The rock garden and its plants : from Grotto to Alpine House / by Graham Stuart Thomas

London : Frances Lincoln, 2004. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dw, now mylar-sleeved. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered.; 8vo 8"" - 9"" tall; 266 pages; Physical desc. : 266 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 27 cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Subject: Rock gardens --History. Summary: Graham Stuart Thomas made rock gardens an important part of his life's work. N this book, the first complete history and exposition of rock gardening, herovides the necessary geological background, traces the historicalntroduction of alpine plants and gives practical and aesthetic advice on howo create a rock garden and choose suitable plants. There are chapters on allhe relevant topics - including grottoes, the history of early rock gardens, he scree garden, the alpine lawn, the peat garden, paths, ponds, the rockarden in autumn, dwarf conifers - and extensive information on suitablelants and shrubs. There is a revealing chapter on the restoration andaintenance of rock gardens, which dispels the fear that rock gardens involve large amount of detailed work. Numerous illustration, many of which are ofpecial historic interest, help to make this the most authoritative, omprehensive and up-to-date volume on the subject.