Discuss Cultivating Environmental Justice: A Literary History of U.S. Garden Writing with the WG Garden Book Club

For our next Garden Book Club selection, we will be reading: 

Cultivating Environmental Justice: A Literary History of U.S. Garden Writing by Robert S. Emmett

"Drawing on ecocriticism, environmental history, landscape architecture, and recent work in environmental justice and food studies, Emmett explores how the language of environmental justice emerged in descriptions of gardening across a variety of literary forms. He reveals early egalitarian associations found in garden writing, despite a popular focus on elite sites such as suburban lawns and formal southern gardens. Emmett considers a wide range of texts by authors including Bernard M'Mahon, Scott and Helen Nearing, Katharine S. White, Elizabeth Lawrence, Alice Walker, and Novella Carpenter."

You can order it new or used at our Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2SUk47e

Our Spring 2019 club meeting will be on Thursday, April 4 from 6:30-8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop. Soupergirl offers soups for sale that are incredibly healthy. They are 100% plant-based, low salt, low fat, and most importantly, absolutely delicious, so plan to come a bit early to purchase and eat your dinner with the garden book club. 

Please RSVP to washingtongardener (at) rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine, so we know how many chairs to reserve for our group.

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

Want to read ahead? The next book club selections are:

• Summer 2019 - Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katharine White

• Fall 2019 - The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food by Janisse Ray

WG Seed Exchange Registrations Now Open

Washington Gardener Magazine presents the 

14th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges

on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm 

National Seed Swap Day!

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD

 Registration is now open at 

WGSeedExchange-BG.brownpapertickets.com

and 

on Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

Registration is now open at 

WGSeedExchange-GSG.brownpapertickets.com

Join us for:

Seed Swapping

Door Prizes

Planting Tips

Expert Speakers

Goody Bags

Make-it Take-It Seed Crafting Table

Overview

Washington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the 14th annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.

When

on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm 

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD

and 

on Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

(Foul weather that day? Call 240.603.1461,

for updates about possible snow/ice delay.)

Where

We are holding a duo of Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the Washington Beltway. We urge you to attend the one closest to you.

   One exchange will be held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA.

How to Register

Register online at WGSeedExchange-BrooksideG.brownpapertickets.com for the 1/27/18 event and WGSeedExchange-GreenSpringG.brownpapertickets.com for the 2/10/18 one.

    Registration fee is $20 per person. Friends of Brookside members, Friends of Green Spring members, and current Washington Gardener subscribers receive a discount rate of $15 per person.

We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location!

We are GREEN!!!

We also have a Garden Book and Seed Catalog Exchange table. Seed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event. 

   We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag. We will have a“best nametag” contest, so get crafty!

Event Hashtags #GardenDC and #SeedSwapDay

If You Have Seeds to Bring and Swap:
Please package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like lettuce, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the information you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and watering needs; and, its origins — where and when you collected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that is okay; just provide as much as you can.
Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs.

What If You Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?
Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend. We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.

Education Program
Expert speakers from the local gardening community will give short talks on seed collection and propagation tips. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the featured speakers, and invited experts as well.

Schedule
(Note: This schedule is subject to change.)
12:00-12:30 Registration check-in
12:30-12:40 Introductions
12:40-1:20 Gardening talk
1:20-1:55 Gardening talk
2:00-2:15 Snack break and room reset
2:15-2:30 Seed Swap preview time
2:30-3:00 Seed Swap
3:00-3:30 Photo Contest winners
3:30-4:00 Door prizes and closing talk

How Do We Swap?
As you check in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed category tables.
You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. You will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack from each of the category tables (if desired).
After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies with labels will be on hand for that purpose.

What Types of Seeds?
Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials, and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can pre-sort your seeds in advance into which of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.

Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!
Each attendee will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publications, and garden items donated by our sponsors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners.
   If your organization would like to contribute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, contact Kathy Jentz at 301.588.6894 by January 22.

Charitable Donations:
Extra seeds from the swap are donated to local, nonprofit gardening groups.
A portion of the event proceeds will go to benefit Native Seeds/SEARCH for conserving crop genetic resources.

DIY: Vintage Seed Pack Art

Seed pack art is all the rage. From calendars to t-shirts, I see vintage seed packs used everywhere these days. I bet you even have a few seed packs that you've held on to over the years, not for the seeds inside, but for the attractive seed packet itself. 

