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November/December 1999 Recommended Garden Books
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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 November/December
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
Plants and Design
Herbs
Miscellaneous
Guides
 Natural
Stonescapes Richard L. DubŽ and Frederick C. Campbell.
Storey Books, Pownal, Vermont, 1999. 168 pages. Publisher’s price,
softcover: $24.95. AHS price: $20.
In this practical guide, the authors show how
designs in stone can mimic the forms of nature. They provide clear
instructions for adapting designs to fit the shape, existing
features, and limitations of your site. To get you started, 20
designs—illustrated with step-by-step installation instructions—are
included for a variety of landscapes. In addition, different types
of stone are described in detail and instructions are given for
moving stones to and around the garden. Includes hundreds of
illustrations and photographs.
Buy This Book
 The
Rose's Kiss: A Natural History of Flowers
Peter
Bernhardt. Island Press, Washington, D.C., 1999. 267 pages. 53/4" 5
81/2". Publisher’s price, hardcover: $24.95. AHS price: $17.50.
If you missed
Botany 101 in college because you thought it would be too dull or
technical, here’s your chance to make it up. The Rose’s Kiss makes
the study of flowers—and a plant’s reproductive organs—both clear
and completely enjoyable. Bernhardt cuts through what he calls the
“fortress of jargon” perpetuated by the scientific elite to bring
readers a thorough yet manageable investigation into the science of
flowers.
Each chapter of
this entertaining book is like a mini-lab exercise, taking the
reader through a step-by-step examination of floral anatomy. A
professor of biology at St. Louis University and a research
associate at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Royal Botanic
Gardens of Sydney, Australia, Bernhardt—whose speciality is floral
biology—eloquently and imaginatively compares complex botanical
structures to everyday household items that an average reader can
relate to: He cleverly compares flowers to pizzas, chromosomes to
frankfurters, pollen grains to bakery buns, and pollen grain walls
to Teflon. By the end of the book, you’ll be plucking petals,
dissecting carpels, counting sepals, and spying on bumblebees in
order to understand the form, function, and evolution of plant
sexual organs.
Written for nature
lovers and gardeners who want to better understand the plants they
grow and admire, this book covers both the ordinary and the exotic.
Bernhardt uses familiar examples—such as roses, squashes, and
peas—to illustrate a myriad of topics, as well as sun orchids (Thelymitra
spp.) from southern Australia, ghost flowers (Mohhavea confertiflora)
from Arizona, screw pine (Pandanus spp.) from the South Pacific, and
guavas (Eugenia spp.) from South America. He also tackles
complicated topics such as the hormonal and environmental cues for
flowering, reproductive strategies, evolution, pollen morphology,
genetics, and bud development—all with the ease and grace of an
experienced educator and true plant enthusiast.
The Rose’s Kiss
contains plenty of literary references to plants—particularly
roses—to establish the importance of flowers in the annals of human
experience. Though the book does not contain bold color photographs
of beautiful exotic flowers, it is well illustrated with detailed
black-and-white drawings and photographs of feathery stigmas, nectar
glands, fused carpels, ichneumon wasps, and fritillary butterflies.
Also included are a glossary of flower terms and an extensive index
that lists, among other things, all of the botanists, beetles,
birds, bees, and bats mentioned in the book. If all of this isn’t
enough, the author throws in an annotated bibliography to further
satisfy your curiosity about the amazing world of flowers.
In the beginning
of the book, Bernhardt laments that botany, one of the oldest
branches of science, is, unfortunately, in danger of disappearing
from classrooms due to its unpopularity with modern college
students. Perhaps The Rose’s Kiss will inspire a renaissance of
interest in this neglected field.
If you have ever
stood in your garden on a warm summer evening and wondered why some
flowers have only stamens while others have only carpels, or why
insects pollinate some flowers and not others, The Rose’s Kiss is a
valuable source of accessible and comprehensible answers. —Barbara
S. Arter
Barbara S. Arter
teaches biology and botany at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Buy This Book
 The
New Traditional Garden: A Practical Guide to Creating and
Restoring Authentic American Gardens for Homes of All Ages.
Michael
Weishan.
Ballantine Books, New York, 1999. 400 pages. 71/2 " 5 91/2 ".
Publisher’s price, hardcover: $35. AHS price: $24.50.
As this century
draws to a close, more gardeners than ever have become interested in
discovering their horticultural heritage. The rising demand for
information on the preservation, restoration, and rejuvenation of
our cultivated landscape makes this book—written by Weishan, a
garden designer and editor of the quarterly magazine Traditional
Gardening—a timely addition to gardening literature.
The book is
subtitled A Practical Guide to Creating and Restoring Authentic
American Gardens for Homes of All Ages, but be forewarned: This is
not strictly a how-to guide. The book is not organized by time
period—as one might expect from the title—but presents a series of
topics based upon design principles. This kind of framework makes
the book easy to skim or read in its entirety, but it may cause some
frustration for the reader looking specifically, for example, for
information on how to design a garden to complement his or her
arts-and-crafts-style bungalow. As the author states in the
introduction, “This book is not all-inclusive—a single work on such
a vast subject could never be.”
The table of
contents gives a concise summary of the information discussed in
each chapter, which will help guide the reader. The first chapter of
the book gives a very abbreviated history of how gardens evolved in
North America, pointing out their European ancestry and how they
were adapted to suit conditions in the New World. The emphasis on
American 19th-century designers is refreshing. The latter half of
the chapter focuses on the on-going debate of the desirability of
authentic restoration versus the creation of gardens in the “style
of” a particular period based upon sketchy archaeological
remnants—as exemplified by the gardens of modern-day Colonial
Williamsburg.
The second chapter
of the book, “Unity,” begins addressing the principles of design. At
first glance the chapter may seem disjointed—it jumps from history
to the first of many plant lists to principles of layout—but after
reading it in entirety, it flows in a logical manner. The points in
the chapter are supported by numerous illustrations—mostly historic
reproductions or modern renderings in the style of the 19th century.
The remaining
chapters follow this format, each citing a garden as an example to
illustrate the points being made. The detailed illustrations range
from fence styles to topiary to designs for paving and edging. The
seventh chapter has excellent step-by-step instructions for the
layout of Victorian garden beds, while the eighth chapter
illustrates the proper way to construct a beehive. The text not only
covers ornamental plants, but also some fruits and vegetables.
In general, the
information in this book is good for all gardeners, although some
may find the reading a bit tedious and the interjections of personal
projects not terribly relative. The most useful portions of the
book, however, are at the end: a compendium of historic plants
(which notes when each plant was introduced to American gardens), a
list of historic gardens in the United States, and a list of
suppliers of period garden materials. These sections alone make the
book a worthy addition to the gardening reference shelf of everyone
who owns a historic garden or is interested in garden history.—David
T. Scheid
David T. Scheid’s
interest in historic gardens extends from his own home to the
courses he currently teaches as program head for horticulture at the
Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling, Virginia.
Buy This Book
Gardening with a Wild Heart:
Restoring California’s Native Landscapes at Home.
Judith Larner
Lowry. University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 1999.
61/8 " 5 9 1/4 ". 280 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $35. AHS
price $24.50.
According to
Judith Larner Lowry, home gardeners should do much more than create
a natural garden or a habitat for wildlife. A “gentle” (my word)
“fanatic” (her word), she advocates returning our yards to the lands
they used to be, informing us, for example, that the quality of
nectar ingested by a bee or butterfly from a non-native plant may
not contain the chemical repellents of a native nectar, which may
help protect the insect from its natural predators. At the same
time, her book contains no harangues against lawns or pleas to
eradicate your existing plantings—just an insightful reference to
them as “tired but reliable.” Recognizing that a home gardener will
most likely restore his or her yard in stages, she shows, instead,
how to start “tipping the balance” toward local natives. Eventually,
as part of the growing process, she hopes your yard will become
fully restored.
