 | Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials
by Allan Armitage
Armitage has complied descriptions and
assessments of 245 genera of annuals, biennials, and half-hardy
perennials. Focusing on plant identification, successful culture, and
primary garden attributes, the author discusses 279 species in detail and summarizes
the distinguishing features of hundreds of cultivars. Color photos and
line drawings illustrate the text. |
| Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
by Marshall Bradley
Over 400 entries of the most practical, up-to-date
gardening information ever collected from garden experts and writers
nationwide. |
| Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
by Michael Dirr
This encyclopedia, illustrated with brilliant photographs, describes the best woody plants adapted to cooler climates, showing both habit and details of more than 500 species, and including some 700 additional cultivars and varieties. Brief cultural information is supplied for each plant, as well as Dirr's perceptive comments and opinions. |
| Manual of Woody Landscape Plants
by Michael Dirr
From Library Journal - Serving as an ideal companion to Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs (above), this classic manual offers thorough information on the woody trees and shrubs used in landscaping. Aside from each plant's physical description, there's also an elaboration of hardiness, growth rate, culture, diseases and insects, landscape value, cultivars, and propagation. |
| Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology
by Eric Grissell
From amazon.com - In this intriguing book, professional entomologist and amateur gardener Grissell suggests that it might be time to declare a truce with the insects in our lives.
He describes the various orders of insects the gardener is likely to encounter, and writes knowledgeably about how insects grow, feed, and reproduce. Unlike other insect-related books for gardeners, this is not a handbook on how to recognize and eliminate "pests." Instead, Insects and Gardens seeks to explain the vital role insects play in every garden ecosystem.
Carll Goodpasture's remarkable color photographs reveal the surprising beauty and vital energy that insects bring to the garden. |
| Designing with Perennials
by Pamela Harper
A comprehensive, lavishly illustrated volume about the many
ways to use perennials. This is a book that will not only guide you,
but also inspire you with ideas. From making choices, which is often
the most difficult challenge for for beginners and experienced gardeners
alike, to time-tested color combinations, this guide will to perennials is
as practical as it is pleasing to read. |
| Stone in the Garden
by Gordon Hayward
This book explains how to employ stone to enrich existing
planting schemes, create new opportunities, and solve practical
problems. Part One, Inspiring Uses for Stone, includes more than 200
color photographs of gardens, forming an idea book of uses to which stone
can be put. Hayward describes the interplay between plants and stone,
pointing out what makes for pleasing, inspired scenes and explaining how to
select stone for your property. Part Two, Working with Stones,
presents guidelines for design, site preparation, and construction.
The author also tells you what to look for stone masons, what to expect in a
stone yard, and how to calculate how much stone you'll need. Plant
lists provide throughout recommend perennials and vines especially suited to
stone. |
| The Houseplant Encyclopedia
by Ingrid Jantra
At the core of this generously illustrated book is an
alphabetical listing of almost 1000 commonly used houseplants. Each
entry includes: a full-color photo of the plant; advice on placement care
and propagation; and useful symbols that explain the plant's light,
watering, and feeding needs. With an extensive glossary and practical
index, this book has something for everyone, from the casual gardener to the
expert horticulturalist. |
| Gardening With Grasses
by Michael King and Piet Oudolf
Ornamental grasses are among the most important plants
employed by garden designers. The authors show how these sophisticated
plants can be used a variety of ways to transform the garden. In a
catalog of over 150 varieties and cultivars, the authors select the
