The Pruner's Handbook: Practical Pruning Advice for Healthy, Beautiful Plants

Pruning is one of those tasks that seems straightforward on paper but whose reality can quickly unhinge a gardener who confronts a thicket with no resemblance to the neat little diagram in a book. Those who have been waylaid by a wisteria or cowed by a clematis will cheer this practical, thorough guide that offers a complete tour of the subject, from proper equipment to pruning principles and techniques. In addition to an ""A to Z"" of trees and shrubs that tells when and how to prune, there's an extensive section on roses, with briefer discussions of hedges, topiary and fruit trees. Occasional flashes of wit lighten the text (speaking of roses, British gardener Malins suggests planting be delayed ""until a still, dry, fairly warm day. These do not happen at weekends""). The text has not been Americanized, but the majority of species mentioned are found throughout the U.S. With its abundance of truly useful diagrams, this handy reference is sure to embolden even the fainthearted pruner. (May)