|
March/April 2000
Recommended Garden Books
To better serve our
members, AHS has teamed up with Amazon.com. We can now offer
better discounts on most titles, faster deliveries, more
inventory, and improved access to hard-to-find titles. The books
listed here are based on perceived reader interest, unusual
subject matter, or substantive content. To order, or for
information about other gardening books, please call Trish
Gibson at (800) 777-7931 ext. 136.
The following books
are our current recommended garden books from the March/April
2000 issue of
The
American Gardener. To read the review just
click on the book title. You can then order the book directly
from Amazon.com by clicking on "Buy this book!" that follows
each review.
Books in the
Spotlight
Natural
Gardening
Regional
Interest
Landscaping
Miscellaneous
Books in the
Spotlight
Growing Herbs
and Vegetables from Seed to Harvest. Terry and Mark Silber,
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1999. 274 pages. 83/4" x 111/4".
Publisher's price, hardcover: $35. AHS price: $25.
Buy this book
100 Heirloom
Tomatoes for the American Garden. Carolyn J. Male,
Workman Publishing, New York, 1999. 246 pages. 51/4" x 101/2".
Publisher's price, softcover: $17.95. AHS price: $14.50.
Just when you imagine everything
known about vegetable gardening has been written and rewritten,
along come two new books that vegetable gardeners are sure to
welcome. Growing Herbs and Vegetables from Seed to Harvest is a
compendium of information based on Terry and Mark Silbers' many
years of organic growing experience. Their explanations of
organic techniques, the finer points of seed saving, and growing
open-pollinated plants are welcome to those of us wandering on
the fringes of these trends.
Of particular value are the
drawings at the start of each vegetable and herb entry. These
display the shape and relative sizes of the plant cotyledons and
first true leaves-a great help in distinguishing desirable
seedlings from weeds. Aside from the fact that gardeners in
regions outside the Northeast may need to adapt the Silbers'
practices for their own zones, this book is an excellent
all-around growing guide.
The couple, who are also
professional writers, have successfully blended practical
advice, history, and scientific lore. It is both a good read and
an easily consulted guide for planning and growing your own
garden.
100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the
American Garden is a handy how-to field guide to 100 heirlooms
that Carolyn J. Male has grown in her gardens in upstate New
York. There is a brief and informative history of the tomato,
and an explanation of the differences among commercial, family,
and created heirlooms. Male also provides concise cultivation
information targeted to growers of heirloom varieties, as well
as tips on saving seed and creating your own heirlooms.
What most readers will want to
know, however, is which tomato varieties will work best for
them. While Male's descriptions of each variety-its texture,
appearance, and taste, as well as what is known of its
origin-are welcome, her book unfortunately will not tell you if
you can grow these varieties in regions outside the Northeast.
Nevertheless, the photographs are inviting, and the names-from
'Boxcar Willie' to 'Mortgage Lifter'-are intriguing. 100
Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden serves as a good
starting point from which the rest of us can help contribute to
the resurrection of heirloom plants by growing them in diverse
regions, under differing conditions.
Linda Thornton is a freelance
writer and editor who lives in Tucumcari, New Mexico, where she
grows heirloom vegetables, herbs, and flowers organically.
Buy This Book
Penstemons.
Robert Nold. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1999. 307
pages. 6" x 9". Publisher's price, hardcover: $29.95. AHS price:
$22.
Gardeners with a botanical bent
will love this book. Robert Nold provides a thorough taxonomic
treatment of Penstemon-the largest genus of flowering plants
endemic to North America-and gives practical information on
growing them.
Although the arid West is home to
most Penstemon species, they are found in every state in the
United States and many provinces in Canada, in habitats ranging
from prairies to forests to rocky mountainsides. Nold devotes a
chapter to cultivation, discussing winter hardiness, drought
tolerance, and how to prolong the life span of penstemons which,
with some exceptions, are relatively short-lived plants. Nold
provides suggestions regarding soil preparation, but he makes it
clear that the best gardening strategy is to choose plants that
are suited to the local soils. "Soils do not need to be
improved," he states, "the plants do."
Cultural information, including
planting and transplanting, propagation, and managing pests and
diseases, is geared mostly toward cold climates, appropriately
enough, I suppose, since the majority of penstemons come from
areas with cold weather-like Colorado, where Nold gardens.
Chapters on "Habitat and
Distribution" and "Division of the Genus" not only address
taxonomic questions, but also give the gardener good guidance in
selecting and growing penstemons, because the subdivisions used
for taxonomic clarity also indicate the general form of the
plant, flower color, and habitat. I learned that two of my
favorite species, P. parryi and P. superbus, are in section
Peltanthera, subsection Centranthifolii, and because this group
is native to the Southwest, the eight other related species are
pretty good bets for my garden.
