Re: Top 10 gardening books of all time?

**"* P* L* <t*@spamfodder.com>**

> My only "rules" in replying to this question is please tell us why you
> consider the book worthy for your list.  Other than that, go crazy...fiction
> to nonfiction, beginner to advanced, any garden topic, just as long as the
> book relates in some fashion to gardening.
> 
> What are the Top 10 gardening books in your opinion?

Well, it's not written very well (call it a rough draft, but maybe I'll
polish it up and post it as an article to my Web site), but here goes.
These are not the top ten 'current' books -- there are also books that
have had influence but may not be as relevant now.  The list is made
from a reference perspective for active plantspeople.

#10: Design on the Land, Newton

   Although not strictly a gardening book, this illustrated reference
   details the history of garden design from medieval times through
   modern-day parks and aesthetics.  While it's fascinating to track the
   evolution of design over time, this book is particularly useful when
   trying to borrow design ideas from history.

#9: Botanical Latin, Stearn

   Ever wonder where plant names come from?  Do they sound like something
   that a toddler chanted after a diaper change?  Believe it or not, most 
   plant names have valid, Latin-based reasons for their naming, and this
   book will give you the background to understand these naming schemes.

#8: RHS Plant Finder

   This annual publication from the Royal Horticultural Society is a great
   way to keep up on new naming trends.  Taxonomists need to keep busy
   too, and they do it by reclassifying species and genera at a breakneck
   pace.  The RHS Plant Finder does a great job of keeping up with these
   changes and detailing them from year to year.

#7: Heronswood Catalog, 1995-2000

   In its heyday, Heronswood Nursery was synonymous with plant discovery.
   People went there to find the latest and greatest finds from Asia,
   discover the newest cultivars, and to read Dan Hinkley's humorous 
   anecdotes.  Every year the catalog, hundreds of pages thick, listed
   thousands of plants with lengthy, humorous descriptions.  When 
   Heronswood was sold and their format changed the Post Office
   lost a major source of shipping revenue and the Kitsap Public Library
   was able to halt its expansion plans.

#6: Trees & Shrubs of the British Isles, WJ Bean

   This is one of the earliest and most detailed collections (for
   its time) of woody plant data assembled.  Although not necessarily
   scientifically useful (there's very little in the way of identification
   characteristics), the observations in this four volume printing are
   invaluable.  Bean offers little tidbits on the history of plants and
   personal experiences.  Although dated (it was first published in 1913),
   I always learn something new whenever I read from it.

#5: Insects that Feed On/Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, Sinclair/Johnson/Lyon

   An invaluable reference with full-color photos of insect/disease damage,
   and suggested treatments, this book is a must for those trying to diagnose
   woody plant problems in the landscape.  

#4: Perennial Garden Plants, Graham Stuart Thomas

   Noted British plantsman Graham Stuart Thomas put together one of the
   first perennial books for the masses that listed less common species
   and opened gardeners' eyes to new possibilities, encouraging them to
   seek out new plants for their gardens.

#3: Wild Flowers of the United States, Rickett

   Published in a series of 6 volumes and 14 parts, this compendium
   includes full-color photographs of nearly every native and non-native
   plant that could be found in the wild across the United States.
   Plant descriptions are lean, but the photographs are invaluable.

#2: Seed Germination Theory and Practice (including supplements), Norman C. Deno

   This is the seed propagator's bible, providing detailed instructions
   based on the author's experiences to propagate over 2500 species. 
   If you want to grow anything from seed, ever, you need this book.
   There's more to germinating seeds than just sticking them in the dirt,
   and this author describes everything that needs to be done.

#1: Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael Dirr

   Dirr has created the woody plantsman's bible, covering thousands of
   species and cultivars with in-depth taxonomic, cultural, and landscape
   characteristics.  He peppers plant descriptions with his own first-hand
   observations and isn't subtle about his feelings towards a selection
   (whether right or wrong).  It's a tad out-of-date with regards to
   newer cultivars, but is still invaluable as a species reference.

Chris

http://www.hort.net/gallery/       4446 online plant photos and growing!
http://www.hort.net/gallery/date/2010-02-11/     The latest  additions
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