Henry Kock was an interpretive horticulturist for two decades at the University of Guelph's arboretum, where he founded the Elm Recovery Project.
Paul Aird is a forest scientist and professor of forest conservation policy at the University of Toronto.
John Ambrose served as curator of the University of Guelph's arboretum, and curator of botany and manager of horticulture at the Toronto Zoo.
Gerald Waldron is the author of three books and many popular articles and scientific papers on trees.
[Kock] and his co-authors cover the ecology, abundance, fruit
characteristics and edibility of more than 200 trees, vines and
shrubs.--Ken Smith "The London Free Press" (10/11/2008 12:00:00
AM)
In this book the authors reveal the "secret" of knowing which seeds
to collect, how to treat them in order to have success with
germination and how to care for them.... The thesis of Kock�s book
is that growing trees from seeds can be included in the grand
scheme of your horticultural endeavors.-- "Virginia Master Gardener
Association" (2/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)
A gardener's most optimistic acct of faith is growing trees from
seed. And growing native trees is even more crucial in these times
of shrinking biodiversity. A devout champion of our native flora,
the late horticulturist Henry Kock was working on this book when he
died in 2005; now Growing Trees from Seed has been completed by his
colleagues Paaul Aird, John Ambrose and Gerald Waldon. Drawing on
Kock's deep knowledge, keen eye and dry wit, it contains all you
need to know about collecting, storing, germinating and nurturing
the seeds of our very future.--Marjorie Harris "Gardening Life"
(9/1/2008 12:00:00 AM)
A guiding hand and inspiration.-- "The Washington Post" (10/9/2008
12:00:00 AM)
Even if you never plant a single seed (although after reading this
book you probably will), the information contained in these pages
will change the way you think about trees and the environment. This
book is worth its weight in gold.--Stephen Westcott-Gratton
"Canadian Gardener" (4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)
Gardeners looking for help with the challenges of growing trees and
shrubs from seed will be very pleased with this book. Using a
conversational style and discussing as much natural history as
propagation, Kock covers all the major native trees and shrubs of
the Great Lakes region in the U.S. and Canada. The author provides
good information about when fruit is ready to harvest, how to
extract and treat the seeds, and how they germinate and grow. The
book is replete with excellent, detailed pencil drawings of fruit,
seeds, twigs, and leaves that will help with plant identification.
Sidebars in appropriate places warn of related exotic invasive
plants.... Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduate
and general readers.--G. D. Dreyer, Connecticut College "Choice"
(6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)
Henry Kock's passion was propagating and saving native woody
plants. The late horticulturalist's knowledge lives on in Growing
Trees from Seed: A Practical Guide to Growing Native Trees, Vines
and Shrubs. The book, written by Paul Aird, John Ambrose and Gerald
Waldron, explores both the reasons for propagating these plants
from seed and the methods for doing so, it addresses where to find
seeds, which ones to collect, how to store, prepare and sow them,
and how to care for the young plants that sprout. The book presents
techniques that have been used successfully in the Great Lakes
growing area.-- "Chicago Times" (7/31/2010 12:00:00 AM)
Henry Kock's Growing Trees from Seed is a beautiful volume and
decidedly useful as a growing guide. But it also earns pride of
place in my library simply as an excellent reference book about
trees, shrubs and woody vines.--Jodi DeLong "The Chronicle Herald"
(11/30/2008 12:00:00 AM)
I get a lot of gardening books at work, but very few of them get to
come home with me. Growing Trees from Seed is one of them.--Luke
Miller "Better Homes and Gardens" (10/12/2008 12:00:00 AM)
I grew a native magnolia from seed once after taking a course at
the Royal Botanical Gardens... I nursed it through three seasons
before I killed it by moving it at the wrong time. To avoid such
foolish mistakes, [this] book might be your best companion.--Kathy
Renwald "The Hamilton Spectator" (9/25/2008 12:00:00 AM)
I have been growing trees from seed since 1952... I wish this book
had been available to me when I began, so that I could have avoided
making all my own mistakes!... Throughout the book, Kock shows an
acute awareness of the virtues of native trees.... Growing Trees
from Seed is not merely a how-to reference...it gives the reader a
context, philosophy, and background that I have not often seen
elsewhere.--Guy Sternberg, founder, Starhill Forest Aboretum,
Petersburg IL, author and photographer of Native T "The American
Gardener, American Horticultural Society, Sept/Oct 2008 Book
Reviews" (10/31/2008 12:00:00 AM)
If there is a Garden Book of the Year, it's Growing Trees from Seed
by Henry Kock.... Here is a lifetime of knowledge, lovingly
assembled.... Even those who aren't passionate about trees will
find this book wonderful to dip into and an invaluable reference
about the culture of trees and their place in our lives.--Marjorie
Harris "National Post" (11/28/2008 12:00:00 AM)
If there were popularity contests for plants, trees would doubtless
be the winners. Of all the books on trees, [this is one] of my
favorites.... This groundbreaking guide provides all the
information gardeners need on these native plants. It covers
everything from the ecology of plants to seed collecting, seed
planting, and growing natives. Illustrated with color photos and
line art, it profiles over 200 native species [and] makes a
valuable contribution to the natives versus invasives
debate.--Connie Krochmal "BellaOnline" (11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM)
If you want to know how to look after plants, there was never a
better person to ask [than Henry Kock]. He could take the complex
bits and pieces of horticulture and make you understand the parts
you need to know. The secrets of trees are secrets no longer...
