The Gossler guide to the best hardy shrubs: more than 350 expert choices for your garden

205 Pages·2009·37.617 MB·English

by  Gossler, Roger;Gossler, Eric;Gossler, Marjory

The Gossler Guide to the
Best Hardy Shrubs

The
Gossler Guide
to the
Best Hardy
Shrubs
More than 350
Expert Choices for
Your Garden
Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler
Foreword by John E. Elsley
Timber Press
Portland | London
Page 1: Hamamelis ×intermedia ‘Jelena’.
Frontispiece: In the “stream garden” part of our landscape, shrubs
mingle with trees and perennials to create year-round interest.
Page 6: Chaenomeles ×superba ‘Hollandia’.
Copyright © 2009 by Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler. All rights reserved.
All photos are by the authors.
Published in 2009 by Timber Press, Inc.
Th e Haseltine Building
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450
Portland, Oregon 97204-3527
www.timberpress.com
2 Th e Quadrant
135 Salusbury Road
London NW6 6RJ
www.timberpress.co.uk
Printed in China
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gossler, Roger.
Th e Gossler guide to the best hardy shrubs : more than 350 expert choices for your
garden / Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler ; foreword by John Elsley. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-88192-908-9
1. Ornamental shrubs. 2. Landscape gardening. I. Gossler, Eric. II. Gossler,
Marjory. III. Title. IV. Title: Guide to the best hardy shrubs.
SB435.G685 2009
635.9'76—dc22
2009006146
A catalog record for this book is also available from the British Library.

Contents
Foreword by John E. Elsley 9
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 12
How to Th ink about Climate and Growing Conditions 18
Looking at Other People’s Gardens 24
Our Personal Guide to Plant Categories 32
How Not to Kill Your Plants 40
Care and Maintenance 44
A to Z Plant Directory 54
Hardiness Zones 196
Shrubs for Specifi c Sites and Purposes 197
Index 199

Foreword
The horticultural
and gardening industry has witnessed dramatic changes in
recent decades, especially in the marketing of plants. Large numbers of a limited
range of plants are now sold through national and regional chain stores, causing
smaller retail outlets to be challenged when they attempt to off er a broader selec-
tion of more unusual garden-worthy subjects. For many years, mail-order com-
panies have been able to satisfy many of the needs of more serious gardeners, but
recent economic fl uctuations, combined with a possible decrease in demand for
more esoteric off erings, has caused pressure on these sources as well.
Considering this sobering industry backdrop, Gossler Farms Nursery, a
small, highly respected, forty-year-old, family-owned and -operated business is
to be cong ra t ulated for their remarkable achievement. Th eir success can be at-
tributed to the Gossler family’s dedication to the nursery and its clientele—a fac-
tor frequently emphasized in the nursery catalog’s introduction where the reader
is addressed in a friendly and inclusive manner. Family activities and travels are
discussed along with new plant introductions and pertinent nursery “chatter,”
leaving customers with a warm feeling of personal involvement. Th is feeling is
further experienced when a telep hone call to the nursery is inevitably answered
by one of the owners. A conscientious commitment not to outgrow their re-
sources ensures the ongoing production of quality plants and customer satisfac-
tion. Th e hallmark of any Gossler Farms Nursery shipment is the uniquely suc-
cessful method of fi rmly securing each plant in a “cat’s cradle” before placing it in
its shipping c arton.
Roger Gossler’s domestic and overseas travels ensure a steady supply of new
and exciting off erings. Magnolias have always been a major specialty, with Japa-
nese maples, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and witch hazels representing other key
groups. I am frequently recommending their catalog as a source for such hard-
to-locate subjects as Aralia elata ‘Variegata’, unusual daphnes, and other unusual
choices. Brevity and honesty typify catalog descriptions. In describing the exotic
Chilean fi re bush (Embothrium coccineum), it refreshingly states, “If you live out
of the coastal Northwest from San Francisco to Vancouver, B.C., don’t attempt
this plant!”
Opposite: Magnolia liliifl ora ‘O’Neill’.
9