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May/June 2000 Recommended
Garden Books
Because the AHS Horticultural Book
Service is being discontinued as of June 30, no further phone or
mail orders will be filled after that date. However, AHS members
will still be able to order books at a discount by linking to
Amazon.com through the Society's Web site .
Through this partnership with Amazon.com,
AHS members can receive better discounts on most titles, faster
delivery, greater inventory, and improved access to hard-to-find
books. The books listed here have not been critically evaluated;
they have been chosen for description based on unusual subject
matter or substantive content. Until June 30, members can continue
to order books by calling Trish Gibson at (800) 777-7931 ext. 136.
The following books are
our current recommended garden books from the May/June 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
Specialty Gardens
Vegetables
Landscape Features
Books in the
Spotlight
Garden Retreats:
Creating an Outdoor Sanctuary. Barbara Blossom Ashmun.
Photographs by Allan Mandell. Chronicle Books, San Francisco,
California, 2000. 149 pages. 83/4" x 9". Publisher's price,
softcover: $22.95. AHS price: $19.
Buy this book
Sanctuary:
Gardening for the Soul. Photography by Dency Kane. Lauri A.
Brunton and Erin Fournier. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers, New York,
New York, 1999. 140 pages. 101/4" x 111/2". Publisher's price,
hardcover: $35. AHS price: $27.
Buy this book
Thinking of the garden as a sanctuary
conjures up images of people lolling about in lawn chairs or engaged
in meditation or yoga. Gardeners are usually too busy for such
things; most of us consider ourselves lucky if we can find time for
a stroll in the garden after work and before sunset. But the truth
is our gardens are already sanctuaries, and the very act of
gardening is in itself an escape.
Garden
Retreats and Sanctuary suggest ways to consciously
enhance that experience. While both books emphasize the personal
nature of a retreat or sanctuary, they tackle the subject in very
different ways.
Garden
Retreats: Creating an Outdoor Sanctuary is the one you
should
turn to for practical advice. Here you can find clever ideas that
can be imitated, such as a curlicue trellis formed by wrapping
Virginia creeper stems around a metal frame.
Ashmun analyzes specific gardens,
drawing attention to focal points such as walls, entrances, paths,
and trees. In particular, she addresses those who claim to lack
creativity, offering concrete suggestions to overcome that handicap.
She suggests that repetitive tasks like weeding can free the
unconscious and stimulate the imagination in the same way that
meditation does. She also recommends taking photographs to encourage
attentive looking. And she says we should build our gardens around
the things we love, heeding the faint echoes of our childhood
memories and fantasies. Most of all, she encourages an openness to
possibility, advising us to silence the critic within and listen
instead to our imaginations. Taking notice of the small pleasures of
everyday life is important, she argues, for awareness of small
details transforms the simplest sitting space into a garden
retreat.
Sanctuary:
Gardening for the Soul suggests we begin by exploring our
own psyches to find what contributes to our sense of well-being in
the garden. Each chapter is devoted to a particular aspect of a
sanctuary garden: peace, change, passion, mystery, and
contemplation. Unfortunately, the advice on how to go about making
any of these sanctuaries a reality is rather vague. Many of the
ideas here are ones you would probably come up with yourself: The
sound of water is soothing, fences and walls create a sense of
enclosure.
Perhaps the most interesting section
deals with the difference between labyrinths and mazes. Whereas
mazes are really just puzzles created for amusement, labyrinths are
composed of complex geometric paths that lead into the center and
back out. Historically, labyrinths were used for spiritual journeys
and religious ceremonies; they are still used for enhancing prayer
and emotional healing. It is telling that the photographer's name is
listed first on this book.
The photographs are glorious, but
they seldom serve to illustrate what is being described in the text.
A large majority of them are beautiful close-ups of plants, but the
captions neither identify the plants nor tell us whose garden we are
seeing-a distinct disadvantage if we want to tour some of these
gardens or grow these plants. -Norma Prendergast
An art historian and writer, Norma
Prendergast gardens in Ithaca, New York.
Rock Garden
Plants: A Color Encyclopedia. Baldasarre Mineo. Timber Press,
Portland, Oregon, 1999. 284 pages. 83/4" x 111/4". Publisher's
price, hardcover: $59.95. AHS price: $45.
Buy this book
To open this book is to enter the
enchanting world of rock garden plants. True to its title, the book
contains concise text and color photographs of more than 1,300
plants for the rock garden. The overall quality of the photographs
is very good and the text, though brief, contains essential cultural
information. As the owner of a retail and mail-order nursery-the
well-respected Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery in Medford, Oregon-the
author recognizes the importance of being able to visualize plants
in a garden setting.
The photographs and text, in fact,
are valuable to anyone who is ordering rock garden seeds or
plants-or simply pondering such things as flower color, foliage,
form, and season of bloom for his or her garden. The representative
coverage of rock garden plants is good when one considers the large
number of species in some genera.