Kock helps us understand the how and why of it all. Three of Kock's
colleagues, Paul Aird, John Ambrose and Gerry Waldron, are to be
thanked for taking an almost complete book and pulling it together
so well. It's a grand testament to Henry's life.--Alan Pickersgill
"Tribune (Guelph ON); The View From Here at www.alanpickersgill.ca"
(10/14/2008 12:00:00 AM)
In this comprehensive coffee-table-sized guide, Kock, a Canadian
horticulturist who died in 2005, not only shows how to find and
propagate native woody plants but also helps readers understand
plants as members of communities f plants and animals rather than
as isolated specimens. He tells how to differentiate native plants
from invasive exotics and how to collect, clean, germinate and
plant seeds and set up a nursery, along with intriguing suggestions
(keep a toad in a cold frame to eat slugs) and surprising facts
(earthworms are not native to the glaciated areas of North America,
and contrary to popular gardening belief, they do a huge amount of
damage by dragging undecomposed organic material into the soil,
where it does not belong). The book's focus is woody regions of the
Great Lakes bioregion, but Kock assures that the techniques will
apply to other regions and species as well. With beautifully
detailed drawings and color photographs, the boo provides both
inspiration and knowledge.-- "Publishers Weekly" (8/4/2008 12:00:00
AM)
Informative ... An invaluable resource.--Judy Love, diggin'it blog
"Christian Science Monitor" (11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM)
Inspiring to gardeners, educators, and conservationists alike, this
book on the selection of native tree stock and its propagation
provides a hands-on approach to growing plant from seed
successfully.-- "National Garden Clubs, Inc." (11/1/2008 12:00:00
AM)
Kock demystifies the whole process, through all the stages, from
identifying trees, shrubs and vines to recognizing when their seeds
are ripe. He details the full range of propagation techniques,
warning of dangers, offering solutions, never making things seem
out of reach or difficult for someone new to the enterprise. He
writes from decades of experience and sprinkles the text with
engage stories.... For anyone who had even a passing acquaintance
with Kock from the courses he taught at the arboretum or the public
talks he often gave, the voice that shines through this text will
be a poignant treasure. The triumverate of friends and colleagues
who finalized the book for publication...deserve many thanks for
completing the project following Kock's untimely passing. I'm sure
that Henry is beaming his big grin through his big bushy bear now
that his words are becoming the seeds for many tree-planting
actions. Forests will grow thanks to the lessons he's shared. We'll
all be wiser--Lorraine Johnson "Newsletter of the North American
Native Plant Society" (1/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)
Kock's passion for the environment and trees shines through, and
this makes the book not only a rich and detailed resource for
gardening enthusiasts at all levels but also a fitting tribute.
Recommended for all public and academic libraries with
horticultural collections.--Lisa A. Ennis, University of Alabama at
Birmingham Library "Library Journal" (11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM)
Maintaining and in same cases restoring, the environment with
native trees and other plants is vital and Growing Trees from Seed
is a wonderful resource to help achieve this goal.--N. Glenn
Perrett "Lake Wah-Wash-Kesh Conservation Association" (12/1/2008
12:00:00 AM)
Respected environmentalist Henry Kock has left behind in his death
a bible for are tree and shrub growers... The 280-page book is a
practical guide for those who want to learn how to grow their own
trees and shrubs.--Thana Dharmarajah "The Guelph Mercury"
(8/28/2008 12:00:00 AM)
Starting a tree from a seed is not just rewarding. It's a way to
vegetate your landscape cheaply while fighting global warming and
perserving biodiversity. For Henry Kock...it became an obsession.
He spent more than two decades learning the singular germination
needs of various native trees and shrubs, and decided he would
share his secrets with others in a new book.--Adrian Higgins "San
Francisco Examiner" (10/9/2008 12:00:00 AM)
Thanks to this book, any gardener can now grow trees from seeds
within as little as ten years. The secrets are to know what seeds
to collect and how to prepare and plant them. From their extensive
knowledge, the authors guide the reader in identifying native
trees, vines and shrubs and describe how to propagate them....
There is no better guidance on how to grow native trees from
seed.-- "I Can Garden.com" (1/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)
This authoritative book could not have come at a more opportune
time.... The book covers everything from tree identification,
finding seed, taking seed to seedlings, restoring the natural
balance and controlling invasive species. Line drawings abound to
help readers with understanding the subject.--Donald McClure "The
County Weekly News (Picton ON)" (11/28/2008 12:00:00 AM)
This volume has the look of a glossy tome destined for the coffee
table.--Jon Fear "Waterloo Regional Record" (12/13/2008 12:00:00
AM)
This 240-page hardcover book outlines the practical steps to
growing trees from seed while providing the reader with interesting
information on the identification, origin and growth of various
species of trees and shrubs.-- "New Brunswick's Private Forestry
Resource Centre, Vol. 7" (9/1/2008 12:00:00 AM)
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