Seed packets themselves are full of terrific plant information and details. I have kept them in photo albums and scrapbooks to use as reference sources over the years. It is fun just to leaf through the albums at look at all the things I have grown. I thought of this craft as a way to enjoy looking at some of my favorite seed packs on a daily basis and not just hidden away in albums.

If you don't vintage seed packets, you can use new ones. Companies like Botanical Interests and Renee's Garden have gorgeous vintage-style packets you can buy new. You can also purchase reproductions of vintage seed packets on cards. 

This is a suitable project for doing with children or your garden club.

Materials:

-

- Wood Piece (6x6 square)

- Acrylic Paints 

- Sanding Block or Sand Paper

- Brushes

- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

- Mod Podge

- Seed Pack Art 

- Picture Hanger Kit and screwdriver/drill 

- Glitter and Other Accessories, as desired

Instructions:

Step 1- You can use scrap wood from another project or buy already cut craft wood pieces. Squares are nice. Sand off any rough edges on the wood piece. Then wipe off any dust with a damp rag. Wait for it to dry, then you cover your work surface with newspapers.

Step 2 - Start painting. I prefer washable craft acrylics and using a foam brush for base coats, then moving to finer brushes for painting finer details. One trick I learned from a folk artist is to paint all the outside edges black. This makes it look finished and no need for a frame. Let the paint dry and add a second or third coats as you wish.

Step 3 - You can use actual seed packs (vintage or new) that you have collected. You can also purchase seed pack art. Cut off any excess borders that you don't like. Lay it out on the wood piece for size and placement. Coat the seed packet (art) with Mod Podge. Let it dry.

Optional: I glued on a few of the seeds that come from the seed packets at each corner as a fun accent. You could glue a whole border of  them around the seed pack, in a fun pattern, or leave them off. You could also glue on dried flowers or other accents. Use your imagination to come up with other creative accents - like gems, stickers, or hand-drawn/painted flourishes. This is also the point to sprinkle on any glitter you may like.

Step 4 - Add several more layers of Mod Podge or other shellac over the entire piece (including seeds and any glued-on accents), waiting an hour or so between coats. This will ensure the longevity of your seed art.

Step 5 - Screw on a hanger on the back. If the wood is thick enough, it can simply be set on a shelf and doesn't need a hanger.

TIPS:

• Decorate with found objects from found objects in your garden. 
• You can use stencils to decorate the seed art, if free-hand painting is not your strong suit.
• This craft can be as complex or simple as you desire. Stop when you are happy with it or keep going and adding to it as you like.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

Garden PHOTO CONTEST Kicks Off!

The 13th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest kicks off now! The entry period is January 1-22, 2019. 

Note that eligible entries must have been taken in the 2018 calendar year in a garden setting within 150-mile radius of Washington, DC.

WE HAVE FOUR MAJOR ENTRY CATEGORIES:

~ Garden Views (landscape scenes)

~ Garden Vignettes (groupings of plants in beds or containers, unusual color or texture combinations, garden focal points, and still scenes)

~ Small Wonders (flower or plant part close-ups)

~ Garden Creatures (any living creature in a garden setting)

Remember that garden photos need not all be taken during the first week of May nor should they all be tight close-ups of a red rose. Look for the unusual and for beauty in the off-season too. Our judges give equal weight to the following criteria when evaluating the entries: technical merit, composition, impact, and creativity.

Anyone can enter: professional or amateur, adult or student, local area gardener or visiting DC tourist. Past winners have included teenagers entering their first-ever photo contest and home gardeners trying out their new digital cameras. Our next Grand Prize Winner could be YOU!

SEE THIS PAGE FOR THE FULL CONTEST DETAILS
 (CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ IT AT FULL SIZE*):

Also, here is the entry form text:

Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest Entry Form:

• Name -      

• Full address-

• Phone number –

• Email –

• Years of photography experience-

• Whether you are a Pro or Amateur-

• Image File name and title-

• A brief description of each image-

• The category each image is to be entered in -

• The location where each image was taken -

• All available photographic information regarding the image (i.e. camera type, lens, lighting, etc.)

For any contest inquiries, contact DCGardenPhotos@aol.com.

*A PDF of the rules is available on request, if the JPG is not legible for you.

Living Coral: Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year

This year's Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year is Living Coral, a dark peach shade. This mix of pink-orange is one that is flattering to many skin-tones, but moreover, it is gorgeous in the garden.

