Featured Book for November: BEST HARDY SHRUBS

[becke_davis]

This recent release is one of our featured books for November: 

The Gossler Guide to the Best Hardy Shrubs: More than 350 Expert Choices for Your Gardenby Eric Gossler, Marjory Gossler, Roger Gossler

Synopsis

For most homeowners, shrubs are an essential part of the yard or garden because they provide shade, flowers, and foliage from spring through fall. Unfortunately, the choices available at many garden centers tend to be predictable and often unsuited to the local climate and growing conditions. It doesn't have to be that way. The superior plants available today can transform ho-hum gardens into scenes of beauty and serenity. 

For decades, the Gossler family has tested, propagated, and sold the very best hardy shrubs from around the world. This book is a distillation of their expertise - a guide to more than 350 of the most beautiful, versatile, and growable shrubs. Plant profiles describe the plant's main characteristics, give height and spread, and list the growing conditions needed to thrive.

Library Journal

The Gossler family has been growing and selling flowering shrubs in Oregon's Willamette Valley for over 40 years. Here, they use their wide knowledge of and experience with growing and propagating such shrubs to recommend more than 350 of them, many hardy through at least zone 5. There is some general cultural information, but the book's heart is the plant directory. Arranged alphabetically by genus, each entry describes the plant, including its best features, and offers specific advice for successfully growing it. Entries also list place of origin, appropriate U.S.D.A. hardiness zones, and favored exposure. The authors' conversational style is readable, and 140-plus beautiful color photographs enhance the text. While the Gosslers suggest many different varieties of plants they have grown themselves, gardeners may find some of them are not readily available in the trade or must be ordered by mail. VERDICT Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest will get the most out of this useful work because of similar growing conditions to the Gosslers, but gardeners in zones 5–9 will also find worthy choices.—Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL

More Reviews and Recommendations

Biography

Eric Gossler grew up in the Gossler family farm and nursery. After graduating from Oregon State University in Environmental Health and Safety, he moved to LaGrande, Oregon, to work as a consultant for an insurance company before returning home to work in the nursery. Eric is primarily responsible for physical operations, construction, and maintenance in this family enterprise. He is also the main packer for the shipping, boxing most of the orders personally.

Marjory Gossler is responsible for the office operations at Gossler Farms Nursery and reviews each order prior to shipping. She graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, in physical education and science. After several years as a teacher, she came to the farm and nursery where she has worked for the past 55 years. She plans to continue keeping Roger and Eric in line as long as there is still time for golf.

Roger Gossler is one of those rare individuals who knew his career from birth. He became interested in plants at an early age and quickly became a leader in promoting the use of woody trees and shrubs. Roger is the buyer and main grower for Gossler Farms Nursery. He avidly researches what is new in the trade and worthy of inclusion in the nursery's catalog. He speaks on related topics to plant groups around the country.

[becke_davis]

Whether you are working on a new landscape or replacing plants in an existing one, it helps to know something about the plants you might select. I like to keep my reference books updated, because there are so many exciting new (and often improved) plants being introduced every year.

Here's some information about the author:

Roger Gossler

Roger Gossler is one of those rare individuals who knew his career from birth. He became interested in plants at an early age and quickly became a leader in promoting the use of woody trees and shrubs. Roger is the buyer and main grower for Gossler Farms Nursery. He avidly researches what is new in the trade and worthy of inclusion in the nursery's catalog. He speaks on related topics to plant groups around the country.

Upcoming events for Roger Gossler

• November 10: Roger Gossler with the Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group

  Roger Gossler will give a talk on "Fall: The Forgotten Season." (time: 7 p.m.; location: Agate Hall, Agate St. and 18th Ave., Eugene, Oregon; contact: Pam Perryman, 541-344-0896, pam@bobwhitman.com)

[becke_davis]

And more:

Eric Gossler

Eric Gossler grew up in the Gossler family farm and nursery. After graduating from Oregon State University in Environmental Health and Safety, he moved to LaGrande, Oregon, to work as a consultant for an insurance company before returning home to work in the nursery. Eric is primarily responsible for physical operations, construction, and maintenance in this family enterprise. He is also the main packer for the shipping, boxing most of the orders personally.

Marjory Gossler

Marjory Gossler is responsible for the office operations at Gossler Farms Nursery and reviews each order prior to shipping. She graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, in physical education and science. After several years as a teacher, she came to the farm and nursery where she has worked for the past 55 years. She plans to continue keeping Roger and Eric in line as long as there is still time for golf.

[Choisya]

I wonder if they like Choisyas?

[becke_davis]

Choisya -

Choisya ternata isn't hardy in my area, but I remember seeing them a lot when I lived in England. Kathy could grow it! It's a beautiful plant -- 'Sundance' and 'Aztec' are interesting cultivars.

http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/choisya-ternata-sundance-mexican-orange-blossom.aspx

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/choisya.html

[Choisya]

'Sundance' is my favourite - it shines like burbnished gold when in the sun and both flowers and leaves have a lovely perfume.  It is both hardy and evergreen in my area.