denise Wiles Adams, has masterfully catalogued, documented, illustrated, and separated by region historic,”heirloom”, ornamental plants. This is one of the most complete reference books on ornamental heirlooms, which are gaining in popularity.” —The Washington Post

“Gardeners who enjoy a healthy dose of gardening history in their guides will find Denise Wiles Adams’ Restoring American Gardens a treasure trove of information on heirloom ornamentals from 1640-1940.” —Bookwatch

“While pursuing her doctorate on the cultivation of 19th century ornamental plants in the Northeast, Adams decided to write a book. Her effort, Restoring American Gardens, . . . covers trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annual and bulbs.” —Rocky Mountain News

“Adams provides an intensely helpful look at the history and horticulture of American gardens across the centuries.” —Santa Fe New Mexican

“Restoring American Gardens is a wonder to have and to behold, a sure-to-be classic resource connecting and bonding present-day gardeners with their founding forefather kin.” —Boox Review

“Distinguished.” —Avant Gardener
 

From the Publisher

"Restoring American Gardens is a useful addition to a growing body of historic landscape resources and is particularly important for its methodical focus on heirloom plants and their appropriate use."

—Scott Mehaffey, Landscape Architecture, July 2004

Landscape Architecture

"'American heirloom ornamental plants are ... treasures to be honored and conserved and shared,' Adams writes. I believe the same can be said of this book."
—George Weigel, People Places Plants, Summer 2004

People Places Plants

"This work is packed with information that the history-minded gardener will appreciate."
—Kay Ackerman, Bloomsbury Review, January 2005

Bloomsbury Review

Horticulturalist and ornamental plant historian Adams hopes "that everyone will choose to garden with heirloom plants." This extensive exploration of the evolution of American gardens will inspire many readers to do just that. Home gardeners will discover untried plants and rediscover familiar ones from a rich historical perspective, while professional and amateur designers alike will find a wealth of practical information on how to approach the historic landscape, document key features, develop a list of appropriate plants and pursue investigations. Furthermore, the book has considerable appeal for non-gardeners, as Adams offers many insights into the development of American domestic culture. Early chapters briskly review the art and science of historic gardens. From there, Adams's enthusiasm is infectious, as she explains techniques for interpreting old garden sites, describes design styles for typical building types and discusses traditions in different geographic regions. The bulk of the volume the encyclopedia itself differs from usual plant listings by including incisive design notes and remarks. Whenever possible, Adams quotes original sources, creating a brief historical record for each plant. Antique and contemporary photographs and illustrations support the text and offer glimpses of American gardens of the past. Ample, detailed appendices and a comprehensive bibliography add greater value to what's destined to become an indispensable reference for anyone interested in heirloom ornamentals and their history. (Feb.) Forecast: Readers interested in historic homes and properties will flock to Adams's important resource. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

The bulk of this encyclopedia, compiled by a historian of ornamental plants, describes the 1000 heirloom ornamental plants most frequently mentioned in nursery catalogs and advertisements published from 1719 to 1939 in 47 of the 48 contiguous states (no sources were found for Nevada). The plants are arranged by botanical nomenclature in seven chapters covering trees, ornamental shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, bulbs, and roses. Each entry consists of a listing of common names; the date of introduction of the plant to culture, if known; the earliest citation in American sources; a description of the plant and why it was cultivated; suggestions for current use, especially in combinations with other historic plants; and historic commercial sources listing the plant based on the author's research in the literature of the period. The appendixes provide listings of the most popular plants, both in general and for specific regions and time periods; of nurseries or seed companies for each region and time period as well as which plants were offered; of contemporary commercial sources; and of invasive plants that should be used with caution in current gardening. Three introductory chapters provide the context for the encyclopedia: reading the historic landscape and how to approach re-creating it; a brief history of how different gardening styles were used with specific architectural types; and an essay on historic gardening practices and sources in different regions of the United States. Horticultural consultant Adams attempts to provide a comprehensive and useful snapshot of early American gardens and accomplishes this even though she was severely limited by the spotty survival of the ephemeral catalogs required for this project. Adams's engaging writing and the abundance of both contemporary and historic photographs and plans make this reference book both a pleasure to use and one that fills a gap in the literature. Recommended for all gardening and historic preservation collections.-Daniel Starr, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal