With spring fast approaching, this is a good time to catch up on some practical and fun how-to advice from garden experts. Here=92s my look at five new garden books.
Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love Julie Moir Messervy (Taunton Press) As the author notes, most of us have the confidence to improve the inside of our homes with a fresh coat of paint, new rugs, furniture and fixtures. But when it comes to the outside of our most prized possession, we don=92t know where to start.
In =93Home Outside=94 landscape designer Messervy provides an intuitive, easy-to-follow guide that demystifies the art and practice of landscape design. Divided into sections such as Comfort Zones, Making It Flow, Placing the Pieces and Sensory Pleasures, the book combines no-nonsense text, excellent color photos and diagrams and plans.
Messervy says that she wants to get people back outside onto their land by helping them realize the pleasure that=92s involved in being out of doors.
If you gaze at your yard and wish it looked better but don=92t know where to start, =93Home Outside=94 could be the book to get you off the dime and fired up with ideas from the modest to the grandiose. Have a pad of those sticky yellow notes handy. You=92ll probably want to bookmark a lot of pages in this, one of the year=92s best landscape design books for both homeowners and design pro=92s.
Deer-Resistant Landscaping Neil Soderstrom (Rodale Books) If you=92re one of the thousands of homeowners in the depths of despair and depression due to finding your lovingly cared-for plants reduced to stubble by hungry deer, this is a must-have book for you.
Suburban sprawl has created an ideal habitat for wildlife, free from most natural predators and off-limits to hunters. For lovers of wildlife, this can be a joy, but the joy can be short lived when deer see your landscape as an all-they-can-eat buffet.
In this book, Soderstrom tells you what works, what doesn=92t and why, based on the latest scientific research, advice of landscape and wildlife-control professionals, all without resorting to poisons or firearms.
Not just deer, by the way, but also twenty other =93pesky=94 mammals from bears, beavers and chipmunks to moles, mice, rabbits and voles.
Perhaps best of all, Soderstom lists, describes and depicts more than
1,000 plants that are resistant to deer and other wildlife.
Understanding Perennials William Cullina (HMH) Cullina has created a visually beautiful guide to working with perennials and, most importantly, helping them flourish. Rather than coming up with yet another plant encyclopedia, Cullina offers what he describes as the =93psychology=94 of perennials: their needs, wants and potentials.
Starting with the basics, such as the difference between bulbs, corms and tubers, the book literally takes perennials from the ground up, with sections on roots, leaves, stems, flowers and seeds. There=92s also a handy reference section on pests and diseases that attack perennials and how to control them.
Perennials are the basis of virtually every garden and Cullina=92s book deserves a place on the shelf of every gardener wishing to bring out the best in their plants.
Rodale=92s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley et al (Rodale Books) Unlike Cullina=92s book, this one really IS an encyclopedia, and at around two inches thick, quite a hefty one! This edition, newly revised and updated for 2009, must be the most up-to-date and complete resource on the subject of organic gardening.
After 50 years it is still the go-to reference for both novices and seasoned organic gardeners. If you=92re intrigued by the idea of applying organic methods to fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals and lawns, here=92s where you=92ll find in- depth information on earth-friendly techniques, using water wisely, managing invasive plants and more.
Kitchen Garden Box: Save and Sow Seeds of Your Favorite Vegetables Mike McGrath (Quirk) Organized on cards in a sturdy flip-top box, this fun little package shows gardeners how to collect, store, use and replant seeds of their favorite tried-and-true veggies.
In addition to handy cards with step-by-step instructions, growing tips and recipes, the kit includes ten seed storage envelopes and coupons for two free seed packets. A fun gift for a friend or for yourself, Kitchen Garden Box is scheduled for publication in April
2009.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to snipped-for-privacy@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve=92s free e-mailed newsletter, visit
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