Here are my picks for flowers in that apricot-adjacent tone to add to your growing beds and bouquets in the coming year.

Peony 'Coral Charm' photo by iverde.org

Dahlia 'Pablo' from Brent and Becky's

 Rhododendron japonicum at the US National Arboretum

Martagon Lilies 

Rose 'Abraham Darby' photo by by David Austin Roses

What Happens to the Parks and Plants During a Federal Government Shutdown?

Looking at the recent past, each Federal Government shutdown is unique. Some have been partial and had limited impact, while others affected every department. Some have extended for weeks and other were basically overnight. In this current one, a quarter of the government will cease operation at midnight tonight. That "quarter" includes the Departments of the Interior (Parks) and Agriculture (USDA). 

According to the Washington Post, "Many national parks would be accessible to the public, for example, as they were during a brief shutdown last January, but their visitor centers and restrooms would be closed and there would be no trash collection or park rangers on duty. Historical homes and areas of parks where roads cannot be plowed would be closed. Roads and trails and open-air memorials would stay open."

The Smithsonian's museums and gardens (including the National Zoo) will remain open for this current shutdown until January 1. "After January 1, officials plan to reevaluate the situation," writes Beth Py-Lieberman of Smithsonian Magazine. "In January 2018, a similar shutdown threat occurred, and Smithsonian officials used 'available prior-year appropriations' for the lapse period to allow museums to continue operating and fund staffing for security and other significant positions throughout the museums and across the Institution."

Should those funds run out, there is a back-up plan. Barbara Faust of Director of Smithsonian Gardens said, "When the government is closed down, we have a skeleton crew that takes care of the gardens, greenhouses, etc. We also have one supervisor on duty each day. Typically staffing levels are equal to our weekend duty roster. We do have about four staff members who are paid from trust (private) funds, so they are able to work a normal work schedule. When it snows, we bring in as many people as we need to handle the response to weather conditions."

The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) announced, "The U.S. Botanic Garden is open through the holiday season as scheduled." Devin Dotson, USBG's Public Affairs and Exhibits Specialist said, "Our plant collections are cared for year-round by our dedicated employees in horticulture and operations. Our plans ensure care for both plants and facilities even during times when we are not open to the public." (Note that the USBG is under the the Architect of the Capitol and is not a part of the Smithsonian system, as some assume from its location on the National Mall.)
   Update: Devin said that the USBG is "funded for the fiscal year - through end of September 2019."

The US National Arboretum (USNA) located in NE Washington, DC, is under the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. It is CLOSED for the Federal Shutdown period. A veteran USNA staffer commented that during a shutdown, "There is a small list of essential employees who check the greenhouse systems and check water in all the greenhouses as well as monitor the bonsai collection. Luckily. most of the checking and watering for us can happen within 2-3 hours per day."

The DC Government is stepping in and will collect litter for the 125+ National Park Service (NPS) properties within the city's boundaries. In related news, "Washington's Mayor Muriel Bowser has given an extra $900,000 to increase rat control efforts."
If needed, the city will also plow snow on NPS maintained roadways, such as those within Rock Creek Park.

We will update this page as further details are released on these closings.

UPDATE 1: It is now January 1 and the Smithsonian has announced they will close indefinitely starting January 2. This includes the National Zoo, gardens and grounds, as well as all their museums.

UPDATE 2:  There are still-open public gardens like Hillwood, Dumbarton Oaks (not on Mondays though), Brookside Gardens, Green Spring Gardens, Mount Vernon, etc. to visit. Note that Tudor Place is closed for all of January for annual cleaning.

UPDATE 3: Citizen volunteer groups are forming to keep the National Mall and Federal parks within the city clean.

Japanese Maples, Fava Beans, and much more in the December 2018 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine

The December 2018 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

You can view it online at:

https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/washingtongardenerdec18final

 Inside this issue:

·         25+ of the Best Japanese Maples for Winter Interest

·         Visiting the North Carolina Arboretum

·         Your Garden Task List

·         Fabulous Flavorful Fava Beans

·         Trees Matter to Bees and Local Business

·         DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar

·         Meet Joe Howard: The Big Tree Man

·         And much more….

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the January 2019 issue are due by January 5.