The book covers 33 species and
hybrids of Primula-a genus with more than 400 species, many of which
are unavailable or very difficult to grow. Nine of the 19 species in
the genus Cyclamen are discussed, excluding only those that are
either tender or rarely grown.
For Penstemon fans, the emphasis is
on the deservedly popular "shrubbies" of the subgenus Dasanthera
from the northwestern United States. For the remaining 360 species
of this North American genus, including many dryland rock garden
forms only recently brought into cultivation, readers will need to
turn to Penstemons by Robert Nold (Timber Press, 1999), which was
reviewed in the March/April issue of this magazine.
Rock Garden Plants offers excellent
coverage on gardening in various regions and climates. In the past,
North American rock gardeners have tended to be concentrated in the
Northeast and Northwest. But in recent years there has been a large
increase in rock gardening in the upper Southeast, the Rocky
Mountain region, and California and the Southwest.
Only a gardening fanatic, willing to
go to great lengths, could grow all of the plants in this book
successfully, but it is amazing to learn how many of them can be
grown in our modified garden environments. It is, however, important
to carefully read the helpful text that accompanies each photograph
and to study the lists of plants for specific purposes at the back
of the book. There are some things that the book doesn't purport to
include. There is nothing about rock garden design and construction
or on propagation. The author wisely refers the reader to other
sources of information and suggests the desirability of joining one
or more rock garden societies. The library of rock gardening books
is sparse, so it is very encouraging to have a quality volume such
as Rock Garden Plants to add to the shelf. -Don Humphrey
Formerly manager of Green Springs
Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia, Don Humphrey battles the odds by
tending a rock garden in hot and humid northern Virginia.
The New England
Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and
Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. William
Cullina. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, 2000. 305 pages.
81/2" x 107/8". Publisher's price, hardcover: $40. AHS price: $28.
Buy this book
I have been Growing and propagating
native plants professionally as well as in my own garden throughout
my life. I'm also an avid reader who is running out of bookshelf
space, so I choose carefully when adding a new book to my library,
particularly when it's on a subject I thought had already been
thoroughly covered.
The New England Wild Flower Society
Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States
and Canada begs comparison with some well-worn classics already on
my shelf. For wildflower propagation clues, I frequently turn to
Harry Phillips and the North Carolina Botanical Gardens staff's
Growing and Propagating Wildflowers, which was published in 1985.
Cullina's book includes much of the
same information as Phillips' does, but for many more
wildflowers-some 200 genera and almost 1,000 species. Propagation
information is shared from his experience gained both at Niche
Gardens, a nursery in North Carolina, and-more recently-from his
years as chief plant propagator at the New England Wild Flower
Society in Framingham, Massachusetts.
In addition to this first-hand
experience, he has included much of the newest information gleaned
from research since Phillips' book was published. To convey
information on wildflower propagation, Cullina and the publisher
have adopted a very user-friendly layout similar to the format used
in Michael Dirr and Charles Heuser's classic Reference Manual of
Woody Plant Propagation.
However, Cullina's propagation advice
is geared towards the home garden rather than a commercial nursery
or horticultural research perspective. In addition, Cullina includes
brief, clear explanations-mostly in layman's terms-of complicated
scientific concepts such as North American Floristic Provinces and
the impact of soil physics and chemistry on wildflower growth.
While Cullina is an advocate of what
he calls "ecological gardening," which he defines as finding plants
that fit your site rather than modifying the site to fit the plant,
the information provided in his book allows gardeners to follow
their own inclinations on this matter. The stated central purpose of
this book is "to show you the possibilities that abound in our
native flora so that you can choose plants that are both appealing
and adapted to the climate and soils of the region in which you
live"-and in this Cullina has certainly succeeded. In my mind his
book is the best single source of wildflower propagation information
available. m -Richard E. Bir
A horticultural extension specialist
at North Carolina State University, Richard E. Bir is a Fellow of
the International Plant Propagators Society and author of Growing
and Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants.
Specialty Gardens
My
Garden Book. Jamaica Kincaid. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New
York, New York, 1999. 229 pages. Publisher's price, hardcover: $23.
AHS price: $17.
Buy this book
In this new collection of essays and
articles from The New Yorker and other magazines, Kincaid writes
about the garden in winter, the garden in spring, the seduction of
plant catalogs, English gardeners, and the yearning for an abundance
of plants. She compares gardening in Vermont, where she lives, to
Antigua, where she was born and raised. She discusses friends'
gardens and a few public gardens, as well as her own roses, hostas,
and nasturtiums.
A Garden of
Fragrance. Suzy Bales. Regan Books, New York, New York, 2000,
192 pages. Publisher's price, hardcover: $30. AHS price: $21.
Buy this book
Organized by the aromatic properties
of the plants, this book provides gardeners with detailed advice on
how to design, plant, and maintain a garden of fragrant plants.
Spectacular photographs demonstrate that a fragrant garden can also
be visually appealing. Appendices offer information on essential
oils and their properties, lists of fragrant plants, and mail-order
sources.
Window Boxes,
Indoors & Out. James Cramer and Dean Johnson.
