The book’s chapters are devoted to one or more major bulb genera, each written by prominent experts. Minor bulb genera are discussed in regional chapters addressing the Northwest, Southwest, and East.

Each chapter includes overviews of each genus, followed by descriptions of individual species and listings of the habitats in which they are found. In addition, the writers provide sound advice on how to cultivate the various genera.

Parker Sanderson and Jane McGary help gardeners understand the differences between an alliance of attractive but little-known North American bulb genera—Bloomeria, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, and Tritelia—that were once only the province of botanists. The outstanding drawings by Linda Vorobik of representative species in this chapter are an aid to understanding these taxonomically complex plants.

The chapter on Fritillaria by David King is clearly written, with readable, easy-to-understand descriptions of the species. With the aid of Vorobik’s superb illustrations, Frank Callahan’s chapter on Calochortus does justice to those complex and lovely western bulbs. And Molly Grothaus’s affection for Erythronium shines through in her writing.

Writing on the genus Allium, Mark McDonough piques the reader’s interest by musing on why many southwestern American species of Allium might have evolved a spicy, fragrant scent, “flying in the face of the common notion that alliums are stinky.” More than 100 color photographs, most taken by the authors, testify to the beauty and diversity of American native bulbs and will help in field identification of the plants described in the book.

Two prominent genera of bulbous plants widely represented in North America—Iris and Trillium—are not included in the book. In explaining this omission, McGary notes that those genera are the subjects of fairly recent monographs: Brian Mathew’s The Iris (1990) and Fred and Roberta Case’s Trilliums (1997). Yet the genus Lilium is covered in a chapter by Edward Austin McRae despite the fact McRae’s book, Lilies, was published in 1998.

Other, more minor, complaints I had include a reference in the introduction to the USDA’s map of 10 plant hardiness zones—there are 11 zones in the updated version of the map issued in 1990—and an explanation of hardiness that I found difficult to comprehend. The book uses the metric system, so American readers more familiar with imperial units will have to rely on a conversion chart.

These reservations aside, this is a book that will fill a large gap on the American gardener’s reference shelf. It is time more patriotic bulbs are grown.—John E. Bryan

A garden writer and consultant, John E. Bryan lives in San Francisco. A revised edition of his book Bulbs will be published this spring by Timber Press.

The Greater Perfection: The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents. Francis H. Cabot. Hortus Press, New York, 2001. 327 pages. Publisher's price, hardcover: $75. Buy this Book

With wit and intelligence, Francis H. Cabot tells the story of the 75-year creation of his garden at Les Quatre Vents, a grand estate located about 80 miles down river from Quebec City. In the process of reading the book, billed as an “autobiography of a garden,” we learn a lot about the man behind the garden as well.

Cabot is the founder and chairman of The Garden Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving exceptional private American gardens. Personal stories lace the text, adding intimacy, humor, and whimsy. For example, Cabot writes that at the tender age of 12 he was so overcome by the charms of one of his mother’s friends, he proposed marriage to her, despite their more than 60 years age difference: “She let me down easily and we remained the best of friends.”

Cabot’s overarching design goal for Les Quatre Vents—French for “the four winds” —is to link the house and immediate grounds to its surroundings, making the entire creation at one with “the genius of the place.” As Cabot puts it, “the garden is merely an antechamber to the wider landscape.” Nevertheless, this “antechamber”—actually a series of garden rooms, connecting allées, an open meadow, and a wooded ravine—provides visitors with a marvelous sequence of garden experiences, each of which stands on its own as well as being linked to the rest of the garden and the greater landscape. Readers are treated to details about these many rooms and spaces, which include a white garden, rose garden, shade borders, potager, perennial allée, meadow garden, and the Tapis Vert, an enclosed strip of green lawn.

“Emotions and sensuality are what a garden is all about,” writes Cabot. But he also has an intellectual bent. He revels in designs that contain multiple levels of appeal and meaning. For example, the focal point of the bread and knot garden, known as the Jardin de la Boulangère, is a four à pain, an outdoor bread oven made from local clay, timber, and brick. A pair of little-leaf lindens (Tilia cordata) flanking the oven is pruned to echo its steep roof while shorter arborvitae in front are shaped like loaves of local bread. Here is botany, punning humor, culinary history, and garden design all wrapped into a wonderful whole.

The book’s $75 price tag is hefty, but the lavish photographs, entertaining anecdotes, and helpful insights into principles of garden design and plant use make this personal guided tour of a world-class garden worth the admission price. And the book’s net proceeds will support the Garden Conservancy and Heritage Charlevoix, Inc., a charitable institution working to preserve the heritage and landscape of Charlevoix County, Quebec.—Catriona Tudor Erler

A writer who gardens in Northern Virginia, Catriona Tudor Erler’s most recent book is Complete Home Landscaping, published in 2000 by Creative Homeowner Press.

