Drawing on over two hundred years of local experience, authors Susan Carter, Carrie Becker and Bob Lilly are best known for the magnificent Borders at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. This encyclopedia organizes that collective plant knowledge from A-Z in a well-structured format. But what makes this especially valuable are the signed introductions to each genus (including guests authors) and the notes and comments throughout — all learned directly in the field. Of course it’s a perfect fit for gardeners of the maritime Northwest, but the on-the-job commentaries make this book useful to gardeners in almost any temperate climate.
Excerpted from the Fall 2007 Arboretum Bulletin.
Wow! This may be the crown jewel of an excellent assembly of local books for this year. If you are not a fan of ferns, Sue Olsen’s infectious but very informative style will convert you. While addressing a global audience, the Encyclopedia of Garden Ferns is one of the very select treasures of Pacific Northwest garden writing and must not be missed, even if you garden on a sunny, dusty slope. The descriptions, photographs (all by the author), and cultural details are all top notch, and infused with that added extra insight only available from a writer who thoroughly knows her subject.
What could be more satisfying than creating a meal with home-grown edible flowers? Author Cathy Wilkinson Barash, in her book Edible Flowers: From Garden to Palate (Fulcrum, 1995) tempts the reader with sweet and savory recipes that feature fresh flowers. Barash goes far beyond a mere sprinkling of nasturtiums in a summer salad to include recipes for lilac chicken, bee balm ice cream and dandelion eggs. For each flower featured the descriptions include botanical, historical and growing information plus color photos of the plant and many of the recipes. The last chapter is perhaps most important because it gives the “ten rules of edible flowers,” explaining precautions that must be taken before a person starts eating flowers.
John A. and Carol L. Grant’s “Garden Design Illustrated” is a historical gem. This husband and wife team is better known for “Trees and Shrubs for Pacific Northwest Gardens”, first published in 1948 with help from the Arboretum Foundation. But their 1954 design book is perhaps more relevant today, teaching time-honored basics that haven’t become outdated.
For an immersion course in Chinese gardens, look to native landscape architect and historian Chen Lifang and “The Garden Art of China.” Expertly translated by botanist Yu Sianglin, this is one of the richest introductions — filled with plans, sketches, design principles, and many, many examples — to any art form imaginable.
“From the first the Japanese garden — whether in Kyoto or Kansas City — has stood as a tangible antithesis to Western values.” Working from that premise, Kendall H. Brown profiles “Japanese-Style Gardens of the Pacific West Coast” , including our own. The 20 gardens — all open to the public — are enticingly presented by Melba Levick’s photographs.
“Going Native: Making Use of New Zealand Plants” combines the expertise of several kiwi botanists, ecologists and horticulturists. Aimed at a New Zealand audience, it is still well worth a read by Cascadia gardeners, especially the more daring.
Des Kennedy shares from the heart in “This Rambling Affair: A Year in a Country Garden,” set on Denman Island in British Columbia. He knows his audience. “Gardeners are like people who endlessly take self-help courses and seminars to try make things better. We are chronic improvers, not necessarily of ourselves, but certainly of our landscapes…”
A who’s who of experts collaborated on “Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses: Gardening with California Monocots.” You ask, is nothing safe from invading Californians? Perhaps not, but many of these showy plants already have Pacific Northwest residency. Our collection includes this title and others from the Golden State with relevancy for our part of the coast.
“Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington” is a smart little guide perfect for taking into the field with its water resistant cover and handy size. Author B. Jennifer Guard’s use of photographs, line drawings, plant and habitat descriptions, keys, and notes makes this a most effective book for plant identification.