More than 250 species
descriptions make up the heart of the book. Nold describes
vividly the plant form, leaves, flowers, flowering time, origin,
and culture; 43 color photographs and 30 botanical prints and
illustrations are a bonus. A glossary helps the reader through
the more technical topics in the book, such as morphology and
pollination. Four useful appendices round out Nold's book:
Societies and Mail-0rder Sources; Watering Schedule and
Gardener's Calendar; Selected Penstemons by Color; and Further
Reading.
Nold's dual perspectives-botany
and horticulture-have merged into a beautifully written book
about a genus he clearly loves, Penstemon, with its "drought
tolerance, relative freedom from disease, ease of garden
culture, and beautiful flowers."
Judy Mielke is a landscape
architect and author of Native Plants For Southwestern
Landscapes.
Buy This Book
Penelope
Hobhouse's Natural Planting. Penelope Hobhouse.
Pavilion, distributed by Trafalgar Square, North Pomfret,
Vermont, 1999. 192 pages. 10" x 10". Publisher's price,
softcover: $29.95. AHS price: $24.50.
Because I live near the eastern
edge of what was once the great American prairie, the cover of
Penelope Hobhouse's Natural Planting spoke to me instantly. The
photograph features masses of rosy-pink queen of the prairie (Filipendula
rubra) growing lushly in a boggy garden. I assumed the photo was
taken somewhere in the Midwest, but I was wrong. It was Ton der
Linden's garden in northeastern Holland.
Therein lies the key to this
readable, informative, and gorgeously illustrated book by
British gardener and author Penelope Hobhouse. It shows why,
both for ecological reasons and for the benefit of plants, we
should consider natural gardening. She asks us to look not only
to our indigenous plants but to those from all parts of the
world where climate and soil match our own. Photographs by Jerry
Harpur of gardens worldwide make it abundantly clear that
natural plantings work.
Hobhouse begins with a history of
natural gardening. She focuses on William Robinson, a natural
gardener and prolific writer whose work stretched from 1870 to
1935 and who continues to exert influence on gardening to this
day. He insisted on using hardy plants, both native and exotic,
in places where they would spread and thrive; he chose plants
suitable for a garden site rather than first choosing a style
and then adapting the conditions and aspect to accommodate those
plants. Following this philosophy, it would be inappropriate to
use artificial means to lower pH to grow acid-loving plants such
as rhododendrons in an alkaline wood.
The second chapter, "Planting
Pleases Plants," is a refresher course on what plants need in
order to grow. Perennials, she states, can be grown with very
little maintenance given conditions as near as possible to their
regions of origin. Fortunately, she goes on, many of the best
perennials to grow here are actually natives of our woodlands
and more open prairies, while others originate in similar
habitats in parts of eastern Asia, Siberia, and eastern Europe.
The final four chapters describe
natural gardening for the following situations: woodland and
woodland edging; shrub border and shrubbery; open ground; and
water, rock and gravel. Each has copious lists of suitable
plants.
Photographs of gardens that
demonstrate natural gardening principles abound in the book.
They invite us to come in and take a stroll. A map showing those
open to the public would have been helpful here. Public North
American gardens featured in Natural Planting include The Mount
Cuba Center, Delaware; Winterthur Gardens, Delaware; Chicago
Botanic Garden, Illinois; Pierce's Woods at Longwood Gardens,
Pennsylvania; and The Garden in the Woods at Framingham,
Massachusetts.
Natural Plantings is not a simple
how-to book, but one of gardening philosophy that is full of
applicable information to be gleaned by the careful reader. I
highly recommend it.
Ruth Ann Ingraham is co-founder
and immediate past president of the Indiana Native Plant and
Wildflower Society. She gardens in Indianapolis and Brown
County, Indiana.
Buy This Book
Natural
Gardening
The Woodland
Garden: Planting in Harmony with Nature.
Roy Forster and Alex Downie. Raincoast Books, Vancouver, British
Columbia, 1999. 224 pages. Publisher's price, softcover: $19.95.
AHS price: $15.95.
This guide shows you how to
create a natural woodland effect in your garden. It covers all
aspects of woodland gardening, from design, plant selection, and
initial planting through ongoing maintenance. Easy-to-follow
text and drawings facilitate the adaptation of the ideas
presented.
Buy This Book
The Natural
Garden Book: Gardening in Harmony with Nature. Peter Harper
with Jeremy Light and Chris Madsen. Gaia Books Limited, London,
England, 1999. 287 pages. Publisher's price, softcover: $24.95.
AHS price: $22.
This book explains how to plan
several natural gardens: The Useful Garden, The Wildlife Garden,
The Water-Efficient Garden, The Resourceful Garden, The
Productive Garden, and The Healing Garden. Several integrated
gardens are also described and enhanced by colorful photographs,
diagrams, and sketches. There are sections on recycling,
improving the soil, and creating microclimates in a garden.
Buy This Book
Go Native:
Gardening with Native Plants and Wildflowers in the Lower
Midwest. Carolyn Harstad. Indiana State University,
Bloomington, Indiana, 1999. 304 pages. Publisher's price,
hardcover: $35, softcover: $27.50. AHS prices: $27.50; $20.
This book describes native plants
that are recommended for growing in the lower midwestern
states-Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, southern
Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. By discovering which native
species do well in this region, gardeners can create just about
any kind of garden-from prairies and meadows to water and
woodland gardens. Includes 125 botanically accurate drawings by
Jeanette Ming and more than 100 color photographs taken by the
author.
Buy This Book
Regional
Interest
The Garden
Lover's Guide to the Northeast. Paul Bennett.
Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 1999. 192 pages.
Publisher's price, softcover: $21.95. AHS price: $19.
One of a series of guidebooks
designed for the traveling garden enthusiast, this book covers
gardens from Northern New England to the Capital
Region-Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.
Included are 140 of the most beautiful gardens in the Northeast,
from Acadia in Maine to the colonial gardens of George
Washington's Mount Vernon. The book also features
three-dimensional garden plans, lush color photographs, key
facts for visitors, and highlights of nearby cultural sights.
Buy This Book
Home
Landscaping: Midwest Region, Including Southern Canada.
Roger Holmes and Rita Buchanan. Creative Homeowner Press, Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey, 1999. 208 pages. Publisher's price,
softcover: $19.95. AHS price: $16.50.
Home Landscaping is filled with
landscaping ideas and methods for the Midwest. Designs cover 23
of the most commonly planted areas, such as patios, foundation
plantings, and steep slopes. There are detailed descriptions of
more than 200 plants that will grow well in this region.
Step-by-step instructions for building features, such as paths,
patios, ponds, walls, fences, arbors, and trellises are
accompanied by color photographs, labeled diagrams, and close-up
views of works in progress.
Buy This Book
The
California Landscape Garden: Ecology, Culture, and Design.
Mark Francis and Andreas Reimann. University of California
Press, Berkeley, California, 1999. 272 pages. Publisher's price,
softcover: $29.95; hardcover: $50. AHS price, softcover: $26.50;
hardcover: $37.50.
Francis and Reimann use
California's natural beauty and habitat as a starting point for
inspiring Californians to see their gardens as extensions of the
surrounding landscape. By doing this, they provide important
information on native plants and wildlife, ecology, land
history, and design concepts. There are numerous examples,
accompanied by color photographs, explaining how to integrate
environmental principles into one's own garden. An appendix
lists books for further reading and sources for plants and
additional information.
Buy This Book
Landscaping
Gardening with
Stone: Using Stone Features to Add Mystery, Magic and Meaning to
your Garden.
 Jan
Kowalczewski Whitner. Macmillan USA, New York, 1999. 212 pages.
Publisher's price, hardcover: $39.95. AHS price: $28.50.
The author shows how gardeners in
every climate zone can use stone in pools, fountains, terraces,
paths, steps, and ornamentation to create beautiful effects.
Different garden styles are described, including Asian, formal,
naturalistic, water-wise, cottage gardens and country estates,
water, and patterned gardens. Over 200 color photographs
illustrate the use of stone in gardens around the world.
Buy This Book
Designing
with Plants. Piet Oudolf with Noël Kingsbury. Timber Press,
Inc., Portland, Oregon, 1999. 160 pages. Publisher's price,
hardcover: $34.95. AHS price: $25.50.
Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf
has designed gardens and public parks throughout Europe. In this
new book, he shares some of his ideas, and offers gardeners a
fresh look at designing flower gardens. His focus is on forming
a palette of plants, using their form, leaves, and color. He
explains how to design schemes by combining forms, repetition
and rhythm. His "New Wave" planting style encourages gardeners
to break many of the rules and try new ideas.
Buy This Book
Miscellaneous
Hot Plants
for Cool Climates. Susan A. Roth and Dennis Schrader.
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 2000. 240
pages. Publisher's price,
hardcover: $35. AHS price: $28.
Any gardener looking for
something new will enjoy this guide to tropicals, subtropicals,
and tender perennials. This book describes tropical plants that
will flourish, grow, and bloom in the hot humid summers of the
Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast as well as in the mild climate
of the Pacific Northwest. Discover how to create a
tropical-looking garden no matter where you live. Includes a
chapter on winter survival techniques for tropicals and an
appendix with plant lists and sources.
Buy This Book
From Vines to
Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making your Own
Wine.
 Jeff
Cox. Storey Books, Pownal, Vermont, 1999. 235 pages. Publisher's
price, softcover: $18.95. AHS price: $16.
This concise winemaking guide by
popular garden writer Jeff Cox includes information about site
appraisal, growing and harvesting grapes, and storing the
finished product. Cox discusses the different types of grapes
and how climate and geography affect the choice of selecting
grapes for making wine. In addition, he explains how to order,
train, prune, and fertilize grape plants, as well as how to
harvest, clean, and crush the ripe grapes. Also included in the
book are easy-to-use lists, tables, and drawings that encourage
readers to experiment with the hobby of winemaking at home.
Buy This Book
|
