Review
Growing Conifers: The CompleteIllustrated Gardening and Landscaping Guide
By Dr. John J. Albers, Photography David E. Perry
New Society Publishers, May 2021
Review by Brent Marcus, Owner of Conifer Kingdom
Growing Conifers, by Dr. John Albers, is a treasure of information for gardeners interested in growing these magnificent trees. Dr. Albers educates the reader with detailed, scientific information about families, genera, and species of the different conifers, where in the US they will grow best, and how to choose, plant, prune, maintain, and propagate them. He even teaches about garden design and creating a sustainable landscape. His brilliantly researched tables make it easy for gardeners in any part of the US to know which varieties to grow. This beautiful book, with superb illustrations, is written with passion, and an in-depth knowledge and understanding of his subject. It is the outgrowth of decades of study, research, and love of these handsome and interesting trees.
Dr. Albers is a gifted medical research professor at the University of Washington who is also a dedicated environmentalist. He created Albers Vista Gardens on his four acres in Bremerton,Washington, that has been his love and his horticultural laboratoryfor over two decades. His story unfolds with an introduction to conifers and their many roles in the environment -- how they are important contributors to the ecological health of our cities and towns in light of global warming. This is his raison d'etre for writing this book. He encourages one and all to plant a conifer for the health of their families, communities, and environment.
Dr. Albers goes on to explain the basics of conifer biology in a way that can be understood and appreciated by a beginner or an expert. He teaches about conifer families worldwide, and details the taxonomic differences between families, genera, species and varieties. He outlines how to scientifically evaluate the garden space in a property according to climate, soil, drainage, sun, frost, and slope. Once you've established your garden data by measuring and testing, you're ready to design your space. He gives you the information you need to draw up a site plan according to use, size, growth rate, form, and color and texture. When it's time to select your conifers, he includes up-to-date cultivars, and his charts, by tree and by region, are brilliantly researched so that gardeners in any part of the United States can easily see what species and cultivars will grow in their locale.
Next, he instructs the reader how to correctly plant a balled-and-burlapped or a container-grown tree, and how to propagate conifers by seeds, cuttings, or grafting, step-by-step. Finally, he teaches how to sustainably care for conifers by mimicking the trees' native growing conditions with healthy soil, mycorrhizae, and organic matter. Cultural practices such as fertilizing, watering, pruning, integrated pest management,and even dealing with deer are explained in depth. The supporting photos throughout the book are stunning, making you want to crawl right into the pages and experience the landscape that was captured through the lens.
This book phenomenally synthesizes so much information in one place, it will be a standard for gardening with conifers for years to come. Thank you, Dr. Albers, for sharing your knowledge and inspiration through this beautiful book.
Growing Conifers: The Complete IllustratedGardening and Landscaping Guide.
By Dr. John J. Albers, Photography David E.Perry
Review by Dr. Ronald J. Elardo, Editor of The Conifer Quarterly
It's all about science! That pretty much sums up the essence of Dr. John J. Albers's Growing Conifers, whichis far more than just a run-of-the-mill conifer book. It is a complete guide to designing a conifer garden that starts with basic knowledge of conifers and ends with creating a sustainable conifer landscape. In between is the accumulated knowledge of a conifer lover, who knows how to explain everything in language that guides the beginning gardener toward becoming a master conifer gardener. Each chapter is a book in itself, full of indispensable information. Growing Conifers is published by New Society Publishers and will appear in May, 2021.
To know the author is to meet a renaissance man, who worked in microbiology and immunology and taught those subjects to students in medical school, wrote approximately 400 scholarly publications trained doctors, dentists and nurses; and was, all the while, taking nearly every horticulture course that the University of Washington offered on his way to becoming a Master Gardener. In 1999, the author created Albers Vista Gardens in Washington State, a four-acre, botanical garden and laboratory, that now includes 130 conifer species and over 400 conifer cultivars.
The buyer of this book will be the happy recipient of a professional lifetime of scientific and gardening knowledge, all rolled into one.
Growing Conifers is jam-packed with knowledge and educational information. The chapter headings give insight into the author's method. Dr. Albers begins with conifer basics: what are conifers, and where do they fit in the evolution of Earth's flora? How do they grow? He covers all the things you need to know about conifers, whether you are a taxonomist or a novice.