ornamental grasses, sedges, bamboos most appropriate for a wide range of
garden situations. |
| Dramatic Effects with Architectural Plants
by Noel Kingsbury
Architectural plants are the skeleton and framework of the
garden, and they are the key to creating a garden that is striking year
round. They can be traditional hedges, sculpted topiary,
exotic-looking palms and yucca, or delicate ferns but they are plants with a
distinct and strong form. The book details the best uses of each plant
and tells how to select the best plants for the physical environment and
climatic conditions in your garden. A special section on creating
ambiance in the garden includes an exotic tropical city garden, a manicured
formal garden, an asymmetrical Japanese garden, a shaded woodland garden,
and more. |
| Christopher Lloyd's Garden Flowers: Perennials, Bulbs, Grasses, Ferns
by Christopher Lloyd
Lloyd has written, genus by alphabetical genus, everything he
has learnt, thought, seen, tried, likes or regrets about perennials,
individually and in combination, at different seasons, at his own famous
garden or else where. For flower or foliage, scent and color, low
growth or lofty, for all soils and sites, here are the indispensable
elements of a beautiful garden. |
| Color for Adventurous Gardeners
by Christopher Lloyd
In eleven chapters, Lloyd explores each color in relationship
to others. He advocates knowing the rules of combining colors, mainly
so you can break them. Includes hundreds of beautiful
photographs. Both informative and an entertaining read. |
| Ann Lovejoy's Organic Garden Design School
by Ann Lovejoy
In the books pages, you'll celebrate the beauty of
Ann's gardens and discover how to apply her organic design principles to
your garden. You'll learn how to create healthy, self-sufficient
gardens that are easy to care for, ecologically sound, and enduringly
beautiful. |
| Rodale Book of Composting
edited by Deborah Mertin and Grace Gershuny
This book includes: easy to follow instructions for making
and using compost; helpful tips for apartment dwellers, suburbanites,
farmers, and community leaders; and ecologically sound solutions to growing
waste disposal problems. After you know about this book, there is no
excuse not to compost. |
| Allergy-Free Gardening
by Thomas Ogren
As Ogren's research shows, our contact with allergens has
skyrocketed due to short-sighted landscaping choices. His book
proposes a more health-conscious approach to public and home gardening,
providing strategies for creating allergy-free environments. Including
over 3000 detailed entries, this comprehensive guide rates the
allergen-producing potential of common trees, shrubs, flowers, and other
landscaping plants. |
| Plant Partners: Creative Plant Associations for Perennials
by Anna Pavord
Pavord selects her "star" plants, perennials,
bulbs, and annuals, that no garden should be without. By giving each
star its perfect partners, the author solves, season by season, what to
plant with what. Stunning photographs and the delightful way in which
Pavrod brings to life the characters and qualities of of her chosen plants,
will fire the imaginations of gardeners. |
| Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden
by Eleanor Perenyi
A classic in the literature of the garden. The book is
a beautifully written and highly original collection of seventy-two essays,
alphabetically arranged, on a variety of topics. An amateur gardener
for over thirty years, the author draws upon her wide-ranging knowledge of
garden lore to create a delightful, witty blend of how-to advice, informed
opinion, historical insights, and philosophical musing. |
| The Art and Craft of Stonework
by David Reed
Build for the ages with stone, a material that not only
endures but becomes more beautiful with time. Whether you're
constructing a wall, redesigning a garden, or adding paving, your structure
will blend in naturally with its surroundings. As you accomplish a
range of projects using dry-laid and mortared techniques, as well as
decorative ones like carving, you'll learn how versatile working with stone
is. A good how-to book for stonework. |
| The Complete Shade Gardener
by George Schenk
From Ingram - The single best book on this popular gardening
subject. It's a classic that belongs in the library of anyone who loves gardens and great garden writing.
