There are thousands of gardening books out there aimed at both
novice and seasoned gardeners. Some are filled with pretty
pictures, others with technical jargon
So, you’ve finally reached the point where you can no longer stand looking at your weed-ridden lawn, unidentifiable shrubs and drooping trees. You want to take action, create Eden in your back yard and put an end to the guilty feeling you get each time another plant wilts and dies a pitiful death. You want to be a gardener.
It might take more than a couple of books to make your dreams come true, but knowledge is power. Here are a few options to get you started.
‘California Top 10 Garden Guide’
By the editors of Sunset Magazine and Sunset Books, Sunset Publishing Corp., 288pp., $19.95.
While this book is visually stunning, it’s not for the novice gardener. And though it’s not necessary to be an expert to take the pointers presented, this book is best for someone who has at least some experience in the garden.
The book focuses on what plants do best in California’s climate, and it includes sidebar sections explaining when, where and how to plant various types of flowers, trees, bulbs, trees, bushes and other plants. However, the explanations seem to assume some prior knowledge.
The multitude of pictures are amazing, though, including both close-up shots of each kind of flora and fauna mentioned, as well as pictures of lovely scenes in example gardens highlighting plants in each section of the book.
However, the Sunset Western Garden Book, also done by Sunset Magazine and Sunset Books, is a must-own, said Caryn Paidl, owner of Paidl Gardens & Accents in Hollister.
“It basically has every plant in it,” she said. “If you can only afford one (gardening) book, I’d say buy this one.”
‘California Gardening Rhythms’
By Sharon and Eric Asakawa, Cool Springs Press, 320pp., $22.99.
This book is the exact opposite of “California Top 10.” It is brimming with gardening knowledge and explanations but very few pictures. Though it also focuses on California-friendly plants, the book also has plant spacing charts, recipes for rose pest control formulas and plant food formulas, and lists of natural sources of plant nutrients. It is extremely complete, but it reads very much like a textbook.
This book will separate those meant-to-be serious gardeners from the garden dabblers because it can be a tad monotonous at times. If readers can push past that and appreciate the book for what it is – a treasure trove of gardening information – they’ll be well on their way to a spectacular garden.
Though Cinda Meister, owner of BookSmart in Morgan Hill, also raved about the Sunset Western Garden Book, she also recommends “Plants And Landscapes For Summer-dry Climates Of The San Francisco Bay Region,” by East Bay Municipal Utility District.
‘Gardening 101, The Best of Martha Stewart Living’
Clarkson Potter Publishers, 144pp., $22.
In typical Martha “domestic goddess” Stewart fashion, this book is done very well. It is the happy medium between “California Top 10” and “California Gardening Rhythms.” Stewart has included plenty of lovely scene-setting garden pictures, as well as pictures of various gardening tools with explanations about how they should be used.
She also explains any gardener jargon novices may not be familiar with and how to create a garden from scratch from building a wood frame, filling it with soil and creating an irrigation system.
Stewart’s list of plants is not as complete as the previous two books, and the book also includes many plants not appropriate for California’s climate, so some sections are useless to South Valley gardeners. But the book does well at providing helpful information to both novice and fairly experienced gardeners.
‘Gardening for Dummies’
Michael MacCaskey and Bill Marken, Wiley Publishing Inc, 404pp., $19.99
Like most books in the “for Dummies” series, this book does an excellent job breaking down all the mysteries of gardening one by one and making it accessible to the average person.
It’s easy to quickly find answers to questions, and the book systematically explains gardening from A to Z.
Experienced gardeners will likely find this book dull and simplistic, but novice and intermediate gardeners will want to keep it close at hand.
The book is chock full of diagrams, charts, graphs, pictures, tips, definitions and ways to make gardening a budget-friendly hobby.Â
Once gardeners have outgrown this book, they can move on to “Vegetable Gardening for Dummies,” “Flowering Bulbs for Dummies,” “Houseplants for Dummies” or any of the other “for Dummies” books best tailored to the gardener’s specific interests.
‘Miracle-Gro Encyclopedia of Plant Care’
Edited by Dr. Denny Schrock, Meredith Books, 623pp., $39.95.
If the reader can look past the repeated product-placement advertisements for Miracle-Gro products, this book really is a gem.
It’s huge – a hardcover more than 600 glossy pages – and packed cover to cover with useful gardening information.
The title is very appropriate: This book contains everything any gardener ever wanted or needed to know about gardening.
Novice gardeners may initially feel overwhelmed by this book, but after becoming familiar with it, the intimidation likely will fade.
Every kind of plant imaginable is explained in terms of when and where to plant it, how to care for it, pests that plague it, and related species of plants.
Tools and gardening methods are all explained, and there is a healthy balance of gratuitous flower glamour-shot pictures and useful how-to pictures.
The book’s contributing authors include an impressive list of horticulture professors, environmental specialists, authors of other gardening books, magazines and academic papers, as well as Master Gardener program coordinators.
If we had to pick one book to recommend as a must-buy gardening guide, this is it.
