Do you read first?

Hi all just wondering if there are any other people like me out there who look at the pictures of gardening books before reading the text?

I have always been the same with gardening books kinda like a little child learning to read, first looking at the pictures to 'see' if the books are any good before deciding to read them! :D

How about you?
Helen.xxx.

 

Never thought about it before but I guess I do browse through all books of that type before looking at the text. Gardening, antiques, best of page 3......... :D

 

Yeah me too. i look cos i know if the pictures look too 'professional' it will be no good for a beginner like me. i like pictures of one flower at a time (what did you say about being childlike?!), cos it helps me decide about them rather than having a picture of a whole bed or even a whole garden.
I bought a book quite a few years ago about patio & container gardening, never knowing i would be into it now, but it's more what i call a 'coffee table' book. glossy pics but not really much help.
regards
sandra

 

yep, I like "picture books" too. Have been given some old gardening books and although I know the info is still in date they are SO BORING with no pics!! Suppose its because we like to imagine the plants in our surroundings.

 

I always look at the text, as I like to read the book, especially if it is part science as well as practical.
I like to know the workings of a plant as much as its needs. I just love the botany side of it.

 

Of course!!

 

Yes I do agree with you - I judge a book by its pictures too. But I have been put off one or two books, which were all pictures in nice frames taking up the whole page with virtually no text. They were clearly meant for coffee tables not gardeners.

 

Helen and everybody :D

Yep i do it too when it comes to gardening books, i have loads and about a third of em are so bloomin difficult i find ii have turned several pages before realising i had tuned out :confused:

But the others i like because i think that 'one day i too will be able to produce such splendor' :D

 

yes suppose we all do helen sounds daft but sometimes the pictures deter if the book is intresting. this isnt true and it may be just me
but if i dont think much of the pictures i dont give the book a chance

 

Nice to know guys I'm not the only kid here! :D

Although I have brought a book or two that has been way beyond my powers of gardening one of those was a garden design book by Diarmuid Gavin enough said! :confused:
Helen.xxx.

 

I like the pictures and the text - pictures primarily. I find that the images help to give an idea of possible layout and plant positioning and then read the text for the more detailed reasoning.

I do also think it depends on the author though as I have many a gardening book with few pictures.

 

I don't think I'd be drawn to a gardening book that didn't have any pictures. One likes to see what the results might be, after all.