Gardening With a
Wild Heart is by no means a typical “how-to” book, but the
author—who has been in the California native plant nursery business
for 20 years—does encourage you through her personal anecdotes to
look to your neighborhood flora for inspiration and information.
Lowry’s examples, while heavily grounded in the flora, fauna, and
resources of her own northern California neighborhood, are useful in
showing how to start and develop a restoration of your garden no
matter where you live. I, for one, was inspired enough after reading
the book to scurry to the far corner of a nearby university
campus—one of few undisturbed patches of land I know of close by—and
also to go to my computer to search online for a used copy of an
early book on the flora of my vicinity.
A harmonious
gardener, Lowry seems never to fight with her land. She writes of
welcoming as a natural sign of health the seedlings that pop up
everywhere. Three times foiled by the birds in sowing a wildflower
patch, she sows the seeds in small pots instead and later
transplants them into the ground. Invasive exotics and weeds are
recognized as enemies—she does do some lecturing on this subject—but
are handled with persistence, not panic. Without putting down others
who might think differently, she reminds us that there are solutions
other than herbicides, and that seed-grown species have certain
benefits over cultivars.
While general
gardening topics such as planning, guidelines for design, planting,
and maintenance are addressed, these topics are not addressed in an
organized fashion. The heart of the book is a series of essays on
California wildflowers and bunchgrasses, as well as ways to collect,
propagate, and use them—leaving no doubt as to the author’s own
continual source of inspiration. Even if the plants she describes
are not those in your garden, however, these delightful personal
essays shed light on the basic procedures of home restoration
gardening. For any wildflower enthusiast—especially a
Californian—this part of the book is a real bonus. A detailed index
and reading list amplify the book’s usefulness.
Gardening with a
Wild Heart is not a fast read. The ideas it presents are textured,
like the layers of an ecosystem’s canopy. The author has discovered
that when “we draw certain boundaries around our gardening
activities, we cause ourselves to go deeper.” We can simply enjoy
reading about the author’s personal journey or use her experience as
a guide to mapping one of our own. —Elizabeth Schwartz
Elizabeth Schwartz
is executive director of the Theodore Payne Foundation, a non-profit
organization dedicated to preserving the native flora of California.
Buy This Book
Plants and Design
Cottage Garden.
Teri Dunn. Friedman Fairfax Publishing, New York, New York,
1999. 72 pages. Publisher’s price, paperback: $12.95. AHS price:
$10.50.
The splendor of
the cottage garden is shown in all seasons, from lavish summer
borders to austere winter landscapes. Illustrated are signature
cottage-style plants, such as fragrant lavender, delicate sweet
peas, English wallflowers, and old roses. Details are given on how
to define the bounds of a garden and embellish it with suitable
fencing, paths, arbors, window boxes, and more.
Buy This Book
Classic Plant Combinations.
David Stuart. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret,
Vermont, 1999. 160 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95. AHS
price: $21.
Illustrated with
200 inspirational color photographs and paintings, the chapters in
this book cover various garden styles—such as cottage borders,
kitchen gardens, and wildflower meadows—and details plant
combinations associated with each. Among the featured combinations
are standards such as snowdrops and crocuses—and surprising ones
such as purple peas and clematis. Each chapter closes with a profile
of a designer who has been influential in defining the style.
Buy This Book
Sanctuary: Gardening For the Soul.
Lauri Brunton and Erin Fournier. Friedman Fairfax Publishing, New
York, New York, 1999. 144 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $35.
AHS price: $24.50.
Sanctuary gardens
provide a refuge from today’s fast-paced world. This book captures
the essence of a sanctuary garden with full-color photographs and a
tapestry of images. It offers many ideas for creating spaces that
inspire and renew, while celebrating the various moods of
sanctuaries: serene, passionate, or meditative.
Buy This Book
 Living
Seasonally: The Kitchen Garden and the Table at North Hill.
Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd. Henry Holt and Company, Inc., New
York, New York, 1999. 197 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $40.
AHS price: $28.
