Books that grow on you

By Don Davis
Published: June 24, 2008

If your summer plans include a little reading, consider a gardening book.
Here are several new titles you may find interesting.

The Garden at Night — Private Views of Public Edens
(Chronicle Books, $40)
The secret side of flowers — to all except night owls — is their beauty at night, which led photographer Linda Rutenberg to take pictures of plants at night in 21 public botanical gardens to produce her book. Excerpts of poetry by the likes of Emily Dickinson and Oscar Wilde accompany some images. The book also has essays by Christopher Dewdney and William Shatner (the award-winning actor known to millions as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship, Enterprise).

Pots in the Garden: Expert Design and Planting Techniques
(Timber Press, $29.95)
The pages of Ray Rogers’ book include a user-friendly lesson in basic garden design. He explains how to use color, form, texture, line and repetition, and his advice is valuable whether your garden is in containers or in the ground. The book’s many photographs by Richard Hartlage illustrate the design concepts and show successful plant combinations along with a wide array of containers. The planting and care of potted plants is covered in detail and at the end of the book you will find sections dealing with all the popular plant groups (annuals, aquatics, bulbs, cacti, vines, perennials, tropicals, shrubs and trees).

The Truth About Garden Remedies: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why
(Timber Press, $12.95)
Buying packages of ladybugs to release in your yard is a gardening practice shown to be a waste of time. Jeff Gillman, a horticulture professor at the University of Minnesota, sorts through 100 myths, claims and old wives’ tales to determine the truth, based on scientific data. In this book, he explains the benefits and drawbacks in using gypsum, garlic, vinegar, Epsom salts, coffee grounds and other items in your
garden.

The Organic Manual
(Tapestry Press, $18.95)
Howard Garrett, a columnist with the Dallas Morning News, reviews the steps involved in starting an organic garden, making compost and managing soil. His book is about “natural organic gardening and living for your family, plants and pets” and it contains much advice on controlling pests. For ticks, Garrett suggests spraying with garlic-pepper tea, orange oil or natural diatomaceous earth.

A Gardener’s Journal — Life With My Garden
(St. Lynn’s Press, $15.95)
Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser’s book has plenty of empty lines where you can keep records of “not only daily chores, but successes and failures, lessons and losses.” This book is a “diary for your garden” and its pages are sprinkled with gardening tips and memories from Oster and Walliser. They will help inspire your own entries in the journal.

Grow Organic
(St. Lynn’s Press, $18.95)
Another new book by Oster and Walliser offers a practical guide for gardeners, who want to switch over to organic methods. After chapters on soil management and biological control of insects, they present chapters on ornamentals, vegetables, fruits, lawn care and natural pest control.  Each of these contains helpful quick tips and advanced quick tips. Their tip for controlling poison ivy is to wear protective clothing and gloves while digging it up by the root.
Enjoy!