Artisan, New York, New York, 1999. 176 pages. Publisher's price,
hardcover: $27.50. AHS price: $20.
Buy this book
James Cramer and Dean Johnson share
their ideas for creative window boxes. From a wheelbarrow filled
with colorful flowers to a birdbath filled with herbs, they show how
creative gardeners can make a window box out of ordinary objects.
More than 150 color photographs accompany the information on
seasonal plants and unusual ways to display them.
The Bird-Lover's
Garden. Melinda Myers and Pat Kite. Friedman/Fairfax
Publishers, New York, New York, 2000. 128 pages. Publisher's price,
hardcover: $25. AHS price: $18.
Buy this book
This book helps gardeners turn their
backyards into havens for many types of birds. It discusses how to
plan a bird-friendly garden, which plants will attract birds, and
elements for attracting birds. Also included is a regional guide
that identifies the most common birds to visit home gardens.
For Your Garden:
Cottage Gardens. Teri Dunn. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers, New
York, New York, 1999. 72 pages. Publisher's price, softcover:
$12.95. AHS price: $11.
Buy this book
if you are interested in planting a
cottage garden with four-season appeal, this book offers
inspiration. Numerous color photographs illustrate breathtaking
gardens, and favorite cottage plants are featured in close-up shots.
Traditional and non-traditional ways of defining garden boundaries
are presented, and various embellishments-such as water pumps,
sundials, lampposts, birdhouses, and window boxes-are described and
depicted.
Vegetables
Chile Peppers. Beth Hanson,
guest editor. Brooklyn Botanic Garden,
Brooklyn, New York, 1999. 111 pages. Publisher's price, softcover:
$9.95. AHS price: $8.
Buy this book
A new book in the 21st-Century
Gardening Series by Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Chile Peppers reviews
the history of the chile pepper, relates its medicinal uses, and
explains what causes chile peppers to be hot. Detailed instructions
on growing chile peppers are provided, along with extensive
information on the disorders, pests, and diseases of chiles. Recipes
are included, and the "Encyclopedia of Chiles" by Paul Bosland
details the five species of domesticated chiles.
The Sustainable
Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher
Yields. John Jeavons and Carol Cox. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley,
California, 1999. 118 pages. Publisher's price, softcover: $11.95.
AHS price: $10.
Buy this book
This book presents, in
easy-to-understand terms, the basic principles of sustainable
vegetable gardening that were first outlined in How to Grow More
Vegetables by Ecology Action. Beginning gardeners will learn how to
foster the soil's life-giving cycles of nourishment and
replenishment, and implement techniques that will produce yields up
to four times greater than those obtainable with conventional
methods. The added benefit is that by following these methods, you
will also be preserving and enriching the soil itself. Ornamentals
Hostas and Other
Shade-Loving Plants. Richard Bird with David Tarrant. Graphic
Arts Center Publishing, Portland, Oregon, 1999. 144 pages.
Publisher's price, softcover: $14.95. AHS price: $13.
Buy this book
Essential reading for shade
gardeners, this book offers step-by-step instructions and color
photographs to help in selecting the correct plants for shady areas.
Design and maintenance are also addressed by the authors, who
encourage gardeners to work with, rather than against, nature. The
book includes an encyclopedia of hosta species and cultivars and
other shading-loving plants, as well as a list of hosta suppliers
from around the world.
New Perennials:
The Latest and Best Perennials. Jenny Hendy with David Tarrant.
Whitecap Books, Ltd., North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
1999. 144 pages. Publisher's price, softcover: $14.95. AHS price:
$13.
Buy this book
Some of the newest plants available
to gardeners, as well as other worthy plants that have been
rediscovered, are presented in this book. It provides advice on
border design, preparation, and planting. Color photographs show how
to combine herbaceous perennials with shrubs, bulbs, and annuals.
Ideas and advice are given for growing plants and designing gardens
in various styles.
Landscape
Features
Landscape Construction:
Procedures, Techniques, and Design. Floyd Giles. Stipes
Publishing, Champaign, Illinois, 1999. 250 pages. Publisher's price,
hardcover: $44.80. AHS price: $28.80.
Buy this book
Written by a landscape contractor,
this book explains how to design and build dozens of popular
landscape features. Over 600 black-and-white photographs and
illustrations demonstrate procedures, methods, and designs. Topics
covered include: patios, wooden decks, brick walks, retaining walls,
arbors, gates, fences, drainage systems, lighting, and mailboxes.
Explanations are also given for mastering basic techniques such
measuring distance, figuring area, and taking soil samples. This
guide will help gardeners understand what is involved in a good
landscape installation.
Garden Ornaments.
Martha Baker. Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York,
New York, 1999. 208 pages. Publisher's price, hardcover: $40. AHS
price: $30.
Buy this book
Discover how garden ornaments can
enhance any style of garden and how various elements can be most
effectively combined. Beautiful photographs highlight gardens from
all over the country. The book includes instructions for several
projects, including building a stone wall and building a trellis. A
resource guide is also provided.
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