Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 11, 1994 TAG: 9403140066
SECTION: LAWN & GARDEN PAGE: 17 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"The American Horticultural Society-Encyclopedia of Gardening" (Dorling Kindersley) is a magnum opus of the subject, which the publisher says is the largest project in its history. Conceived and produced under the direction of Christopher Brickell of Britain's Royal Horticultural Society, this edition was adapted for the American market by Elvin McDonald of the AHS and Trevor Cole. The book is filled with practical instruction on gardening techniques, planning and maintenance; it runs 648 pages and has 3,500 color photographs and illustrations.
Another big gardening book is the 600-page "Taylor's Master Guide to Gardening" (Houghton Mifflin), to be published this fall. The illustrated encyclopedia will cover 1,000 of the best plants to grow in every region of the country. Also new in the Taylor series are "Taylor's Guide to Shade Gardening," edited by Frances Tanenbaum, and a revised edition of "Taylor's Guide to Roses," which the publisher says is the most popular title in the series.
A longtime favorite with gardeners, "Illustrated Guide to Gardening" (Reader's Digest Books) recently was updated and has practical instructions on growing; pest, disease and weed control; and charts to help you choose, grow and propagate plants.
Two new titles from Reader's Digest include "The Complete Book of Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes" and "The Sunroom Gardener." The former focuses on naturalizing to create a garden area that looks as close to nature as possible, using bulbous plants through different seasons. The latter, by Anne Swithinbank, is a guide to planting and maintaining plants grown under glass.
"The Garden Room" (Clarkson Potter) by Timothy Mawson, is another look at interior gardening, this one detailing 20 sun rooms, open terraces or outdoor structures.
"The Natural Habitat Garden" (Clarkson Potter) by Ken Druse with Margaret Roach offers gardeners guidance on how to creative native-plant gardens that can increase biodiversity - encouraging natural havens for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The illustrated book discusses possibilities in grasslands, drylands, wetlands and woodlands.
Aimed at the beginner, "Beautiful Easy Gardens" and "Beautiful Easy Lawns and Landscapes" (Globe Pequot) by Laurence Sombke helps the gardener organize gardening projects into manageable regimens.
"Seeds of Change" (HarperSan Francisco) by Kenny Ausubel is another book aimed at achieving biodiversity in the garden. This is a backgrounder on the movement to interconnect environmental, health and nutrition concerns. The book also includes recipes using ingredients from the organic garden.
To the casual observer, plants are still life studies. But they're not so passive after all, as botanist Arthur W. Galston demonstrates in "Life Processes of Plants" (W. H. Freeman). He offers explanations of how plants grow, how they use food, react to chemicals, stress and environment, how they protect themselves, how they know winter is coming, when to germinate and when to blossom, and yes, how they move.
Roses may be the most popular flower of history, and much of that history is covered in "Rose Gardens" (Henry Holt) by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall. Besides being appreciated by the ancient Greeks, chosen as a symbol by the medievalists, the rose still attracts the gardener and naturalist alike in its cultivated and wild forms.
Why enjoy gardens only in the daylight, especially if you're away at work? "Evening Gardens" (Chapters) by Cathy Wilkinson Barash guides you to plants and flowers that put on their best during the night hours (including, paradoxically, some types of daylilies). The author recommends garden plans and architecture to let you enjoy night-blooming flowers, plants with silver foliage, and trees with textured bark visible at night.
Shade is another area which shouldn't prevent the gardener from growing. "Shade Gardens" (Camden House) discusses selections and siting for plants and flowers that do well in shady spots.
"Water Gardens" (Houghton Mifflin) by Jacqueline Heriteau and Charles B. Thomas show you how to make more of a pond than just a lily pad or two. They tell you how to site and make a pond to start with, how to maintain it, how to choose the right aquatic plants, and how to manage the garden.
"For Your Garden: Water Gardens" and "For Your Garden: Window Boxes" (Little, Brown) by Carol Spier are the first in a projected series of garden books filled with ideas for these gardening specialties.
A reprise - and memorial tribute - to Washington Post columnist Henry Mitchell is in an expanded reissue of "The Essential Earthman" (Houghton Mifflin) with a collection of some of Mitchell's best and wittiest gardening columns.
by CNB