The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas
Gardening Botany Horticulture Reference Shade Gardening Perennials Plant Identification Landscaping
The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack is the definitive 408-page reference that serious shade-gardeners reach for when they want to identify, select, and grow the best hostas on the market. Published by Timber Press in 2004 and weighing in at nearly four pounds, this oversized hardback pairs concise, research-based culture notes with more than 1,500 sharp color photographs—every leaf, flower, and variegation pattern shown at true size—so buyers can see exactly how a cultivar will perform before they invest in the plant. From 60-inch giants like ‘Sum and Substance’ to miniature gems such as ‘Blue Mouse Ears,’ each entry lists mature height, sun tolerance, slug resistance, and seasonal color changes, making it easy to design a tapestry of foliage that stays interesting from snowmelt to frost.
What sets this copy apart is its immaculate, smoke-free condition: crisp, clean pages, tight binding, and an unworn dust jacket that still displays the rich hosta leaf portrait that makes the book instantly recognizable on a potting bench or coffee table. Because Timber Press titles are printed on heavy clay-coated stock, the photos remain true-to-color year after year—a critical feature when you’re matching leaf margins or flower scapes to a mail-order catalog or nursery tag. At 11.2ʺ × 8.8ʺ, the book lies flat for quick consultation while you’re dividing clumps or checking for crown rot, yet the generous margins give you space to pencil your own bloom dates or pest notes beside the authors’ authoritative text.
Collectors prize first-printing hardbacks like this one; the ISBN 9780881926187 edition is already out of print and increasingly scarce in “very good” condition. Whether you’re landscaping a city lot, curating a national collection, or simply tired of guessing which hosta will thrive in that dry shade strip along the garage, Grenfell and Shadrack’s decades of hybridizing experience distilled into this single volume will save you money, time, and disappointment—while turning every visitor to your garden into a hosta convert.
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