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American
Horticultural Society
The American Gardener
September/October 2005
Recommended Garden Books
Because the AHS Horticultural Book
Service was discontinued as of June 30, 2000 no further phone or mail orders
are filled. However, AHS members are 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.
The following books are our current
recommended garden books from the September/October 2005 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.
BOOK REVIEWS
Recommendations for Your Gardening Library
GARDENER’S BOOKS
BOOK REVIEWS
Recommendations for Your Gardening Library
 Bulbs
for Garden Habitats
Judy Glattstein. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2005. 256 pages.
Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95.
Buy This Book
Everyone loves bulbs—they are familiar, easy to grow, and so colorful.
If you think you know all about bulbs, however, think again. Veteran and
neophyte gardeners alike are sure to benefit from the breadth and depth
of knowledge and experience contained in Bulbs for Garden Habitats.
Author Judy Glattstein moves far beyond familiar tulips
and daffodils to acquaint readers with the full range of geophytes (a
catch-all term for bulbs, corms, tubers, tuberous roots, and rhizomes)
that thrive across the ecologically diverse North American continent. In
addition to familiar Dutch export bulbs, the author introduces us to a
full range of native American bulbs, as well as South African and
tropical species. Readers will be pleased to learn about the myriad
hardy and tender bulbs for wet spots, and that a host of bulbs bloom in
autumn, when most plants are shutting down for the season.
Glattstein innovates further by placing bulbs in natural,
complimentary associations based on what she calls “garden habitats.”
Though the chapter titles alternate between regional (“Bulbs for the
Southeast”) and habitat (“Bulbs for the Mediterranean Garden”), the
message is clear: Choose the right bulbs for your climate, light, soil,
and moisture.
The excellent chapter, “Geophyte Care and Cultivation,”
thoroughly covers planting, aftercare, and propagation. Deer-resistant
bulbs are amply discussed, as the author gardens on nine acres with a
thriving deer herd. Appendices cover invasive bulbs, sources, and “Quick
Picks,” a set of short lists arranged by garden situations and
ornamental attributes. Line drawings clearly show the distinctions
between different geophyte life cycles. Many of the photos are also
instructive, but overall the quality is uneven.
Glattstein, a veteran gardener, skillfully instructs and
educates in a friendly, accessible style. She weaves stories of her
experiences into the narrative as well as those of gardeners around the
world who love geophytes. Bulbs for Garden Habitats will inspire anyone
who has an appreciation for beauty and a mind for ecology.
C. Colston Burrell
C. Colston Burrell is a plantsman, garden designer, and author of
Perennial Combinations and the forthcoming Hellebores: A Comprehensive
Guide (Timber Press, 2006).
 On
Foreign Soil: American Gardeners Abroad
May Brawley Hill. Harry N. Abrams Inc, New York, New York, 2005. 160
pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $40.
Buy This Book
Elegant women strolling in sun-dappled gardens in Italy and France were
a recurring theme among Impressionist painters, but the focus has always
been on the artists who painted the pictures rather than on the gardens
themselves. From the French Riviera to the Tuscan hills and the Weald of
Sussex, a privileged group of American expatriate artists and literary
figures brought practices and ideals from home to their gardens abroad.
Art historian May Hill’s new book takes us on a whirlwind
tour of gardens created by Americans in England, France, and Italy.
Among them, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Edith Wharton, and Peggy
Guggenheim will be familiar, but other, more elusive, individuals also
shared their passion for making gardens.
As the book explains, in the 19th century, Italy
attracted wealthy businessmen, artists, and those escaping failed
marriages or adjusting to widowhood. As a result, American dollars were
often used to aid the restoration of historic gardens. For example, the
inheritance of Mrs. Arthur Acton, an American married to an English
painter, helped to transform La Pietra in Tuscany into a magnificent
Renaissance-style garden, renowned today as a premier Anglo-Italian
garden.
Transatlantic marriages, career changes, and family ties
still provide impetus for gardening abroad, a topic the book’s final
chapter explores. One example is Mississippi-born Carla Carlisle, who
married an English squire in the 1980s and gave her husband’s ancestral
home a dose of American enterprise. Today, Wyken Hall produces
award-wining wine and boasts a splendid formal garden.
Beautifully illustrated with period paintings and
photographs, this delightful chronicle is more about the luxury of
living abroad than the finer points of garden-making and horticulture.
