Success With Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Revised Edition

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Summary: Tricks of the trade by an American Rododendron grower
Review: Reiley is without doubt an eminent and successfull Rododendron grower. His whole approach to to subject shows that he knows what he is speaking about from life experience; he doesn't repeat without comment the commonplaces to be found in so many gardening manuals and he has the ability to present data in a context which is easy to understand. However, this book is rather for a professional gardener who wants to set up his own nursery for Rhododendra and Azaleas. This does not have to be a weakness of this book; Reiley presents his chapters about growing requirements, selection of varieties, use in the landscape, propagation, nursery growing and hybridisation in a very convincing but scientific way and view. His auditory seems to be preeminently US-American. For the USA he gives good overviews about the growth conditions in many states and recommends good varieties there. Readers from other countries will feel sorry that they get much less here. Thanks to its thoroughly research and convincing conclusions every reader will understand more about these plants and will take useful new information out of this book, but for the professional grower or landscaper -especially in the US- this could become the bible for his job!