On Gardening/Garden Books To Give Or Purchase

12-15-97
University Park, Pa. -- Books and reading material are always welcome gifts at any time of year. During the holiday season they can provides friends a way of giving all year. Books also make ideal purchases for those gardeners who receive gift certificates or cash.

When I am considering purchasing a book, I usually look through the table of contents and index to gather clues on just how much new information is included. I also shy away from books with too many pictures, or full-page pictures throughout the entire text. This suggests less printed information.

There are far too many books available to list all. However, the following titles may be useful for both indoor and outdoor gardeners.

"The Green Thumb Garden Handbook" by George and Katy Abraham (Prentice-Hall) comes close to being an all-in-one text with its treatment of landscapes, all aspects of flowers, roses, vegetables, herbs and house plants. They touch on soils and fertilizers, plant propagations and protection against numerous insect and animal damage. With this much information, coverage is not in great depth, but it is accurate and helpful.

"America's Garden Book" by James and Louise Bush-Brown was first published in 1939 and quickly became a standard on all phases of gardening in the United States. In 1980, the staff of The New York Botanical Garden revised and edited this original work (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York).

"America's Garden Book" is divided into seven major chapters on garden design, plant selections and care,special habitats, flavor and fragrance, plant culture, indoor gardens, and miscellany. It is an ideal combination of classic reference book prepared in a how-to-do-it format. Some years ago I purchased two 60-page books on house plants prepared by Rob Herwig (Collier Books, New York). The titles are "128 Houseplants You Can Grow", and "128 Houseplants More You can Grow." I have never figured out the significance of the number 128, but the two texts are well-organized and well-illustrated with color pictures of all 128 plants. Each book includes a short treatment of houseplant culture, along with a very helpful symbol code for the growing requirements of each plant.

Herwig also has a companion text, called "128 Bulbs You Can Grow," patterned after the two on houseplants.

The "Simon & Schuster's Complete Guide To Plants & Flowers," edited by Frances Perry (Simon & Schuster) contains over 500 full-color illustrations with a coded key to sunlight, water and blooming season for the plants. The book is divided into sections for indoor plants, shrubs, spring and summer plants, lilies and the like, late blooming plants, water and pool plants and a glossary to name a few.

"A Pictorial Atlas of Foliage Plant Problems," edited by Richard W. Henley, is available from the Florida Foliage Association, P. O. Box Y, Apopka, FL 32703. This illustrated publication shows and describes a wide range of problems often encountered on indoor plants. Control recommendations are not provided, but your local county extension agent should be able to assist with this point.

Probably one of the better blends of color illustrations and information is available in the Ortho Books "All About" series. Many book stores and garden centers carry these publications on a wide variety of home and garden topics. Information on the complete set is available from Ortho Books, 742 Bancroft Way, Berkley, CA 94710-9856.

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**Dr. Robert Nuss is a horticulturist at Penn State. He coordinates all extension horticulture programs. He has bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in ornamental horticulture and has been on the Penn State faculty since 1966.