The book’s appeal will be to art historians, literary buffs, armchair
travelers, and those interested in historic gardens.
Judith B. Tankard
Judith B. Tankard is a garden historian and writer based in
Massachusetts. Her most recent book, Gardens of the Arts and Crafts
Movement: Reality and Imagination, was published by Abrams in 2004.
 Dogwoods
Paul Cappiello and Don Shadow. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2005. 224
pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95.
Buy This Book
This is the first book on the genus Cornus directed at gardeners. As
co-author Paul Cappiello writes, “The taxonomists have scores of
textbooks and journals that treat the genus as their realm. To date,
this is the only work on Cornus devoted entirely to the gardening use of
the genus.”
Through experience and thorough research, the authors
know their subject well. The voice of the book is Cappiello’s—informative,
enthusiastic, and often self-deprecating or cynical—resulting in a
humorous as well as enlightening read.
Organized into six chapters, the book begins with a general discussion
on the dogwood family. The next five chapters focus on specific groups
of dogwoods that should logically be treated in common by serious
gardeners: Cornus canadensis, Cornus alba, Cornus alternifolia, Cornus
florida, and Cornus mas. Within these groupings, we are taken from
ground cover dogwoods to large trees with spectacular beauty, often
shown in gorgeous photographs taken mostly by Cappiello.
The information about cultivars of Cornus florida and
Cornus kousa, in particular, is unparalleled. In fact, this book has
changed some of what I thought I had accurately known for decades.
However, the greatest asset in Dogwoods is the honesty
and thoroughness of certain discussions. The authors tell readers which
cultivars are thought to be the same as something by another name. They
candidly tell us about the confusion that exists regarding dogwood
nomenclature. They tell us which dogwoods belong in our gardens when
there is only space for one or two new plants and which ones should only
be considered by those with plenty of time, space, and a willingness to
deal with ugly, struggling plants.
The genus Cornus contains some of the most beautiful
garden specimens in the world as well as species that have no place in
most gardens. Sharing this information in a beautiful book and telling
readers the truth with humor is part of what makes Dogwoods a
ground-breaking and worthy text.
Dick Bir
Dick Bir is the author of Growing and Propagating Showy Native Woody
Plants. He recently retired after exactly 25 years on the horticulture
faculty at North Carolina State University.
Mini Book Reviews
 George
Little and David Lewis have knocked down the walls of convention and
taken risks that have made them world-renowned artist-gardeners. In
their debut book, A Garden Gallery: The Plants, Art, and Hardscape of
Little and Lewis,
Buy This Book
they invite the reader into their garden located on
Bainbridge Island, Washington. “Although our colorful, diverse style may
not appeal to the faint of heart,” Lewis writes, “our garden and our
work are meant to awaken the creativity and adventure within us.” Their
inspirational approach to gardening as a whimsical adventure is captured
in the bold clarity of the photographs by Barbara Denk.
This book reveals the secrets Little and Lewis skillfully
use to pull their visitors into a labyrinth of color and design, often
of Mediterranean inspiration. Tantalizing fragrances, sounds of
fountains and nature, transcendence of light, and homemade sculptures
pique the senses and guide the way through this garden. Whether it’s a
hidden fountain so that you hear but do not see the water, or a vibrant
blue wall in the backdrop, or even a giant pomegranate sculpture nestled
among fuchsias, each element pushes the boundaries of tradition.
Jessica Rozmus, Horticultural Intern
 If
you have questions about pruning, look no further than The Pruner’s
Bible, A Step-By-Step Guide to Pruning Every Plant In Your Garden
(Rodale Inc., 2005, $21.95) by Steve Bradley
Buy This Book
. The author lets his clippers do the talking, so to
speak, with a to-the-point introduction on the particulars of pruning.
The opening pages cover tools, safety, and basic pruning techniques,
setting the stage for the heart of the book, which looks at 70 common
garden plants and how best to prune them.
Pruning, as Bradley explains, is about much more than
making a plant look nice—in many cases it is necessary for a plant’s
life and health. Bradley discusses formative pruning, routine pruning,
and remedial pruning in the context of all 70 plant species so that
gardeners can take care of plants in all stages of their growth. Color
photographs are juxtaposed with helpful diagrams.
