Planting your feet on the garden path

The frustrations of new gardeners are understandable. There is an overwhelming amount of information to absorb before you feel competent enough to plant anything. Those interested may begin to accumulate information from a number of sources, but one sure-fire way to become a proficient gardener is by reading. Here are three books that will plant your feet firmly on the garden path.

REVIEWS BY PAT REGEL

Charles W. G. Smith's The Big Book of Gardening Secrets addresses the facets of gardening all gardeners need to know. It includes advice on amending soil, making and using compost, plant propagation, cool- and warm-season vegetables, landscaping, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden, and more.

As a new gardener, you'll also be interested in the low-maintenance solutions and money-saving shortcuts that Smith offers for dozens of common gardening problems. In addition, there are helpful line-drawings, easy-to-follow instructions, a USDA Zone Map, and selected plant lists.


Perennials have taken the gardening community by storm for the past ten years, and interest in them does not appear to be declining. This is probably because unlike annuals, which must be planted yearly, perennials are planted only once and continue to get bigger and better as years pass. If you're already interested in perennials but wonder which plants are best for your particular growing situation, 100 Favorite Perennials by Teri Dunn will help.

In addition to full-color photos, each entry contains the plant's vital statistics: its bloom time, height, width, light requirements, hardiness range, and landscaping suggestions. There is also important information on choosing plants that will survive in your zone, a Hardiness Zone Map, basic perennial care, tips for buying healthy plants, planting potted and bareroot plants, and dividing perennials to increase your stock.

Because there are so many perennials available in garden centers and catalogues, choosing the right one for your yard can seem like an overwhelming task. 100 Favorite Perennials takes the uncertainty out of your first purchases by recommending the most dependable and easiest perennials to grow.

The world of herbs is both intriguing and somewhat daunting for new gardeners, but Teri Dunn's 100 Favorite Herbs shows you how to begin with the best plants. This book offers a wide range of appealing herbs and offers information on whether or not you can grow a specific herb in your area. The author has chosen herbs that can be used as ornamental herbs, culinary herbs, herbs for crafts, and soothing herbs for teas and baths.

Dunn takes you from selecting your first plants, all the way through the harvesting process at the end of the growing season.

Whether you want to add a few culinary herbs to the vegetable garden or plant them as ornamentals along with your perennials, you'll find the perfect herb for your needs in this book.


Pat Regel lectures, writes, and gardens in Nashville.

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