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

Discuss The Roots of My Obsession with WG Garden Book Club

For our next Garden Book Club selection, we will be reading: 

The Roots of My Obsession: Thirty Great Gardeners Reveal Why They Garden by Thomas C. Cooper

"Why do you garden? For fun? Work? Food? The reasons to garden are as unique as the gardener. The Roots of My Obsession features thirty essays from the most vital voices in gardening, exploring the myriad motives and impulses that cause a person to become a gardener. For some, it’s the quest to achieve a personal vision of ultimate beauty; for others, it’s a mission to heal the earth, or to grow a perfect peach. The essays are as distinct as their authors, and yet each one is direct, engaging, and from the heart."

Our Winter 2018-19 club meeting will be on Thursday, January 3 from 6:30-8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop. Soupergirl offers soups for sale that are incredibly healthy. They are 100% plant-based, low salt, low fat, and most importantly, absolutely delicious, so plan to come a bit early to purchase and eat your dinner with the garden book club. 

Please RSVP to washingtongardener (at) rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine, so we know how many chairs to reserve for our group.

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

Want to read ahead? The next book club selections are:

• Spring 2019 - Cultivating Environmental Justice: A Literary History of U.S. Garden Writing by Robert S. Emmett

• Summer 2019 - Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katharine White

• Fall 2019 - The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food by Janisse Ray

Beet Reporter

Beet Seedlings

By Ashley O’Connor

I’ve never been inside a community garden prior to interning at the Washington Gardener, let alone grow something myself from seed. But this experience taught me everything from the importance of composting to the terror of finding a baby bunny in the plot.

With the guidance of editor and publisher Kathy Jentz, I decided to grow beets: a vegetable tempered for the cool-season. We later added a third row of Swiss chard for good measure.

I was forced to replant after a September day of heavy rains that washed away my seeds.  And a hailstorm in November froze portions of the Swiss Chard plants.

Swiss Chard

Because of the weather issues, the results weren’t extraordinary; many of the red variety didn’t grow beyond tiny roots. (The roots are still edible) But there were enough fully formed white beets and Swiss Chard greens to make a nutrient-packed salad, dressed with EVOO, salt, and pepper. Eating something that came from my own efforts—digging in the hot summer sun, watering in the cold fall winds—was truly special. In the future I would like to start a small garden of my own.

About the Author:
Ashley O’Connor, a senior multi-platform journalist at the University of Maryland. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

DIY: Fairy Houses

Birdhouses make the ideal base for creating a Fairy* House. They are readily available at craft stores or you can easily make your own birdhouse from a kit or if you have basic carpentry skills. To make the birdhouse into a Fairy Abode, it only take a bit of paint, some glitter, and a few whimsical accents. 

This is an ideal rainy-day activity for doing with children or could be a nice activity for a whole garden club to undertake and create a fairy village.

Materials:

- 

- Bird Houses

- Acrylic Paints 

- Sanding Block or Sand Paper

- Brushes

- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

- Dollhouse Round Window Frames

- Glitter

- Mod Podge

- Other Dollhouse Accessories, as desired

Instructions:

Step 1- Sand off any rough edges on the birdhouse. Then wipe off any dust with a damp rag. Wait for it to dry, then you cover your work surface with newspapers. There may be a ledge sticking out for the birds to land on. Snap that off as faeries are expert flyers and don't need these.

Step 2 - Start painting. I prefer washable craft acrylics and using a foam brush for base coats, then moving to finer brushes for painting finer details. My Garden Faeries like tones of purple and green, but your resident faeries may have different tastes.

Step 3 - Plug in your glue gun and glue on accessories. I found round window frames in my dollhouse supplies that fit perfectly over the birdhouse hole to convert it into the side window. I also found a windowbox that was the perfect accent for under that. I then made my own door using some scrap balsa wood and glued that on.

Optional: I raided my jewelry box, craft supplies, and dollhouse for extra bits and baubles to decorate the house. You can dismantle lost-its-mate earrings to make the door hinges, as I did, or use your imagination to come up with other creative uses for your glittery odds and ends.

Step 4 - Paint the roof with a thin layer of Mod Podge or other shellac, then place the house in a cookie tray and gently sprinkle the glitter over it. This is where he magic happens, so take your time and do just a bit, then layer on more as desired. You don't have to stop at just the roof and can glitter up the whole thing -- do whatever your inner faerie tells you to do!

Step 5 - Add several more layers of Mod Podge or other shellac, waiting an hour or so between coats. This will ensure the longevity of your fairy house.