Most of the plants covered are roses, shrubs, and
specimen trees but a “Special Features” section at the end of the book
takes an in-depth look at ground covers, conifers, and climbers, too.
This section also explains how to prune hedges, and discusses
specialized techniques such as pollarding, pleaching, and root pruning.
William Clattenburg, Editorial Intern
GARDENER’S BOOKS
Garden Themes
Whether a theme is dictated by your garden’s conditions
or your own sensibilities, following one can help to give focus and
direction to a garden space. A theme can also help to narrow down which
plants you choose to grow. Perhaps they are plants that suit your
particular site—an alpine location, dry soil, or shade, for example—or
plants that work well for their intended purpose, such as those that
belong in kitchen gardens or perform well in containers. Here are some
books that not only suggest plants for various themes but explain how to
use them to create beautiful and successful gardens.
 Because
demands on fresh water supplies are ever increasing and weather patterns
often bring dry spells, following a “drought tolerance” theme often
makes good sense. Whether you garden in a dry region or just have a
periodically dry corner of the yard, Dryland Gardening: Plants That
Survive and Thrive in Tough Conditions by Jennifer Bennett (Firefly
Books LTD, 2005, softcover, $24.95)
Buy This Book
has plenty to offer. It begins with a discussion of
water management strategies as well as design considerations. The
remainder of the book covers drought-tolerant plants organized by
categories such as ground covers, bulbs, and shrubs—many shown in color
photographs. As the author writes, “Using the techniques in this book
and growing these plants, you will not only have a garden better able to
survive extreme weather but a garden that conserves water and is easier
to mind and manage.”
 For
a different take on a low-maintenance and drought tolerant form of
gardening, there’s Sharp Gardening by Christopher Holliday
(Timber Press, 2005, $29.95).
Buy This Book
Organized into chapters such as “Swords and Lances”
and “Spiky Flowers, Spires, and Straps,” the book focuses on plants that
fit a spiky, spiny, pointy theme. Many of the plants described, such as
members of the cactus family, “are low maintenance because they are not
rich feeders and do not require mollycoddling in the form of staking or
need excessive cutting back,” explains Holliday. They do, however,
provide a dramatic architectural impact in gardens large or small, as
nearly 200 stunning photographs by Jerry Harpur illustrate.
 Many
drought-tolerant and even “sharp” plants fall under an alpine theme. In
Creating and Planting Alpine Gardens (B.B. Mackey Books, 2005,
$22.50)
Buy This Book
author Rex Murfitt writes, “The charm of small plants
artfully arranged in a mountainlike landscape is hard to match. If you
are interested in learning to grow alpines well in a small rock garden
or containers, this book is for you.” The co-author of Creating and
Planting Garden Troughs, which received an AHS Book Award in 2000,
Murfitt delves into the art of building rock gardens, from design and
site preparation to planting and maintenance. Diagrams and
black-and-white photographs accompany the text, and a small collection
of color photographs depicts some of the alpine species the author
describes.
 Those
interested in gardens with an edible theme may enjoy The Moosewood
Restaurant Kitchen Garden: Creative Gardening for the Adventurous Cook
by David Hirsch (revised edition, Ten Speed Press, 2005, $19.95).
Buy This Book
Known for its innovative restaurant in Ithaca, New York,
the Moosewood Collective also has published a popular line of cookbooks.
While this particular title does contain recipes, it focuses more on how
to grow the herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers used in them. In the
plant section, each entry includes cultural requirements from sowing to
harvesting as well as tips on their culinary uses. Chapters on design
considerations and growing techniques outline other important elements
of an edible garden. And since, according to the author, “properly
cooked, flavorful, and attractively presented vegetables are the happy
ending to this story,” the final section is devoted to cooking
techniques, complete with recipes for everything from soup to dessert.
 If
you enjoy growing a wide variety of plants, be they edible, alpine,
spiky, or other, containers can help to enhance a garden theme or can
become a theme of their own. Can’t Miss Container Gardening
Buy This Book by
Felder Rushing and Teri Dunn (Cool Springs Press, 2005, $18.99)
provides plenty of ideas for doing both.
As the authors advise, “Whether you like formal or informal, flowers or
foliage, food or fun, use container plants to complement your home and
garden, and your life.” Color photographs supplement chapters on
container selection, cultural requirements, and design. The directory of
“can’t miss” plants also features helpful photographs of each listing.
Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor
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