gardening book sales

**Sharon Hanna h*@direct.ca**

I almost NEVER buy gardening books. I am much more into 'doing' than
'reading about' gardening. If I do buy something, it has to be absolutely
technical, or mind-blowingly beautiful, and it has to tell me something I
don't know. Then again, if I really want to know something technical, I
could just go into Google search engine and probably find the information I
want that is absolutely current.

One book I couldn't live without is Creative Propagation, by an author
whose name escapes me (a senior moment, and very early in the morning!?) -
it has had a whole bunch of reprints. I figure it must be very
popular....it is pathetic-looking and dog-eared in our nursery - you can't
even read the author's name on the cover because it's so bleached out from
being in sun the greenhouse. I love it because it has an alphabetical list
of hundreds (maybe thousands?) of plants, in latin, and when to propagate
from seed, root/stem/hardwood cutting, blah blah. I also think the author
must be British. And he really tells the truth about propagating from seed
or any other way. He tells you, for instance, don't bother starting things
too early in the greenhouse, for when light levels are back up in April and
May, plants absolutely will catch up and be stronger, etc. etc. He makes
you understand why plants bother to grow in the first place. It is 100%
practical and written with great intelligence, as well as snide British
humour.

The only other gardening book I can think of that really interests me at
the moment is full of old-fashioned watercolour plates. But that is just
for looking at. 

I suppose as gardeners mature, they want to garden rather than dream about
gardening or look at pictures of other people's gardens. 

What about in Britain, where gardening has been going on for so much
longer? Any comments about the book situation there?

My understanding is that Thomas Hobbe's book - Shocking Beauty, has done
very well, especially in the West, where Thomas is well-known. It is an
outrageous book, full of excess, lushness, sensuality - it is downright
sinful, it's so absolutely over-the-top gorgeous. (I didn't buy it...)

So, I guess "shocking" gardening books still sell, and technical ones. I'd
be interested to know how books like the Sunset Gardening Book (a bit of a
bible) is doing re: sales. Would anyone have this kind of information? How
well technical books are doing? As well, that wonderful Reader's Digest
Encyclopedia of plants - anyone have an idea? 

S

Sharon H. Hanna
Writer & Urban Agriculturist
(604) 736 1889

Ms. Hanna's seed catalogue writing & recipes:
http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com

Water-wise gardening/Canadian Wildlife Federation July 2002:
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/whats_new/ten_commandments/hold_water.htm

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