He describes their shapes and colors of conifer families, their botanical nomenclature, and even the kinds and shapes of their needles. Dr. Albers shows you how to evaluate your garden and how to choose conifers appropriate for your garden and your USDA zone. He answers the question, what are the benefits of growing conifers? In cities, for example, they mitigate the effects of "urban heat islands" and remove harmful pollutants, year-round.
Albers advises that your garden should mimic nature, as you lay it out. Do you want to shade a certain area, or use low-growing conifers as ground covers? Choosing the right conifers with the right sizes for the right spaces will allow you to create a multi-layered garden palette, attractive to the eye and functional in the environment. Soil types and planting recommendations, use of certain conifers to perform a desired function such as wind blocks - it's all there. As a quick reference, here are tables helping you choose conifer species and cultivars that will work in your zone.
Growing Conifers is a wonderful compilation of education, research, and scholarly resources. Dr. Albers even gets down to the nitty-gritty of how and when to plant, depending on the origin of your conifer. Was it grown in the ground, in a pot, or in a container? He even teaches you how to propagate conifers.
The message of Growing Conifers culminates with sustainably caring for conifers. The reader learns how important it is to create a conifer garden that saves and replenishes the Earth and its resources.It may seem like a lofty goal, but this book gives you a step-by-step processon how to achieve just that.
Growing Conifers may affirmwhat you know about conifers, but it will definitely open new avenues of understanding on how best to make these gymnosperms work.
Review
"One of the most misunderstood aspects of garden design is the proper use of conifers. They provide strong bones to any garden and Growing Conifers provides the key information needed to select the best plants for your garden. This book not only provides fantastic photographs to help you visualize how they will fit into your space, but it also provides all the information you need to properly plant and care for the new stars in your garden. After reading this book you may just decide to create a garden dedicated to only conifers."
―Robert Pavlis, author, Soil Science for Gardeners and Building Natural Ponds
"In a world often devoid of beauty and landscapes lacking imagination, tools to correct the drab status-quo are always enthusiastically welcome. David's photography is artistry to the point of motivation and John's prose, based on decades of experience, is much more than sufficient to guide the home gardener to success, both in terms of plant selection and plant husbandry. Growing Conifers is a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any plant enthusiast and a must-add to the arsenal of those specializing in these captivating and collectable cone-bearing plants."
―David Olszyk, president, American Conifer Society
"Growing Conifers is a work of love for the subject matter, reflecting a lifetime of devotion and a deep appreciation for the role of evergreens in our natural world. I am tempted to say that it's all here – that you will never need another book on this subject. It answers all questions including many that the reader would not think to ask. You owe it to yourself to wade into Growing Conifers with purpose and with time on your hands. It is thorough and passionately written and gorgeously illustrated. I will read it again and again and make it a centerpiece of my modern gardening library. I will turn the pages, slowly, in search of inspiration for my own garden. Like the best cup of coffee or finest wine you have ever tasted, Growing Conifers is not to be rushed. That would be a waste of a most incredible book."
― Mark Cullen, garden columnist, Toronto Star, member, Order of Canada, author, The New Canadian Garden
"This is a wonderful, fantastic, encyclopedic book, worth owning for the information presented alone. Oh, but Albers writes like a poet and OMG, Perry's are not photos, but stunning photography! What an unusual and extremely winning combo."
― Jeff Lowenfels, author, DIY Autoflowering Cannabis
"Growing Conifers is a jewel of a book. Dr. John Albers invites the reader to take responsibility for greening and enriching the urban landscape by planting conifers. He includes everything a gardener needs to know, from planning a garden and choosing the right conifers, to planting, care and maintenance, and propagation. The book has depth, the photos are spectacular, the facts are scientifically accurate, and the charts help the reader find the right conifers for their area of the country. This is a must-have for any gardener's bookshelf."
― Brent Marcus, owner, Conifer Kingdom
"This might be the most practical and handy book I've ever read on gardening with conifers. Being from the eastern Great Plains, I've always felt like we have few options, especially when it comes to sustainability, resilience, and wildlife habitat. Growing Conifers is written so gracefully and matter-of-factly that I feel empowered to try my hand at this almost mythical group of plants."
