The Gardener's Guide to Growing Temperate Bamboos

This is an excellent book with terrific photo's. The pictures and text give the history of some bamboo types, leaf/wood samples, use in the garden for both visual effect and to build with. Bamboo's versatility in the garden extends well beyond just adding an Asian flavor to an area. That said, my only critique would be the need for a better way the species can be identified. You can figure out plants to the Genus using this book, but nailing which plant species it is can be foggy. Mr. Bell did a great job introducing a new plant for most gardeners.

If you've done a search, you already know how few books there are on the subject of growing bamboo in the temperate climates of the US, Britain and Europe, especially for the enthusiast gardener who is neither a potential farmer nor a botanist. This wonderful new book becomes the #1 choice for its good information, its passionate and readable style, its beautiful photographs, its lists of where to buy bamboo in the US (including mail order), and as the perfect gift for friends who may still have irrational concerns about and little knowledge of this magnificent plant. Bamboo lovers will enjoy every page. If you only buy one book on the subject, buy this one. If you can purchase two books, buy "Bamboos" by Recht as well. For design ideas, consider "A Japanese Touch for Your Garden." Start here, but be warned: once smitten with the beauty and elegance of bamboo, you may want to buy every book on the subject that you can get your hands on.

Mike Bell has done the gardening world an enormous service with this book.It has been hard to find practical solid info on bamboos-perplexing nomenclature and tales of rampant invasive behaviour have left many cautious and perplexed. This work provides clear practical guidance and is beautifully illustrated.Useful for beginners and comprehensive enough to be an essential purchase for all enthusiasts.

I stumbled upon this book before I was about to purchase a bambusa vulgaris. This book was well written, informative and visually appealing. Since, I live out near the water, I needed to know how to care for and successfully grow bamboo in my backyard. With the help of this book, I have maintained a couple of potted bamboo plants outside and a giant one indoors. Helpful to a novice bamboo grower like myself, but also a good reference to keep always.

Finally, a book that covers all aspects of bambooo culture and does it extraordinarily well. Everything from culture to propagation to garden placement. I found this to be a warmly written appreciation of this family of plants that have recently become so very popular. Bell gardens in England but shows a keen appreciation of the differences in growing bamboo there and in the US. The book is generously illuminated with good color photos and line drawings. I've been growing bambo for twenty years and found the book a joy.