A reflection of
Eck and Winterrowd’s experiences at their Vermont farm, this book is
filled with beautiful color photographs, delicious recipes, and
practical advice for anyone interested in living off the land. With
a special emphasis on vegetable growing, it concentrates on soil
preparation, seed, sowing, pests and diseases, harvesting and
preservation, rare vegetables, unusual varieties and special
techniques. Each season is discussed in detail, making this a good
gift any time of the year.
Buy This Book
 Treasured
Perennials. Graham Stuart Thomas. Sagapress, Inc.,
Sagaponack, New York, 1999. 180 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover:
$39.95. AHS price: $28.
Thomas, a
world-renowned English horticulturist, details over 200 of his
favorite plants, complete with personal commentary and entertaining
historical background information. There are even three musical odes
to plants, written by the author. Includes more than 180 color
photographs.
Buy This Book
Herbs
 Herbal
Remedies: Dozens
of Safe,
Effective Treatments to Grow and Make. Kathleen Fisher. Rodale
Books, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1999. 160 pages. Publisher’s price,
paperback: $14.95. AHS price: $12.
This concise
introduction to herbal medicine offers an overview of how to make
various herbal formulas—such as infusions, ointments, and
tinctures—and describes 32 plants commonly used for treating or
preventing a variety of medical conditions. Features reference
tables, cautionary sidebars, and 100 line drawings.
Buy This Book
The
Herbal Tea Garden.
Marietta Marshall Marcin. Storey Books, Pownal, Vermont, 1999. 224
pages. Publisher’s price, paperback: $12.95. AHS price: $12.
Herbal tea lovers
will learn how to select, grow, and create their own special brews
from 70 herbal tea plants, as well as find out about the history of
tea. The book also describes how to plan and cultivate herb gardens,
and how to dry, freeze and store the harvest.
Buy This Book
Miscellaneous
 The
Quotable Gardener. Charles Elliott, editor. The Lyons Press,
New York, New York, 1999. 271 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover:
$20. AHS price: $14.
Elliott has
gathered over 400 quotations on gardening from authors such as
Robert Frost, James Joyce, Henry Mitchell, Mark Twain, and others.
Included are one-line quotes, stanzas of verse, and full narrative
paragraphs on topics such as wisdom, seasons, and enthusiasm. A
great gift for the gardeners on your list, who will find this a
treasured companion for a long winter night.
Buy This Book
 The
New Three-Year
Garden Journal.
Louise Carter and Joanne Lawson. Photography by Allen Rokach.
Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, Colorado, 1999. 208 pages. Publisher’s
price, hardcover: $29.95. AHS price: $21.
This fully revised
journal provides space for three years’ of writing or designing on
bound-in graph paper. There are regional and seasonal
recommendations on every aspect of garden management. Includes over
100 color photographs.
Buy This Book
 A
Contemplation Upon
Flowers.
Bobby J. Ward.
Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1999. 447 pages. Publisher’s price,
hardcover: $24.95. AHS price: $17.50.
This bedside book
contains quotations from poems, novels, plays, and stories about a
variety of plants. It also traces the origins of the plants’
botanical and common names. Selections fall into four categories:
mythological themes, historical significance, religious symbolism,
and the use of flowers in poetic associations.
Buy This Book
 The
Big Book of Bugs.
Matthew Robertson.
Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, New York, 1999. 448 pages.
Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95. AHS price: $21.
This kids’ book is
full of facts, figures, and stories that answer questions like, “Why
do bees make honey?” and “Which bug is the smartest?” A pair of 3-D
glasses, included with the book, lets kids view 40 pages of 3-D
illustrations, and there are dozens of activities and experiments
for kids to try.
Buy This Book
Guides
 Wildflowers
of the Eastern United States.
Wilbur H. and
Marion B. Duncan. The University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia,
1999. 380 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95. AHS price:
$21.
A guide to more
than 1,100 wildflowers, grasses, and grass like species found
throughout the eastern region, organized by plant families within
two main sections—dicotyledons and monocotyledons. Over 600 color
photographs provide visual aid for plant identification. The book
also has a glossary and an illustrated section on distinguishing
various plant structures.
Buy This Book
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