Book Organization
This is a nicely organized book. The contents are divided into 9 chapters that present topics in a very logical manner. The topics are: Bamboo and the Grass Family, Structure and Function, Culture, Propagation, Landscaping and Maintenance, Bamboo Uses, Bamboo in America, Taxonomy, and Bamboo Genera, Species, and Cultivars. The book concludes with a listing of Bamboos for Special Situations, Botanical gardens featuring bamboos, and a glossary. The comprehensive bibliography provided will help those who want even more information about this plant family locate suitable resources with ease.
Strengths of Book
Meredith describes himself as a "... gatherer and assembler of information from those who are experts, or who have special knowledge or expertise in a given area ... " [page 13]. After reading through this book, I believe the author is a superb writer too - one who is able to take any topic from the very mundane to the very technical and state it in a way that makes it understandable to the general garden reader. This is a skill to be greatly admired.
The very first paragraph in Chapter 1 explains that bamboo is a grass. It gives the features that separate grasses from other plant families. Then, it shows the reader where Bamboo fits within the grass plant family. The chapter goes on to explain something about the distribution of bamboo throughout the world. Chapter 1 introduces special terms related to the structure of grass. These structures are explained in greater detail in Chapter 2, which is a very logical organization of information. This style continues up to the chapters dealing with taxonomy and descriptions of bamboo species.
Taxonomy is discussed in Chapter 8. Due to the technical aspects of this discussion, some may feel a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, a clear understanding of taxonomy isn't necessary for the general gardener. It will be valuable for those who specialize in growing Bamboos as a horticulturist or nursery worker. The next chapter describes the bamboo genera and species. Each genera is given a brief introduction giving the characteristics and geographical distribution. This is followed by a description of the individual species. One feature I find extremely helpful is the minimum growing temperatures tolerated by each species.
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