A Good Book Find

I found a great book at half-price the other day... "The Book of Field and Roadside" Open-Country Weeds, and Wildflowers of Eastern North AMerica
Some of you might want to snag a copy of this one. It has drawings and information on common roadside weeds. As many of you know some of the most beautiful butterflies use field and roadside plants as larval hosts. John Eastman thoroughly covers many of these plants to recognize so that we can gather seeds from them when the seeds are ripe. Most weeds and wildflowers do not transplant very well and it isn't advisable to remove plants like these fro their natural places for other reasons anyway. John goes into great detail on all insects encountered with the plants as well, and Amelia Hansen is a pretty good little illustrator.

I bought it for 4.98, but the list price is 18.95.. I saw the book on ebay and amazon for as low as 1.99!!

Really glad I have this one!

Sounds like a rather interesting book! I'll check it out! Thanks for the heads-up, Deb!

Bought it :o) Thanks for the heads up too...like I really need more books...ROLF!!!

~ Cat

Funny how you two are the first ones to pop in my head when I was reading it!! I thought .. "Becky and Cat would really like this one!"... LOL!

Cat I cant have too many books, I just love my collection!! Glad you got it! Too cheap and useful not to have.

Thanks for sharing deb. I just love books like this (probably have too many but they are so nice to have for reference). I enjoy spending the day out in the woods and fields with my camera and it will be great to have a better idea which types of flowers and weeds to keep an eye on for butterflies. Going to order one today.

Great Nature Lover!! You will like it.
I have and love lots of these kinds of books too! Do you happen to have any of Geyata Ajilvsgi's books, just curious?

Debnes

This message was edited Feb 8, 2008 8:35 AM

Ya know when I looked at that on ebay and saw there was an auction listing for 4 books...I kept thinking last night...who else read the posting here and who's looking at ebay now. I best order and pay quickly before they run out!!!!

Am always looking for guide books on native plants...there are so many things growing wild at the ranch that I cannot identify. Need to drag one of the park botanists out there in the Spring to ID stuff for me!

~ Cat

deb,
No, don't have any Ajilvski books. Retired about 2 years ago and have more time now to enjoy such things as reading. You know how limited your time is when you're working. Will have to look for some of his/her books. Generally speaking, what subjects are available? I love learning all I can about anything dealing with nature.

Geyata has quickly become a favorite of mine.. Many of her books are out of print now so the only way to find them s at second hand book stores, with the exception of one that she revised in 2002. She is a botanist/taxonomist and photographer, and kind of an ole hippy like myself, lol.

One stellar book is "Wildflowers of Texas" revised in '02 with 105 new species added to the plethora of Texas Native flora. Every other page of 500 has a clear beautiful photo of one to two plants with the opposing page of detailed description. I have been able to find 3 copies of this book and given away 2 as gifts with packages of seeds. Something tells me they will keep finding their way to the shelves of half-price and other second hand book stores, so keep your eyes peeled. Definitely worth having right on the coffee table or nightstand, and it's small enough to carry into the field.

http://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-Texas-Geyata-Ajilvsgi/dp/0940672154

Keep in mind that many of the same flowers native to Texas are native to states all over the south.. A beautiful book!!

Debnes, could you add this thread or a listing of these books to the sticky information thread? Becky has a book resource thread in the sticky. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3708573

I've got to go book shopping. Thanks for the great resources.

Great idea Deborah! Some wonderful books to be included on the sticky thread!!!

I have put this one (below) on the sticky thread, (guess I need to add the Field and Roadside book too, but I thought they were worth a big announcement first, LOL!

Another of her many books I have found indispensable is "Butterfly Gardening for the South" (1991 Taylor ISBN 0-87833-738-5). Now this is THE best book I have found for butterflying here in the south. It is a complete reference with 9 chapters of excellent information on Butterfly species and detailed information and gorgeous pictures of all their host plants.

I found my copy at half-price for 12.95!!
Here is a look at it on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-Gardening-South-Geyata-Ajilvsgi/dp/0878337385/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202481605&sr=1-1
Worth looking for... but unfortunately out of print. That accounts for the higher than list price you will see online.

I did tag this thead in Dave's tag section.

Beware of that "Butterfly Gardening for the South" -- I bought it from Amazon a few years ago and immediately found out that it is highly addictive. Once the book is opened, the user .... er, I mean "reader" is hooked. It is hard, almost impossible to put it down. It should come with a big old disclaimer on the front -- Once opened, reader is at their own peril as far as getting anything else done! :-)

Carla

Thanks Deb!

Well put! my dear Carla! :-)

debnes,
Thanks for sharing all this info. I just shot my wad for now--ordered Field and Roadside AND Trees and Thickets. Saw more books I'd love to have but they will have to wait for another payday, LOL! My 8-year-old granddaughter likes to go "take pictures" with me with her new camera she just got for Christmas. She'll love going through "our" new books. Think I've got her hooked on nature.

Good job NL!! That's what we want!

To prepare the next generations..:-) They will hate us of we don't, and rightly so.

Gbu!

Debnes

I'll have to see if she gets any pictures good enough to share here on DG. That would give her such a thrill. I hope to take her next weekend.