Includes 8-page full-color photograph insert, 82 black-and-white
photographs, and 12 line drawings. Includes an appendix of specialty
nurseries. |
| Perennial Garden Plants: Or the Modern Florilegium…
by Graham Stuart Thomas
Over 2000 species of perennials, including
ferns, ornamental grasses, and most of the larger bulbous and tuberous
rooted plants, are described. Height, width apart for planting, color,
season of flowering, uses for cutting, methods of propagation and
cultivation are given throughout for easy reference. General
information about every genus includes details of past parentage and
hybridization in the past and the artistry with which each plant can be used
for best effect. Light on illustrations and photographs but a wealth
of detailed perennial information. |
| My Summer in a Garden
by Dudley Charles Warner
Oft quoted but seldom credited, Warner's book is a
classic of American garden writing and was a seminal early work in the then
fledgling genre of American nature writing. Warner, prominent in his
day as a writer and newspaper editor, was a dedicated amateur gardener who
shred with Mark Twain, his close friend and neighbor, a sense of humor that
remains deliciously fresh today. To read Warner is to join him on his
rounds of his beloved vegetable patch, to feel the sun on his sore back, the
hoe in his blistered hands, and yet, like him, never to lose sight of
"the philosophical implications of contact with the earth, and the
companionship of gently growing thing." |
| Two gardeners : Katharine S. White and Elizabeth Lawrence : a friendship in letters
edited by Emily Herring Wilson
Katharine S. White, the legendary first editor of The New
Yorker, was a great garden enthusiast. In March of 1958, she began
publishing her popular column, "Onward and Upward in the
Garden." Her first column elicited loads of fan mail, but one
letter, from Elizabeth Lawrence, a noted southern garden writer, caught her
attention. When Katharine wrote back, she reported on her Maine garden
and discussed books and plants that interested her. Thus began a
correspondence that would last for almost twenty years, until Katharine's
death in 1977. More than 150 letters went back and forth, though they
would meet face-to-face only once. Whether talking about gardens or
book, friends or family, each held a special place in the other's life. |
| Back to the Basics
Shelley and her guests get back to gardening basics.
UW-Madison Horticulurist Astrid Newenhouse discusses how and when to plant
tender vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. Soil scientist Sherry
Combs gives tips on amending soil whether it's clay, sand or loam and
UW-Extension Entomologist Phil Pellitteri dicusses how to prevent insect
damage in new gardens. Also, get tips on renovating a perennial bed,
learn about basic culinary herbs from Olbrich Gardens staff horticulturist
Sara Raab and meet with Executive Director of Olbrich Gardens Kim Emerson. |
| Container and Shade Gardening
Gardeners with an abundance of shade or a shortage of space
can still create interesting and bountiful gardens. This program
features segments on container gardening, shade gardening, planting
"B&B" (balled and burlapped) shrubs and getting rid of Eastern
tent caterpillars. |
| Kids and Gardening
Shelley visits a children's garden to learn the basics and
meet some young "graduate" of a gardening program for kids.
Master Gardener Shelley Ryan shares the special pleasures of gardening with
children. She also gets her hands in the dirt with children planting a
container garden and demonstrates how to create a sunflower house. Shelley
gets a close-up look at garden bugs to show how kids and grown-ups can enjoy
the ones that are good for the garden. To keep interest going through the
winter, children can pick from a list of books related to gardening. Shelley
shares garden ideas, projects for a rainy day and a down-and-dirty recipe
that kids will love. |
| Landscaping for Birds
A look at landscape designs that are as pleasing to the
gardener as they are to numerous species of birds and butterflies.
George Harrison -- gardener, professional birdwatcher and producer of the
video "The Backyard Birdwatcher" -- gives a tour of his personal
bird sanctuary. Neil Diboll, president of Prairie Nursery in Westfield,
looks at native prairie plants that attract birds and butterflies.
Dane County Master Gardener Peggy Lison shows a small, urban garden designed
specifically to attract butterflies that birds also enjoy. Duane Barmore,
owner of Madison's Chickadee Depot, discusses water features and
demonstrates how easy it is to create a small bird pond. |
| Landscaping with Wisconsin Wildflowers
Gardening goes native as Master Gardener Shelley Ryan and her guests show how to plan and plant prairie gardens featuring Wisconsin's wildflowers.
Landscape architect John Diekelmann of Madison gives an overview of a backyard prairie and discusses the rewards of a prairie garden. Shelley and guest Evelyn Howell, UW-Madison Professor of Landscape Architecture, discuss proper site analysis, design techniques and prairie management including weeding and burning.
