The Texas Native Plant Primer by DeLong-Amaya

THE TEXAS NATIVE PLANT PRIMER by Andrea DeLong-Amaya provides valuable information about “225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.” DeLong-Amaya, the Director of Horticulture who oversees the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s gardens and nursery programs, has decades of experience and offers numerous suggestions. The first part of her text defines native plants and discusses growing or using them. One comment which struck me was: “I'm thrilled to have a platform to highlight standard reliable garden workhorses, and with luck, pique some excitement for the lesser knowns of the bunch. Some of these currently allude the trade and I invite you to share your interests and requests with your local growers and garden retailers.” I wish local gardens, as helpful as they try to be, had more reference materials like this one. The photographs of plants and wildlife (including birds, mammals, and hummingbirds) are beautiful.  DeLong-Amaya includes a helpful map showing ten “Vegetational Areas of Texas.” What follows is a series of Plant Profiles with a photo, plus names, size, flowers, duration, light/soil/moisture requirements, habitat/ranges, and wildlife attractions. Those are divided into the following sections: Groundcovers and Turf, Perennials and Annuals, Grasses, Cacti and Other Succulents, Shrubs and Small Trees, Large Trees, and Vines. However, I wish there were more charts and that all of these profiles could be searchable (like the Native Plant Database). Imagine asking for a colorful, flowering, low maintenance plant which grows well in full sun on the Edwards Plateau, attracts pollinators, and tolerates cold. I have planted for the last two years, and did find a page on Silver Ponyfoot (love the name and appearance, but it struggles to winter over), but had to browse through almost all of the entries trying to find lantanas since the index was not provided in the preview. DeLong-Amaya could definitely strengthen this text by providing a sampling of suggested combinations for each of the vegetational areas – her readers would gladly browse the book to learn more and to personalize choices according to their situation. A bibliography is included.  

Grow Great Vegetables Illinois by Bevin Cohen

GROW GREAT VEGETABLES ILLINOIS by Bevin Cohen is one in a series of about 15 state-related books. Each author is local and a well-respected expert on plants and vegetables, etc. in the area. The books are well organized and easy to use. The first section, Get Started, offers a general introduction to gardening and garden planning with helpful information on topics like watering with rain. The next section, Get Planting, includes a chapter for each month with detailed checklists for these steps: plan; prepare and maintain; sow and plant; and harvest now.  The planting and harvesting charts are a wonderful visual aid with growing zone-specific date ranges. The third section, Edibles A to Z, offers a page or two of text about growing and harvesting each of 50 vegetables and includes names and descriptions of particular varieties. There also is an excellent Resources section with addresses and websites for seeds and plants, tools and supplies, and soil testing; plus, further reading suggestions, including cookbooks (!) is included. A detailed practical reference, GROW GREAT VEGETABLES ILLINOIS would also make a thoughtful gift.  

Raised Bed Revolution by Tara Nolan

RAISED BED REVOLUTION by Tara Nolan is coming out in paperback this month. It is a helpful resource for gardeners and also provides some nice plans for amateur carpenters who would like to craft their own raised beds for flowers or vegetables. I particularly liked the option with built-in benches pictured on the cover, although she offers other suggestions such as using bricks, rocks, or timbers as the frame. Additional plans to construct include an elevated planter box and a vertical herb planter. Nolan, a garden writer from Toronto, describes everything from proper drainage and soil mix to what to plant (ranging across ornamentals, pollinator friendly plants, and edibles). She has included options for a beginning gardener as well as those with more experience. For example, one section tells how to build a raised bed with a pond and then lists some water friendly plants. The pictures throughout are colorful and amply illustrate her suggestions (e.g., adding an arch or trellis). Whether you hope to cultivate vegetables and fruits or establish your own cutting garden, RAISED BED REVOLUTION will give you plenty of ideas and inspiration.

The Beginner's Guide to Growing Great Vegetables

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING GREAT VEGETABLES by Lorene Edwards Forkner is an extremely useful guide for beginning gardeners. The text begins with sections on Gardening in North America (with a map of climate zones and comments on microclimates); Gardening 101 which reviews the important components of sun, water and soil as well as gardening vocabulary; and Garden Planning (covering garden bed design, spacing, etc.). The text is then organized seasonally; I especially like that the various monthly chapters include a quick check list of what “to do this month,” including planning, preparing and maintaining, and sowing and planting. New gardeners can also refer to a later section labeled “Edibles A to Z” which provides information on growing and harvesting and quick descriptions of varieties for over two dozen vegetables like eggplant, spinach and tomatoes.  THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING GREAT VEGETABLES received a starred review from Library Journal and was featured recently in a School Library Journal article. I would heartily recommend this text for anyone who would like to experiment with growing their own healthy vegetables or learning more about topics like composting or about growing herbs, flowers, or fruit trees, all of which are discussed and beautifully illustrated. Forkner’s manual is a valuable resource to consult again and again. 

GARDENING HACKS by Jon VanZile (Houseplants for a Healthy Home) contains over 300 “Time and Money Saving Hacks.” Split over five chapters, his newer title offers ideas related to seeds/seedlings, container, indoor, and outdoor gardening, as well as a final chapter on tools/pests and harvesting. VanZile describes the book as being written for those “looking for time-saving ideas, money-saving tips, and tricks for avoiding common hassles in your garden.” A few varied examples include crafting mini “greenhouses” with 2-liter bottles, using cardboard boxes to suppress weeds, recycling wine corks into plant labels, using Epsom Salts and baking soda for healthier pants, making a wind chime from old keys or silverware and creating a “bean fort” to both grow beans and be a play space. More of a supplemental resource, the illustrations are simple drawings using few colors.