Not being a master gardener, this book was a helpful reference as I debated various bushes and shrubs for my own yard. I was able to go straight to the section that covered my growing conditions and peruse the bushes that would work well for me. Each section includes plants that will work well with these bushes/shrubs as well. The extremely useful information along with beautiful photos make this book a winner for the beginner to intermediate gardener!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this highly informative book! All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

This is a gorgeous and informational two to three hour read. It can be enjoyed in several sittings to plan out your landscaping, or as reference book for looking up unknown shrubs around your property.

Andy McIndoe does an excellent job describing plants from a multitude of growing zones. I'm a US zone four gardener, but with the help of this book, I was able to learn all about plants hundreds of miles away in tropical zones such as zones eight and nine. I appreciate how thorough McIndoe is about soil conditions, foliage, flowers, and even companion plantings. Clearly the importance of a reference book such as this outlasts the limits of the internet to identify garden shrubs.

While reading this book, I identifited a plant that I've struggled to categorize for four years. There is a plant at my parent's garden whose flowers look like a foxglove, but the foliage is far too slim. However, I learned that the the penstemons (or beard tongue plant) is what they actually have. I'll admit it was awesome to figure that out with the help of this book!

Thanks to #NetGalley, I had an advanced PDF of this book to read and review.
*All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. *

#Shrubs #TimberPress

My review will post on my book review blog (www.bugbugbooks.com) on 1/24/19 and on Amazon on 1/22/19.

I was worried this book was going to be a little boring. I mean, who wants to read 300 pages about...shrubs. But Shrubs is actually an engaging read throughout. Author Andy McIndoe covers a lot of plants for different growing conditions, and he includes a lot of pics to make it all easy on the eyes.

The book is divided into four sections. Section 1 talks about optimal growing conditions and care for shrubs. Section 2 offers plant suggestions for challenging growing conditions (e.g., clay soil, acid soil, hot and dry environments, or harsh winters, etc.). Section 3 gives shrub choices for small spaces (e.g., pots and containers, small gardens, narrow beds and borders, slopes, etc.). Section 4 talks about shrubs with desirable characteristics (i.e., shrubs you would plant for drama, fast growth, long blooming life, fragrance, etc.).

Every plant in the book is presented with its name, identifying picture, expected size, and growing zone, and is accompanied by a blurb that talks about the color of the shrub, preferred growing conditions, and general growing advice. There is also a page at the end of each section that gives "other good [plants in this category]." Plant names are listed, but no pictures or further info is given.

Overall, I really loved reading Shrubs. The book flows well and makes sense. The pictures are beautiful and help break up the text. Most important, it has given me SO MANY good planting ideas. I will definitely be referencing this one come spring.

This is a useful guide for which shrubs to plant in any climate, soil condition, yard/garden size, or specific purpose (showy flowers, pollinator support, etc.). The descriptions, size information and hardiness numbers were really helpful. I liked that each listing had an accompanying photo, but I wish there were also photos of the full shrub - many were just close-ups of a branch, leaf or flower and didn't give a good idea of what the whole thing looked like.

Detailed and helpful information to grow shrubs in various climates and soils. It’s a staple for the beginning and intermediate gardener. It’s illustrated with beautiful photographs and contains excellent companion plant advice, written by a true expert. I know I will be referring to this book often. Happily, it looks great on a cocktail table too.