UW-Arboretum Plant Propagation Manager Brian Bader talks about establishing a prairie garden and the benefits of using plants for fast results versus seeds that yield slower results. Kristi Seifert, Dane County Master Gardener, proves that prairies can be large or small and planted almost anywhere. |
| Organic Gardening
An exploration of organic gardening methods. Susan Mahr,
coordinator of the Wisconsin Master Gardener program, demonstrates how
biological control can be effective in the backyard and explains why
pesticides, organic or not should be used as a last resort. Steve
Pincus, owner of Tipi Produce - a small, organic, vegetable garden in
Fitchburg - advocates both mechanical and cultural methods of control. He
demonstrates how home gardeners can use techniques such as floating row
covers to control unwanted pests. Shelley discusses safe harvesting
methods with UW-Extension Food Science Specialist Barb Ingham, and looks at
growing apples organically with UW-Extension Entomologist Dan Mahr. |
| Perennials
Master Gardener Shelley Ryan shows how to create a garden success story as she and her guests visit Madison's olbrich Gardens and share tips on the planting and care of perennials ion Wisconsin's climate.
Horticulturalist Astrid Newenhouse gives tips on creating a successful perennial garden, how to grow and when to divide perennials, as well as choosing plants that complement each other.
Dane County Extension Horticulturist jim Schroeder focuses on the numerous varieties of hosta and how to incorporate the shade-loving plants into any backyard setting. climate and see the lush perennials at Olbrich Gardens in Madison. Ryan is joined by experts from the University of Wisconsin-Extension who offer ideas to home gardeners. |
| Planting Beauty for Your Yard
Using plants to add beauty to your surroundings is one of the best reasons to garden and can have many benefits - from recreation and relaxation to enhancing property value.
Flowering trees and shrubs beautify the home landscape. Master Gardener Shelley Ryan talks with Ed Hasselkus about selecting and caring for ornamental crab trees with special attention to their flowers and fall fruit.
For those fond of lilacs, master gardener Pat Connors shares ideas on some excellent cultivars and offers practical tips on care and pruning.
Hanging baskets are popular outdoor decorations, so Shelley finds out how to plant annuals in a moss-lined basket. She also meets an expert who distinguishes between perennials that divide well and those that don't - and then demonstrates how to do it right. |
| The Summer Garden
Master Gardener Shelley Ryan and her expert guests take an
in-depth look at the summer garden. Bill Lehman, co-owner of Fields of
Greystone in Muscoda explains why daylilies are often described as the
"perfect" perennial and shows how easy they are to divide.
UW-Extension Woody Plant Specialist Laura Jull talks about some of her
favorite summer-blooming trees and shrubs, and UW plant pathologist Brian
Hudelson explains why a hot humid summer can lead to plant problems like
powdery mildew. Entomologist Phil Pelitteri shows how to look for iris borer
in iris plants and how to control them. |
| Uncommon Gardens
Both public and private gardens are highlighted in this
program. They include Foxfire Gardens in Marshfield, Ed Hasselkus' garden in
Madison, a waterfall garden in Somerset, a mosaic garden in Beldenville and
the Mitchell Park Domes near Milwaukee, plus photo essays from other
locations. The Foxfire Gardens in Marshfield puts on an astonishing display
of blooming azaleas and rhododendrons in spring and early summer. Ed
Hasselkus, Emeritus Professor of Horticulture and designer of the Longnecker
Garden at the UW's Arboretum, shares some landscape design tips from his own
garden. The waterfalls and flowers of the garden created in memory of their
daughter became a way for Richard and Darlene Hinke to survive their loss.