Regional Gardening Books


Each year, dozens of regional gardening books come across our desks. Here are brief descriptions of some of the most interesting we have seen in the last year, along with a list of others that you may have missed. You can order most of these books by logging onto the AHS Web site (www.ahs.org) and linking to amazon.com. For books not available through amazon.com, contact the individual publishers or a local bookstore.

Coastal Plants from Cape Cod to Cape Canaveral. Irene H. Stuckey and Lisa Lofland Gould. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2001. 305 pages. Publisher's price, hardcover: $29.95. Buy this Book

Often omitted from generalized field guides, these 125 selected coastal specimens are given thorough descriptions, including range and habitat, plus interesting historic and anecdotal tidbits. Clear color photos assist identification, and there is also comprehensive information about the diversity of ecosystems along the Atlantic seashore. A good companion book to wildflower field guides.

—Diane Lewis, coordinator of adult education, Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, Maryland

Trees, Shrubs, and Roses for Midwest Gardens. Ezra Haggard. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 2001. 240 pages. Publisher's price, hardcover: $49.95; softcover: $29.95. Buy this Book

Landscape designer Ezra Haggard has created a distinct reference guide for Midwestern gardeners. His enthusiasm for each of the 100-plus plants highlighted makes you want one of everything.

In order to maintain scale for most home and garden spaces, the author has expertly selected the majority of trees at 35 feet and under. The shrubs and roses are all of manageable size.

Some of the plants will be hard to find but well worth the effort. Fortunately, the book includes a resource list of nurseries to help you find them.

Each entry is accompanied by a color photograph of the plant shown in full glory of a particular season, together with suggested companion plantings.

I wish I had the garden space for each and every one!

—Alana Mezo, senior horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden

How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest. Revised and updated edition. Jill Nokes. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 2001. 566 pages. Publisher's price, softcover: $29.95. Buy this Book

The growing need for tough landscape plants that will thrive with reduced watering and maintenance has heightened interest in well-adapted native species that are little known in the nursery trade. The question, “How to grow many natives?” has been difficult to answer. For us in the Southwest, Jill Nokes’s revised and updated book contains hard-to-find information on how to propagate and grow these “new” plants and includes species descriptions, range habitat, and preferred site. This book is a valuable resource for both commercial plant producers and novice gardeners.

—Peter M. Loos, horticulturist and owner/operator of Ecovirons, Conroe, Texas, and past president of the Native Plant Society of Texas

Other Recently Published Regional Gardening Books

Northwest

Idaho Mountain Wildflowers. A. Scott Earle. Larkspur Books, Sun Valley, Idaho, 2001. $29.97 Buy this Book

The Northwest Herb Lover's Handbook. Mary Preus. Sasquatch Books, Seattle, Washington, 2000. $11.87 Buy this Book

Southwest/Desert

Gardening in the Desert: A Guide to Plant Selection and Care. Mary F. Irish. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, 2000. $12.57 Buy this Book

Plants for Dry Climates: How to Select, Grow, and Enjoy. Mary Rose Duffield and Warren D. Jones. Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2001. $17.50 Buy this Book

Midwest

Field Guide to Indiana Wildflowers. Kay Yatskievyeh. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 2000. $12.57 Buy this Book

Growing Great Vegetables in the Heartland. Andrea Ray Chandler. Taylor Trade Publishing, Dallas, Texas, 2001. $13.27 Buy this Book

Northland Wildflowers. John B. Moyle and Evelyn W. Moyle. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2001. $19.95 Buy this Book

South/Southeast

Bulbs for Warm Climates. Thad M. Howard. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 2001. $20.97 Buy this Book

Gardening in the Humid South. Edmund N. O'Rourke Jr. and Leon C. Standifer. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2002. $24.47 Buy this Book

Wildflowers of Georgia. Hugh Nourse and Carol Nourse. University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, 2000. $20.97 Buy this Book

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic

Gardens Maine Style. Rebecca Sawyer-Fay. Down East Books, Camden, Maine, 2001. $20.97 Buy this Book

The New York/Mid-Atlantic Gardener's Book of Lists. Bonnie Lee Appleton and Lois Trigg Chaplin. Taylor Trade Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas, 2001. $12.57 Buy this Book

Culinary Herbs for Short-Season Gardeners. Ernest Small and Grace Deutsch. NRC Research Press, Ottawa and Ismant Peony Press, Toronton, Canada, 2001. $14.00 Buy this Book