Gardening Books : This List May Plant Some Ideas for Christmas Gifts
The perfect gift for a gardener might be a gardening book, but not just any book. Though there are hundreds of books on gardening, many, if not most, are inappropriate for gardeners living in California.
Our climates and soils are different from those on the East Coast, and, more importantly, from those in England, where most gardens books are authored. Some of these might as well be written in a foreign tongue--they talk about things such as “liming the soil” (which would have disastrous results in California) or “hardiness” (ability of a plant to survive the bitter cold of an Eastern winter).
They rarely address some of the biggest problems of California gardeners, such as irrigation or how much water a plant needs. And some of our best plants, such as gazanias and agapanthus, are not included in their lists of the best. Instead you’ll find peonies and lilacs, poor choices for a California garden.
So a list of the best garden books for Californians must begin with books written in California. These may not be the best of garden literature, or the prettiest, but they offer sound and useful advice, and any photographs will picture plants we can actually grow.
“Sunset Western Garden Book,” Joseph F. Williamson, Editor (Lane Publishing, Menlo Park: $22.95). This may be old news for experienced gardeners, but the “Western Garden Book” is the bible of California gardening, used by professionals including landscape architects and nurserymen, though designed for the home gardener. Even experienced gardeners may not know that there is a new (fifth) edition, published in 1988, which includes many additional plants and some new cultural information.
For instance, though it may not seem as if there could be any new way to dig a hole, there is , according to the fifth edition, and it is radically different at that.
The front of the book is full of precise and pithy garden culture, with sections on soils, planting techniques, watering, fertilizers, pruning, propagating, tools, pests and diseases, and weeds. There are charts listing plants best suited to a particular job--the best plants for shade, the best ground covers for a slope, or the best trees for a patio, for instance.
The key to this book, however, is the map up front, which divides Southern California (and the rest of the West) into various climate zones. Detailed enough to divide Santa Monica into two zones, the map helps explain the differences between gardening in the San Fernando Valley and the L.A. basin, at the beach or in the mountains, and even the high desert.
The rest of the book is a big plant encyclopedia. After each plant it shows the zone for which it is most appropriate, as well as a description, small drawing and information on how to grow it. The fifth edition also tells something about each plant’s water needs.
“Western Home Landscaping,” by Ken Smith (HPBooks, Tucson: $10.95). This picks up where the Western Garden Book leaves off--explaining in clear language how to put a landscape together, from soil preparation to laying bricks, building fences and patios, lawns, irrigation and the like. There are plans and plenty of photos, and the author even estimates what the costs might be. Ken Smith is a practicing landscape architect in Southern California, so the information is especially appropriate. He is also one of the pioneers of drought-resistant landscaping, and the book addresses this timely subject.
“Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally,” by Robert Kourik (Matamorphic Press, Santa Rosa: $16.95). This is the definitive work on growing fruits and vegetables, and it leaves no stone unturned. This is not a casual work; thoroughly researched and thought out, it shows the author’s years of experience in California. Not many pretty pictures, but lots of charts, plans, graphs, drawings and other meaty stuff for the serious (and even scientific) gardener.
“The Principles of Gardening,” by Hugh Johnson (Simon & Schuster, New York: $17.95). This is an English coffeetable book--now available in paperback--that is so insightful (and so wonderfully written) that many use it as a textbook in gardening classes. It is neatly divided into two-page sections that can be digested along with a morning sweet roll or evening snack. Sections on garden paths, hedges and color tactics are especially useful. Many plants are also listed, but this information is very English and not terribly helpful for Californians. Lots of pretty pictures.
“Trees and Shrubs for Dry California Landscape,” by Bob Perry (Land Design Publishing, San Dimas: $22.50) and “Trees and Shrubs for Temperate Climates,” by Gordon Courtright (Timber Press, Portland: $45) are two books full of color photographs of plants we can grow (both authors are Californians). They’re not spectacular photos but very useful because you can quickly see how big a plant gets, what shape it grows into and what color the foliage and flowers are. There are also descriptions of each plant. These books are especially useful for those trying to plan a garden, or those trying to identify something already growing in the garden.
“Tropicals,” by Gordon Courtright (Timber Press, Portland: $35.95) is a new photo reference (the author calls it a “visual dictionary”) that illustrates and describes all those plants that are tropical in appearance, if not in fact. We can grow most of these, but because they are so seldom shown in gardening books, they are not often considered when it comes time to pick a palette of plants for the garden.
“The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Garden Plants,” Christopher Brickell, Editor (Macmillan, New York: $49.95). This is a brand-new book containing about 4,000 color photographs of garden plants. Not all will grow in California, so check the “Western Garden Book” before becoming too attached to any one plant. The true value of this book is in its sheer size and the way all the plants are arranged--first by type (large shrubs, perennials, etc.), then by color of the flowers--which makes it most useful for planning and reference.
“Color in Your Garden,” by Penelope Hobhouse (Little, Brown, Boston: $35). By England’s most prolific garden writer, this elegant and beautifully illustrated book is also just about the only one on the subject of using color in the garden, a tricky task. Much thought has gone into her discussions of why blue flowers look best here, or red flowers there. Although you may never be completely satisfied with color schemes, this book will help you make more intelligent decisions.
“Garden Style,” by Penelope Hobhouse (Little, Brown, Boston: $40.). Inspiration will be your chief benefit from this gorgeous coffeetable book. While the information may not be useful for Californians, the book contains a great variety of photographs--from extremely formal gardens to completely natural schemes. For those looking for landscape ideas, or simply for a kick in the pants that gets them outside and into the garden, this is the ticket.
Good garden books are not always easy to find; one garden-book specialist is V.L.T. Gardner, mail order or by appointment, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Phone (213) 541-1372.