Every year the Mitchell Park Domes creates a Halloween Garden that combines whimsy
and horticulture. Additional gardens are featured in photo essays throughout
the program. |
| Butterfly Gardening :
Creating a Butterfly Haven in Your Garden
by Thomas C. Emmel (1997)
Butterfly Gardening takes you step by step through choosing plants
to attract the butterflies in your area, arranging them to fit your
garden and their needs, and maintaining your garden once you have
established it. Beyond the garden’s creation, it teaches you how
to identify your new visitors with handy tips and a beautiful
photograph gallery of butterflies. |
| The Zone Garden 3, 4, 5 :
Surefire Guide to Gardening in your zone
by Charlotte M. Frieze (1997)
For gardeners who live in climate zones 3, 4, or 5, this book is the
first of its kind to guide you step by step in creating a garden
that is sure to flourish in your zone. This comprehensive guide
shows you how to plan your garden, put the right plants in the right
place, and care for them according to their climatic needs. |
| Deer Proofing Your Yard and
Garden
by Rhonda Massingham Hart (1997)
With this book, you’ll learn how to identify deer damage, make
your own homemade deterrents, select commercial repellents that
work, design a landscape that literally repels deer, and community
deer management strategies. You’ll also find comprehensive lists
of the plants deer most like and dislike, as well as information
about deer behavior throughout the year. |
| The Virago Book of Women
Gardeners
by Deborah Kellaway (1995)
This compendium of gardening writing includes extracts from the 18th
century to the present day from women who have contributed in many
areas: diggers and weeders, artists and colorists, dreamers,
trendsetters, plantswomen, and landscape designers. The writing is
replete with fascinating anecdotes and the most good- humored advice. |
| The 3,000 Mile Garden : an
Exchange on Gardening, Food and the Good Life
by Leslie Land and Roger Phillips (1996)
A bestseller in England, and the
inspiration for a six-part public television series, this American
edition brings the reader into the private lives and dreams of two
passionate gardeners. World famous nature photographer Roger
Phillips and American food writer Leslie Land correspond over a four
year period about the problems of gardening by committee, the joys
of raising exotic plants, struggles with garden pests, and kitchen
experiments. Their exchange of ideas, bed plans, practical tips, and
recipes are full of humor and sharp observation.
|
| The Adventurous Gardener
by Christopher Lloyd (1998)
This book from the doyen of English gardening
writers, demonstrates how the best gardening is experimental as well
as ephemeral. Lloyd encourages all gardeners to be adventurous and
offers ways to make new and exciting such familiar chores as
weeding, taking cuttings, reseeding, and pruning roots and branches.
Both the neophyte and the experienced gardener will benefit from
Lloyd’s advice and inspiration.
|
| Further along the Garden
Path
by Ann Lovejoy (1995)
Intended for novice gardeners who have learned the basics, this book
offers a year-long course in garden making, presenting invaluable
information, advice, and instruction geared to enrich not only the
garden but also the gardener’s experience. The text is
comprehensively illustrated with 150 full-color photographs; the
majority of these were taken in small gardens, made and maintained
by ardent amateur gardeners without professional assistance. |
| The New Kitchen Garden
by Anna Pavord (1996)
A complete guide to designing, planting and cultivating a decorative
and productive garden, this reference tool shows how to grow more
than 100 vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a yard of any size.
Written by one of today’s foremost gardening authors who provides
indispensable advice on cultivation techniques, crop rotation,
propagation, and weed control. |
| Dear Mr. Jefferson : Letters from a
Nantucket Gardener
by Laura Simon (1998)
Using her Nantucket garden as a springboard, Simon’s horticultural
observations and gardening techniques have been engagingly
interwoven with carefully selected references and quotes from Thomas
Jefferson’s Garden Book and letters. All garden historians,
gardeners and lovers of gardens will find this book a valuable
resource and wonderful read. |
| Native Plants for Northern
Gardens
by Dr. Leon C. Snyder (1991)
This work is the first comprehensive listing of native trees,
shrubs, vines, perennials, biennials, annuals, grasses prairie
plants, ferns and water and bog plants for use in the Upper Midwest.
For each of the more than 400 plants that Dr. Snyder includes, he
gives careful description, native habitat, possible uses of the
plants, and their general culture. |
| The Undaunted Garden :
Planting for Weather Resilient Beauty
by Lauren Springer (1994)
For gardeners in any region plagued by difficult weather conditions,
Springer combines practical gardening advice along with commentary
on the art of painting with plants, showing readers how to choose
plants that offer both beauty and resilience in a variety of
conditions. |
| The Time Life Complete
Gardener : Wildflowers
by the Editors of Time Life Books (1995)
This volume covers designing gardens with wildflowers, installation
and maintenance of wildflower beds, and propagation. It also
includes a troubleshooting guide, plant selection guide, zone map,
and an encyclopedia of wildflowers. |
