Gardening Books

Ever so slowly, these dark winter days are growing longer by approximately two minutes per day! When the sun does happen to emerge from behind the snow clouds, a hint of spring can be felt in the air. Yet, there still is plenty of time to plan your best-ever summer gardens. Peter White Public Library has several new books which will help satisfy your inner horticulturalist and help you get a jump on the growing season.

Before planting any annual flowers or vegetables outdoors, your trees and shrubs will need some attention. Late winter into early spring is an excellent time to shape up and revitalize your ornamental plants to maximize flower and fruit production. Essential Pruning Techniques by George. E. Brown has over 370 pages of information on woody landscape plants from A to Z, each accompanied by color photos and tips on tools, timing and techniques. This definitive guide can be found on the library’s New Nonfiction shelves under the call number 631.542 BR.

Once the shrubbery has been taken care of it is time think about growing your own food. Fresh from the Garden by John Whitman has all the right answers for the challenge of growing herbs, vegetables, berries and flowers organically in cold climates like ours. The author covers all the basics: where to locate the garden, how to set it up, amend the soil, start seeds indoors, plant, care for, and harvest many edible delicacies to enjoy that fresh picked flavor.  Whitman offers details on growing everything from asparagus to watermelon as well as nutrition information on each variety. New nonfiction 635.0973 WH

Fans of nature and J.R.R. Tolkien’s books such as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings will enjoy a garden tour through the eyes of Frodo, Sam, Merrie and Pippin in Flora of Middle-Earth by botanist Walter S. Judd and print artist Graham A. Judd. The settings of the Tolkien’s novels are integral to the stories. The Judds’ botanical information and woodcut prints of real world plants that thrive in northern temperate climates lend credence to the fictional universe of Tolkien’s imagination and help to draw readers deeper into the land between the Shire and Mordor.  New nonfiction 823.912 JU

Vegetable gardeners interested in a raised bed approach will appreciate Straw Bale Gardens, Complete by Joel Karsten. A follow-up to the author’s first book on the subject, this updated version expands on the unique idea of growing flowers, herbs and vegetables in bales of straw anywhere there is 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily and a ready water supply. The technique allows for greater accessibility for gardeners with limited mobility and opens the possibility to grow plants where the soil is poor or even non-existent, without the hassle and expense of building raised beds. For those who don’t have access to straw bales, Karsten even provides directions on how to make your own planting bales out of organic matter from your yard. New nonfiction 635 KA

Little did author Alexandra Risen know what she was getting into when she and her husband purchased a small house in the center of Toronto, Canada. Unearthed is the story of her family’s discovery of the treasure that their new home rested upon, hidden in a gorge in one of North America’s largest cities. In the process of uncovering this rare piece of urban woodland, the family learns how to cope with aging parents, cherish long lost childhood memories and discover how to grow closer to each other through the restorative power of working the soil.  Large Print nonfiction 635 RI

A Way to Garden website blogger, Margaret Roach, has published a book filled with her garden tidbits and stories. The Backyard Parables brims with her observations, planting and growing hints and words of garden wisdom. Passionate about organic and sustainable methods, Roach’s philosophy on gardening is to buy seeds, supplies and plants as local as possible, with as low an environmental impact as attainable, and still enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labors. More than a “how-to” on gardening, this book is a philosophy for living. New nonfiction 635.01 RO

--Margaret Boyle, Circulation Services