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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008 Worthwhile books include 1 by former Herald scribe By Jessica Damiano Newsday It seems every year around this time, bookstore shelves swell with gardening tomes. Most go back whence they came after I drain my latte cup. But a select few stand out. Here are my picks for books that should actually make it out of the store. Drink up! "The Abundant Garden: A Celebration of Color, Texture, and Blooms," by Barbara J. Denk and former Herald Home & Garden writer Debra Prinzing ($29.99). This is one of those books you flip through, drool over the photos and then try in earnest to re-create what you see in your own patch of dirt. And that's pretty easy, as the photo captions actually include names of the plants depicted, a rarity in the garden-book world. But this guide's beauty lies deeper than its color glossies. There's actually a science to the beauty of abundance, which is defined, in part, by the lack of visible soil or mulch between plants. Readers learn nine specific design principles of creating abundance by studying photos and descriptions of gardens on Bainbridge Island, west of Seattle. "Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate," by Gwen Moore Kelaidis ($19.95). Love cactuses but bummed that humid summers and cold winters won't cooperate with them? You might not have to move to enjoy them. This book takes you beyond Sedum "Autumn Joy" to agaves, ice plants and even cacti, offering detail on how to select, grow and care for them in every North American hardiness zone. "The Truth About Organic Gardening: Benefits, Drawbacks and the Bottom Line," by Jeff Gillman ($12.95). One green book that isn't buying into the hype: While it's bursting with practical advice and discussions about organic food, insect and weed control, pesticides and soil, Gillman isn't jumping on any eco bandwagon. There aren't any silver bullets, he contends: "Organic," "safe" and "effective" aren't necessarily joined at the hip. For instance, Gillman says Rotenone, although organically derived, is a dangerous chemical and more toxic to humans than most other pesticides. "Viburnums: Flowering Shrubs for Every Season," by Michael A. Dirr ($39.95). Although I have one growing in my garden, I never was much of a viburnum fan. After reading Dirr's book, however, I've become somewhat of a convert. Dirr, an internationally known woody plant expert, has elevated the underused shrubs to heroic proportions, providing details about every species and cultivar suitable for use in the home garden, and he tells you how. "Great Landscape Evergreens," by Vincent Simeone ($24.95). Looking for foundation plantings, shrubs, trees or hedges for your garden? Simeone comes through. His user-friendly, unpretentious guide is chock-full of color photos for thumbing-through inspiration. This, the latest in a series of very useful references from Simeone, is as unintimidating as it is practical, with profiles of more than 80 plants suitable for residential landscapes. "Gardening at the Dragon's Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World," by Wendy Johnson ($25). Philosophical, passionate, poignant and humorous, this book is Wendy Johnson's ode to the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Northern California, "where the fields curve like an enormous green dragon between the hills and the ocean." Her memoir takes readers along on a spiritual journey that is part practical knowledge, part gardening lore and nothing short of inspiring.

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