A Gardener’s Reading, seventh of 30 By Mike Heger, John Whitman and Debbie Lonnee (University of Minnesota Press, 2011) For many northern gardeners, the 1998 edition of Growing Perennials in Cold Climates has been the go-to reference for which plants to grow and how to care for them for more than a decade. That edition is still valuable, but for…
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A Gardener’s Reading, sixth of 30 By Sheri Brooks Vinton (Storey Publishing, 2010) Put ‘em Up’s subtitle is “A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling.” It’s a mouthful, but it sums up beautifully the ambitious task Vinton undertakes with clarity, good humor and an inspiring “you-can-do-it” tone. It’s one of…
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A Gardener’s Reading (fifth of 30) By Julie Moir Messervy (Taunton Press, 2009) Like a lot of books on landscape design, Julie Moir Messervy’s Home Outside is filled with fabulous gardens, patios and yards. Unlike many design books, Messervy makes all that fabulousness seem attainable, even without a full-time gardener or a six-figure landscape budget. Home Outside is first and…
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A Gardener’s Reading, Fourth of 30 By Mariette Nowak (Itchy Cat Press, 2007) I’m not a big-time birder myself, but I have a friend who is, and I’ve learned enough over the years from conversations with her and her husband and posts on her blog to have an appreciation for birds, their diverse beauty and their place in the environment….
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A Gardener’s Reading, third of 30 By Richard Bird (Salamander Books, Ltd., 1998) You could garden for decades without knowing a word of botanical Latin, but understanding gardener’s Latin and plant nomenclature gives you insight into plant behavior and just plain makes you feel smarter. The naming rules now used for plants were developed in the 1750s, thanks to Swedish…
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