Flowering Vines

Book excerpt: Climbers were among the first cultivated plants. Egyptian wall paintings (circa 1400 B.C.) show slaves harvesting fruit from vine-covered pergolas. Here, four authors offer instructions on having vines in gardens (growing them on a variety of structures such as arbors, pergolas, fences, and walls and using them to provide food and shelter for birds), and on planting and caring for them. There are separate chapters on growing clematis and climbing roses. There is also an encyclopedia of 44 flowering vines. Each entry includes data on the plant's native habitat, hardiness zones, garden uses, and cultivars and related species, along with detailed growing instructions. This latest paperback in the Botanic Garden's informative 21st-Century Gardening Series contains many full-color illustrations and photographs. - George Cohen; 112p-