Good bugs, bad bugs

The best advice on gardening is usually found close to home, and this book is a perfect example. Updated, expanded and even more outstanding than the first version, it is without equal in its coverage and clarity, the abundance of color photographs (an astonishing number, considering the price) or its relevance to this region.

The detailed pests -- insects, mites, diseases, nematodes, weeds, et al. -- and the good bugs are all local residents; the 200-plus ornamentals in the text, drawings and invaluable tables are plants that we grow here. All together, the makings of sound advice.

A must-have reference for home gardeners and required reading for landscape pros, the book’s emphasis is Earth friendly, with step-by-step strategies that maximize plant health and minimize pesticide use. Gardeners who grow edibles might also turn to the companion volume “Pests of the Garden and Small Farm.” Both are available from the publisher at https://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu, (800) 994-8849.

-- Lili Singer