Your favorite gardening books?

My kids, younger son and his wife, have just moved from Lubbock, TX, to Bethlehem, PA. They are excited to be in a beautiful area, living in a hotel, and looking forward to closing on their home in early September. She is a beginning gardener with a real yard for the first time and loves books. I want to give her several of the ones you recommend to help her through this first winter in the North. I'm of little help to either of my DDIL's when it comes to plant selection and care. One is in Southern California, and now the other is in Pennsylvania. Thanks for your help!

Patricia


This message was edited Jul 31, 2008 9:12 PM

I'm not a big book shopper- too cheap. Hope someone offers up some input. Then, I would look at a store- you probably have one- that sells odd lots, like a Big Lots. One near me(another company) usually has some selection of beautiful broad-topic gardening books much cheaper. Or same for discount section of the big bookstores. A beginner could surely use something with lots of pictures to start learning about different plants.

I have Rodales Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening- covers lots f things besides veggies, but no color pictures. Saw it for about 6 bucks at the discount place after paying full price, couple yrs ago.

I was sorely tempted by "Perennials for Pennsylvania" in a book store. I figured it would be cheaper on line than the store I was in, but I never got around to buying it.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Ilene%20Sternberg

My favorite gardening book is several years old, but it has lovely color pictures and would be enjoyed, I think, by a new gardener as well as an experienced one. It's P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Creating A Garden For Evereyday Living. In a friendly, conversational style Allen Smith reveals how he moved a modest historical home to a scraped-clean suburban lot and designed a series of glorious garden rooms to bring the outdoors in. Allen is in the process of completing a beautiful new reproduction home using the same principles outlined in this book. Take a look at his website.

[HYPERLINK:@www.pallensmith.com]

edited to include web address

This message was edited Aug 1, 2008 10:29 AM

This message was edited Aug 1, 2008 10:30 AM

It has been said if you have two garden books you already have one two many. :)

My all time favorite: Ruth Stoudt's No Work Garden Book. (out of print) Can have your local library locate and bring it in for you. First editons are worth big bucks. Later editions may still be showing up on eBAy or Amazon.com.

Aaaaaargh!! I had a whole list with links all typed up and DG wouldn't load. Now I've lost it. I'll try again.

I would definitely start with some basic gardening and landscaping books. Some that will have a lot of basic info on what she'll need to design and grow her gardens. I like the Better Homes and Gardens books for this although Ortho has some nice ones too.

This is a must have for any gardener. You can look up insects and diseases and other problems such as nutrient deficiencies in your soil.
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Gardeners-Problem-Solver-Solutions/dp/0897215044/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217613500&sr=1-22

A good, basic, landscaping book
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/store/product.jsp?catid=cat130090&prodid=prod280001

A good basic gardening book
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/store/product.jsp?catid=cat130010&prodid=prod3440002

This is an old book that I still go back to over and over and over. It has excellent information on plants for specific conditions with a section in the front on various types of gardens (climates and soil) such as seaside, northern mountains, southern mountains, desert, alkaline or acid soil, etc. Then there's an encyclopedic section in the back with details on specific plants, then some lists at the end with recommended plants for specific conditions. I very highly recommend it to anyone, new or old gardener.
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Plant-Every-Habitat-Garden/dp/1556706073/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217611443&sr=1-3

Excellent book on vegetable gardening with a lot of basic info and specifics on various vegetables. It's the book I got my new gardener daughter.
http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580172127&cat=Gardening&subcat=Vegetables&p=0

The classic book on companion planting for vegetables. Wonderful book.
http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580170277&cat=Gardening&subcat=Vegetables&p=0
By the same author on companion planting for flowers
http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580170284&cat=Gardening&subcat=Flowers&p=0

I actually prefer a lot of the Storey gardening books to Rodale. Better and more information.

THE best book on growing flowers from seeds. Also general growing info and other propagation info.
http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580175173&cat=Gardening&subcat=Flowers&p=0

http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580175432&cat=Gardening&subcat=Flowers&p=0 I don't have this one but it's definitely on my wish list.

Many people love The Well Tended Perennial Garden
http://www.amazon.com/Well-Tended-Perennial-Garden-Planting-Techniques/dp/0881928038/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217613342&sr=1-1

and she has a new book out on garden design
http://www.amazon.com/Well-Designed-Mixed-Garden-Building-Perennials/dp/0881925594/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217613342&sr=1-2

I'd include a batch of pretty catalogs along with the books - Park and Wayside (definitely just for the pictures), White Flower Farm, Scheepers, High Country Gardens, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Burpee.

I appreciate all the good suggestions and the links! I had not even thought about gardening and landscaping basics, but you are right that she will need that kind of information too. Now I'll go though all the suggestions you have made and decide on several to order for her. I am afraid it is going to be hard to choose. I'll get her on DG once they are moved into their home. The hotel internet has had major problems since lightning stuck close by last week.

Today is the home inspection, and she is taking her notebook to write down what is already in the garden. I know I am going to be a bit envious. It is so hot and very, very dry where I live in the middle of Texas. I want green grass and flowers too!

Thanks again,
Patricia

Hi Patricia,

A *fantastic* source of information is the Washington Post's "Green Scene" column by Joel Lerner, which runs on Saturdays. Joel lives in Montgomery County, MD, which is close enough to your daugher's new place to give her lots to - heh - grow on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/03/25/LI2005032500646.html

I see that he has a list of reading materials on garden design: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062604458.html

This message was edited Aug 1, 2008 4:51 PM

More good info. Thanks, Wrightie.

I love "The Well Tended Perrenial Garden" too, it's a new purchase for me and an excellent reference for all types of plants and contains good advice for growing your own seeds, dividing, and laying out the garden.

Laura

Pat,

I think it would also help if whatever book you choose that it be about the area you live in. It is so frustrating to look at books and magazines showing gardens that very few of us would ever see in our lifetime or gardens that look like they belong to a mansion.

I work for a HD and we have really nice books on gardening. There is one called "Mid Atlantic gardening". The, HD also has the famous 1-2-3 How to books. Yes, there is one called "The 1-2-3 of Gardening". That is VERY, VERY step-by-step and beautifully ilustrated with drawings--not photos.
Also, in the garden area somewhere, they have these little books on "Bulbs"--"Annuals and Perennials"--"Landscaping"--and "Houseplants". These cost about $1 each.

Gita

Thank you, Laura and Gita, for more good suggestions. I have enough on the "short list" to take care of the gift now and Christmas too!

I second "The Well Tended Perrenial Garden"

Also "Washington Gardener" magazine which I buy for myself and for gifts - they cover the great DC region and much ofthe MidAtlantic - the photos are all from local gardens - some inspirational, some realistic - none air-brushed or altered that I can see (unlike mags that paint all skies ultra-blue) -- all seem do-able to me.
See: www.washingtongardener.com

- Amy

patrob,
I have a treasure place to order books from
www.betterworld.com
They have many, many good used books which cost about $4.02 which includes postage.
The trick is to click sort by price rather than sort by popularity.
by price the cheaper ones are listed first. I have a huge library of books that cost $3.48 and $4.02. Some are $30 to $40 books which are remainders or books that libraries give this company.

The company gets the books almost for free. they manage to make a profit and to contribute millions to literacy projects all over the world. when you go to their site, they explain how this is possible and how it came about.. It is a win/win situation.
Right now I have so many great books, I can't think of any others I would need. Try it.