An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis

a book by Mary K. Toomey and Everett Leeds

Photography Editor Charles Chesshire

This new volume, written by distinguished clematis experts and backed by theauthority of the British Clematis Society, is the first picture encyclopedia on the genus to encompass the more than 800 garden-worthy species and hybrids.

It is divided into two sections: the first is devoted to the care and cultivation of clematis (including a chapter devoted to growing clematis in North America), while the second provides an A–Z directory of more than 550 plants, from the acclaimed large-flowered forms to the less-familiar shrubby, subshrubby, and herbaceous forms that are beginning to be available.

Winner of: New York Times Editor ’s Choice - Best Books for Gardening

Media reviews of this book:

“Timber Press is to be congratulated on bringing so much technical information together here: it follows in the splendid tradition of their books.”

—David Mabberley, Biologist, 2002

“If you’re a fan of clematis then this is definitely for you ... Vibrant pictures, maps of origin and diagrams make this an impressive and accessible guide.”

—Gardens Monthly, August 2002

“There are many, many books about clematis. This is one of the good ones.”

—Carol Bishop Miller, Horticulture, March 2003

“An indispensable reference guide.”

—Gary Jennings, SIDA, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2002

“[This] book gives detailed advice.”

—Peter Surridge, The Hull Mail, December 7, 2002

Publishing details:

Hardcover, 428 pages, 8-½"x11", 652 color photos, 5 b&w illustrations, 19 line drawings, 2 maps

An excerpt from this book:

Clematis are very accommodating garden plants. With their agile vertical and horizontal mobility, they create drama, rhythm, and movement in a garden of any size or shape. With careful selection there can be a clematis in bloom for more or less each month of the year.

While most clematis are well known and widely grown as climbers, the genus also comprises a number of perhaps more or less familiar shrubby, subshrubby, and herbaceous species and cultivars. They too are beginning to make their way into herbaceous and mixed borders of gardens all over the world.

With the ever-increasing popularity of clematis as decorative garden plants, hybridizers and nurseries have risen to the challenge and have been busy raising and introducing more and more large-and small-flowered cultivars. Also, during the recent past, a great number of books on clematis have become available to inform and educate gardeners about this magical genus; however, not a single, comprehensively illustrated work has been published to serve the needs of passionate gardeners who grow a large number and variety of clematis. Nurseries have often articulated the need for such a volume of work. The British Clematis Society was also anxious to see this void filled, and is delighted to be associated with this publication.

About Mary Toomey

Mary Toomey, Ph.D., trained as a biologist, botanist, entomologist, and soil ecologist. A keen gardener, she has been growing and studying clematis for more than 30 years. She is currently editor of The Clematis, the journal of the British Clematis Society.