Timber Press of Portland, Oregon, nearly swept the 2002 AHS Book Awards, winning four out of the five awards selected this year by the Society’s Book Award committee. Publisher W.W. Norton of New York City averted a clean sweep by winning for The Greater Perfection, by Francis H. Cabot.

The award winners profiled here were selected from among all American gardening books published in 2001. Thomas Cooper of Watertown, Massachusetts, editor of The Gardener magazine, chaired this year’s committee, which also included Linda Askey of Birmingham, Alabama, former senior writer for Southern Living magazine; Dick Dunmire of Los Altos, California, a former editor of the Sunset Western Garden Book; Susan Eubank, librarian at the Grand Canyon National Park library in Arizona; Rommy Lopat of Richmond, Illinois, a garden writer and former editor of The Weedpatch Gazette; and Marco Polo Stufano, who retired last year after 34 years as director of horticulture at Wave Hill in New York City. 

This year’s book awards will be presented to the publishers at the Society’s Great American Gardeners Annual Conference, to be held in Seattle, June 6 to 8.

Books that have received the AHS annual award can be distinguished by a gold seal embossed with the Society’s name. Look for these books in your local bookstore.

Armitage’s Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-hardy Perennials by Allan M. Armitage. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2001. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95.

This encyclopedic guide to annuals, biennials, and tender perennials was hailed as the most comprehensive book on the topic published in recent years. “I’ve been waiting for this book for years,” said Linda Askey. “I found the opinionated writing delightful and the coverage of what is available in this category in the marketplace excellent.”

Susan Eubank described it as “a necessary and useful book that will be an indispensable reference for many gardeners.”

Bulbs of North America, edited by Jane McGary. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2001. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $34.95.

A cooperative effort between Timber Press and the North American Rock Garden Society, this book received acclaim for its authoritative and comprehensive coverage of a relatively unexplored area of horticulture. “There’s no comparable book on this topic that I know of,” said Tom Cooper, “so this will become an essential addition to any collection of books about growing bulbs.”

Marco Polo Stufano said, “This book describes a great many different bulbs in a broad and knowledgeable fashion.”

The Cactus Family by Edward F. Anderson. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2001. Publisher’s price: $99.95.

As with the bulb book, this monographic treatment of the cactus family was highly commended for its authoritative coverage of an important group of plants indigenous to the Americas.

“This is a very thorough treatment of the subject—there’s little more you could learn about cacti after reading this book,” said Dick Dunmire. “A book like this enriches our knowledge and may encourage people’s interest in growing unusual plants,” said Stufano.

 

The Greater Perfection by Francis H. Cabot. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 2001. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $75.

Frank Cabot’s evocative description of the creation of his acclaimed garden Les Quatre Vents received across the board praise. “The book is written by a consummate plantsman who has created a significant garden,” said Stufano. “It is intelligently written, beautiful to look at, and inspiring.”

“My expectation was of a well-written book,” said Askey, “but upon its arrival the only way I can describe my reaction to it is: Jaw dropping.”

 

Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of Garden Ecology by Eric Grissell. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2001. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95.

"on first glance understanding insects seems to be a very unlikely subject for a garden book, but I found it a pretty impressive little volume,” said Cooper. “It addresses an area that no one has really ventured into before.”

Rommy Lopat liked the book’s ecological approach to gardening and the author’s self-deprecating humor. “It’s a highly readable book that ought to be read in every classroom,” she said.