The Jade Garden: New and Notable Plants from Asia

By Peter Wharton

The Jade Garden is an authoritative guide to 130 of the most fascinating yet little-known ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials from the green mantle of Asia. Based on detailed research and observation at one of the largest and oldest collections of Asian plants in North America, the subjects of this book were chosen for their superior garden qualities, their rarity in everyday horticulture, and their commercial availability. From an extraordinary, nearly black geranium with reflexed petals, to a ground-creeping honeysuckle with bicolored flowers and blue berries, gardeners are sure to find something new and exciting in these pages. Although plants included are from the cutting edge of plant exploration and discovery, the authors have included only those selections that have undergone thorough evaluation at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden for hardiness and garden appeal. In addition, the authors have taken special care to exclude potentially invasive plants, allowing readers to be confident that any selection from the book will be an environmentally responsible one. With many of its plants appearing in a garden book for the first time, The Jade Garden is certain to be a groundbreaking horticultural event.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0881927058
• ISBN13: 9780881927054
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Excellent, innovative plant list, with nice photos

This book showcases a variety of rare East Asian plants, many of which show extreme promise for Gardens. The late Peter Wharton was fascinated by the diversity of Asian species that have as of yet gained little or no recognition in the horticultural trade. As you might expect, the book is a bit ahead of its time. At least half of the plants found in it are not yet available even from mail order nurseries in North America. Almost all plant descriptions are accompanied by at least one photo for reference. However, the plates are printed together in fascicles between the text sections, which makes for a lot of page-flipping to match a description with its image. Some of the descriptions are also a bit short on detail and don't offer specific suggestions for optimal growing conditions. However, many of these plants are so new to gardens that there just isn't much to say until more field-testing by gardeners has been done. For the price, it is a must have addition to any serious temperate gardener's reference library.