― Benjamin Vogt, prairie-inspired garden design, author, A New Garden Ethic
"Growing Conifers contains an unbelievable amount of information for the reader. John goes into all parts of cultivation about conifers and their use in the landscape. It is an invaluable resource for the novice while also containing a wealth of information for the expert. It cannot go into detail on any one topic, yet it provides a firm foundation for anyone wanting to explore any one aspect of the conifer world in greater depth. It should be a part of the library of anyone working with conifers."
― Robert Fincham, co-founder, the American Conifer Society, author of five books on growing conifers
"This well-considered introduction to conifers as an important element of our ecosystems and gardens is brought to life with superb photography illustrating every key element of the text, from beautiful images of conifers in their native habitats and the taxonomic identification of cones, needles, and foliage, to garden plants, and design considerations. The author shares his 30 years of gardening with, and caring for, conifers as he learned to relish the shapes, textures, colors, and design possibilities that should allow conifers to be considered as the backbone of climate adapted gardens of the future."
― Saxon Holt, Saxon Holt photography, co-author, Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates
"A rare and unusual combination of a superb gardener as author and a renowned photographer make Growing Conifers a one-of-a-kind book. The detailed descriptions of the many kinds of conifers, along with the excellent advice from John Albers, a long-term gardener, is superb. John has grown and cultivated most of these plants for years. The excellent photography of David Perry adds much clarity to the publication. It is a beautifully written and illustrated publication."
― John Wott, Director Emeritus, UW Botanic Gardens
From the Back Cover
Evergreen your landscape with the beauty and benefits of conifers
A must-add to the arsenal of those specializing in these captivating and collectable cone-bearing plants.
― David Olszyk, president, American Conifer SocietyLike the best cup of coffee or finest wine you have ever tasted, Growing Conifers is not to be rushed. That would be a waste of a most incredible book.
― Mark Cullen, garden columnist, Toronto Star, author, The New Canadian GardenThis might be the most practical and handy book I've ever read on gardening with conifers.
― Benjamin Vogt, author, A New Garden EthicBEAUTIFULLY PHOTOGRAPHED, Growing Conifers is a comprehensive gardening guide for selecting and cultivating conifers. Coverage includes:
- Conifer taxonomy, classification, and geographic distribution
- Selecting conifers for size, shape, color, and texture
- Best practices for placement and planting of trees, shrubs, and groundcovers in urban and rural gardens
- Building healthy soil, minimizing water stress, and integrated pest management
- Growing needs and low-input maintenance
- Benefits of conifers including habitat, water and air quality, carbon sequestration, aesthetics, and food.
Conifers are often overlooked in gardening and landscaping in favor of deciduous trees and shrubs. Yet conifers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and offer tremendous aesthetic and ecological benefits for any garden.
Growing Conifers is an essential, comprehensive resource for gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop beautiful, sustainable landscapes.
Everything a gardener needs to know, from planning a garden and choosing the right conifers, to planting, care and maintenance, and propagation.
― Brent Marcus, owner, Conifer KingdomA rare and unusual combination of a superb gardener as author and a renowned photographer make Growing Conifers a one-of-a-kind book.
― John Wott, Director Emeritus, UW Botanic GardensJohn J. Albers is an educator for the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association, a certified sustainable landscape professional, a former Master Gardener, and the creator of Albers Vista Gardens, which contains 1,200 different plants. Author of The Northwest Garden Manifesto, he lives in Bremerton, Washington.
David E. Perry is a professional photographer who has photographed for books, including The Northwest Garden Manifesto, magazines, Fortune 500 reports, and national ad campaigns for over 35 years. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
About the Author
John J. Albers, Research Professor of Medicine Emeritus, has over 30 years of experience growing and caring for conifers n a variety of garden situations. He is an educator for the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association, a certified sustainable landscape professional, a former Master Gardener, and the creator of Albers Vista Gardens, which contains 1,200 different plants, including 450 differentg conifers representing 130 different conifers species. John is author of The Northwest Garden Manifesto. He lives in Bremerton, Washington.