TIPS:

• Decorate with found objects from found objects in your garden. These may not be as long-lasting as manufactured items, but can add a touch of "fairy realness." Try pine cones and acorns for roof shingles, birch bark for architectural accent pieces, and seeds for decorative accents.
• Put your fairy house outdoors in a protected spot, such as under a large tree, and it will likely last a year or more out in the elements. The weatherization and decay are part of the charm of it.
• You can use stencils to decorate the house with vines and flowers, if free-hand painting is not your strong suit.
• This craft can be as complex or simple as you desire. Stop when you are happy with it or keep going and adding to it as you like.

*I personally prefer the spelling Faerie or Fae, but went with the more common term for this post.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

Top 10 Garden Books of 2018

Here is a list of the best gardening books that came out in 2018 as reviewed in Washington Gardener Magazine. These 10 selections are in no particular order. 

Buy a few of these for yourself and for the plant geeks, garden lovers, and horticultural nerds in your life! (Note that if you click on the links, it takes you to the book's Amazon page and we get a few pennies if you order it from there.)

1. Starting and Saving Seeds: Grow the Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers For Your Garden  

By Julie Thompson-Adolf

Our reviewer Ashley O’Connor said, "This is a great beginner’s guide, full of visual guides and informational blurbs to have anyone gardening like a master. Thompson-Adolf covers a lot of ground in this book, telling readers everything from biological breakdown of a seed to planning your garden. The book’s photographs and layout are beautiful, full of colorful dotted borders, modern outlined plant illustrations, and thoughtful typography. But make no mistake; the author doesn’t glamorize gardening to her readers. It’s a dirty, disordered labor of love, but, when done right, can be a fulfilling and delicious venture."

2. Houseplants: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Growing, and Caring for Indoor Plants

By Lisa Eldred Steinkopf

Our reviewer Andrea F. Siegel said, "This book does more than try to rescue us from being bad or ignorant plant parents who overwater, underwater, improperly fertilize, watch creeping things suck the life out of leaves, scorch shade-lovers in bright sun, and wring our hands as a small plant overgrows into a jungle. It’s a how-to resource book. The author clearly tells us that we have to meet our houseplants’ needs if they are to thrive. She advises us on how to do just that, so we can reap the health and other benefits of having houseplants. Her book offers guidance for all houseplant lovers, down to the horticulturally challenged or first-timer houseplant owners. The details the author presents in each plant profile—size and growing conditions—provide vital guidance. She advises readers to understand a plant’s complete profile to help create successful matches between us and our indoor plants. She’s encouraging all of us to include houseplants in our homes—to enhance not only our décor, but in our lives."

3. Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness—The Japanese Art and Science of Shinrin-Yoku 

By Dr. Qing Li

Our reviewer Racquel Royer said, "This book about forest bathing or “Shinrin-Yoku” explains the benefits of forest bathing, our human connection to trees—specifically in Japanese culture, and a look into the science behind it all. Overall, this book was a great read and the layout made it easy to take in small chunks at a time. I’ve always understood the profound power of nature, but this book gave an engaging cultural perspective on the importance of nature and scientific proof of how it can better your life. There is not too much talk about gardening, but there are many reminders of why nature is divine, and how we can be mindful of that to improve our health and the future."

4. Practical Organic Gardening: The No-Nonsense Guide to Growing Naturally

By Mark Highland

Our reviewer Erica H. Smith said, "Highland’s book is a good overview of the principles and practices of this complicated system, covering everything from the all-important soil preparation to dealing with pests and diseases naturally. Unlike many other organic gardening texts, it doesn’t remain inside the vegetable garden fence, but also strolls across the lawn and down the landscape paths, although edible plants still dominate the discussion. I’d recommend this book for experienced gardeners who want to take up organic gardening or improve their techniques.  This book is refreshingly up-to-date on scientific information. I cheered at the mention of how adding gravel to the bottom of containers doesn’t improve drainage and, in fact, creates a perched water table that stops the soil from draining properly. There are many other examples that show how closely Highland is following horticultural findings. The sections covering soil composition and conservation, keeping the garden watered, and interacting with both pest and beneficial insects are all terrific. The book also covers plant propagation, garden planning, lawn maintenance, and many other topics."

5. Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide

By Lorraine Ballato



Our reviewer Andrea F. Siegel said, "What with the ongoing development of new hydrangea cultivars—smaller shrubs, reblooming plants, hardier plants, showier blooms, and foliage—these days, there’s a lot more to know about them. Among the hydrangea books out recently is this one by horticulturist/garden writer/instructor Lorraine Ballato. Hers is a highly organized 13-chapter book to help you make sense of the increasing choices and understand what the plants need to thrive. The book’s easygoing style makes all the material understandable. The nearly 150 color photos are helpful because they show hydrangeas up close, as well as in varied settings. A lot of explanation is devoted to pruning. Whether your plant blooms on old wood, new wood, or both plays a large role in what and when to prune to have flowers at all. That’s one good reason to understand as much as possible about the characteristics of your particular hydrangea."

6. Vegetables Love Flowers: Companion Planting for Beauty and Bounty

By Lisa Mason Ziegler

Our reviewer Jamie Moore said, "Lisa Mason Ziegler had minimal gardening experience when she got married and took over growing vegetables on the family homestead. This book shares the story of her gardening journey and presents her answer to the question of 'What business do pretty flowers have in a vegetable garden?' Flowers in a vegetable garden are both ornamental and functional.  Ziegler calls flowers 'the best dose of medicine' for her garden. The body of the book provides practical information about growing cut flowers, from seed sowing to harvesting advice. This book is well-written, includes effective illustrations, and contains a lot of practical advice. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in building a healthy garden ecosystem full of life and beauty."

7. Container Gardening Complete: Creative Projects for Growing Vegetables and Flowers In Small Spaces 

By Jessica Walliser

Our reviewer Teri Speight said, "This is not your basic how-to book. The author strives to demonstrate not just techniques, but multiple planter options as well—from building a cedar planter to creating hypertufa containers. Walliser points out that one of the main keys to successful containers is using the proper light, fluffy, and blended mixture of ingredients. Providing multiple recipes for creating your own special container soil blend is a plus. Most gardeners will want to know the content of the soil that we are growing our plants in. With the many reference lists, plant recommendations, and tips, Walliser has written a resource-filled and informative book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it empowers any gardener to consider creatively growing in a container or two."

8. 101 Organic Gardening Hacks

By Shawna Coronado

Our reviewer Erica H. Smith said, "If you’re looking for a whimsical, colorful book full of inspiration to make your garden more interesting and successful, check out this new volume from 'lifestyle advocate' Shawna Coronado. Throughout the book, she tries hard to follow current scientific guidelines, along with finding ways to make gardening easier, more fun, and completely organic and eco-friendly. Coronado defines hacking as 'the concept of breaking traditional rules to discover a creative way to accomplish something—a clever trick that saves cash for the thrifty or solves a problem elegantly.' Even if the title is just trendy marketing, beginning and experienced gardeners can find new and/or useful ideas here about both edible and ornamental gardening. How do you want to improve your garden this year? This is a great book to browse through for some ideas."

9. The Budget-Wise Gardener 

By Kerry Ann Mendez

Our reviewer Allison O’Reilly said, "This is a short, but sweet, guide to creating a beautiful outdoor space with as little cash as possible. Mendez uses dynamic formatting and colorful, eye-catching pictures that make her writing easy to follow and informative. Mendez explains how to wisely navigate garden centers and nurseries, mail order companies, and other small plant sellers like farmers’ markets and garden shows. She dives into how smart design choices in your garden can provide ease on the wallet, and how to make container gardening a frugal process. The bulk of this book is valuable advice about saving money while keeping up your gardening hobby. It is full of useful information about a variety of topics—all curated into one place, written out plainly and in strong detail. This book offers great takeaways for gardeners of all skill levels and passions."

10. Essential Native Trees and Shrubs

By Ginger Woolridge and Tony Dove

Our reviewer Jim Dronenburg said, "I admit at the start to a prejudice in favor of this book because the authors are local, which means that the 'personal experience' component of this book is local. Each plant has a short description of the plant and its major uses. Some, not all, cultivars are listed (holly has, at a guess, hundreds; this book lists a dozen). Nevertheless, the selections are carefully chosen for a good spread of size, berry color, and attributes. The book points out that hollies are for the most part dioecious (that is, they are male or female) and lists a good pollinating male. (Other dioecious plants in the book are also identified in their sections.  There is one caveat, which the book itself makes; a native will not prosper where people have altered conditions grimly from what they should be. Research the plant, and if your conditions fit what it wants, go for it.  Otherwise, don’t plant something until you can suit it. Overall, this is a very good book to have, a good read. It belongs in your collection."