Recommended Reads: Gardening - The Art of Growing Plants

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” - Ruth Stout, gardening author

Since the beginning of time people have been gardening, sometimes out of necessity growing herbs and vegetables for subsistence and sometimes as a hobby raising anything from houseplants to designing beautiful outdoor spaces. This month’s recommended reads lists includes books for children, novels for adults and “how-to” manuals for those who want to experience the real thing.

Recorded cassette (RC), digital book (DB), braille (BR), and large print (LT) copies of these books are available from the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library. Please contact the library to order any of these titles.

Prepared by Debby Smith, Library Outreach Coordinator
Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library

Accessible Gardening for People with Physical Disabilities by Janeen Adil.
RC/DB 52241
An avid gardener provides tips and techniques for adapting garden format and methods for people with limited mobility. Explains advantages of containers, raised beds, and vertical gardens. Chapters discuss appropriate tools; choosing vegetables, herbs, flowers, vines, and ornamentals; and starting children in gardening. 1994.

All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! by Mel Bartholomew.
BR 18588, DB 69864 (BARD Download)
In this update to Square Foot Gardening (RC 21079, BR 5870), the author advises using six-inch-deep boxes containing soil that requires no digging or fertilizing and vertical frames for climbing plants. Recommends creating wider aisles and elevating boxes for easier access. Gives plant-by-plant suggestions for extending the growing season. 2005.

Living Like Ed by Ed Begley.
RC 67200, DB 67200 (BARD Download)
Actor and longtime environmentalist Begley describes various methods and products that anyone can use daily to help the environment. Topics include making a home green and choosing eco-friendly energy sources and transportation methods. He provides tips on recycling, gardening, cooking, and clothing. 2008.

Essential Gardening for Teens by Ruth Chasek.
BR 14942
Beginners’ guide to planning and planting an outdoor plot or container garden. Provides advice on site selection, choosing plants, soil preparation, space design, growing plants from seeds, and garden care. For junior and senior high readers. 2000.

Our Life in Gardens by Joe Eck.
RC 69189, DB 69189 (BARD Download)
Life partners who cofounded a Vermont landscape design firm share their personal gardening history and the lessons they’ve learned. In alphabetical essays they discuss favorite ornamental plants and cover topics such as hedges, pergolas, vegetable plots, and planted walls. They stress that gardens need constant care and vigilance. 2009.

A Year in Our Gardens: Letters by Nancy Goodwin and Allen Lacy by Nancy Goodwin.
BR 13664
Goodwin (North Carolina) and Lacy (New Jersey) live in the same climate zone, but deal with very different growing conditions. After corresponding for several years, they began a year-long exchange of letters in December 1997, wherein they offer insights into the world around them, discussing everything from Mozart to mulch. 2001.

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon.
RC 44194, BR 12269, LT 6249, DB 44194 (BARD Download)
After years as a priest in the Southern village of Mitford, Father Tim wonders if he should move on. When the bishop tells him to give it a year, things begin to change, including an interest in neighbor Cynthia and the arrival of a rather large dog. Both Cynthia and Tim love gardening. Prequel to A Light in the Window (RC 44195) 1994.

Inch by Inch: The Garden Song by David Mallet.
RC 43794
For children: A youngster takes his rake and hoe and, inch by inch and row by row, plans to make a garden grow. For preschool-grade 2. 1995.

The New Terrarium: Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature by Tovah Martin.
DB 69824 (BARD Download)
Stressing the importance of having a connection with nature, garden writer Martin provides instructions for creating a variety of small indoor gardens enclosed in glass which thrive with little care. Describes different types of transparent containers such as bell jars and lanterns, recommends plants, and discusses design and maintenance. 2009.

The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essential Know-How for Keeping (Not Killing) More than 160 Indoor Plants by Barbara Pleasant.
RC 62554, DB 62554 (BARD Download)
Identification and care of 160 common flowering and foliage houseplants. Discusses feeding, cleaning, pruning, repotting, and watering, as well as soil, terrariums, bonsai, diseases, drainage, fungus, bugs, lighting, propagation, and more. 2005.

Death at the Spring Plant Sale by Ann Ripley.
RC 57460, DB 57460 (BARD Download)
At her friend Emily Holley’s insistence, PBS television gardener and amateur sleuth Louise Eldridge attends the spring plant sale of a Washington, D.C., area garden club. Louise had hoped to film some beautiful floral footage, but instead ends up investigating the murder of the club’s president. Some violence. 2003.

My Father's Hands by Joanne Ryder.
BR 15006
A young girl enjoys examining the small creatures that her father finds in the garden and brings to her cupped in his hands. They share the wonders of a pink worm, a round beetle, a snail, and a praying mantis. Print/Braille. For preschool-grade 2. 1994.

The Complete Shade Gardener by George Schenk.
RC 59186, BR 15677, DB 59186 (BARD Download)
Discusses the creation of a shady retreat covering all the basics from determining the site and preparing the soil to fending off pests and selecting specific trees, shrubs, ground covers, ferns, perennials, annuals, and edibles. 2002.

Dog Friendly Gardens: Garden Friendly Dogs by Cheryl Smith.
RC 66349, DB 66349 (BARD Download)
Tips on harmoniously keeping both a garden and a dog. Provides recommendations for bed design and vegetation, including ground covers and grass, and warns against harmful plants and products. Covers mulches, composts, vegetables, paths, fencing, and some aspects of dog play. Discusses designating pet-digging areas. 2004.

Small Space Gardens by David Stevens.
BR 15476
Suggestions from a landscape planner for the small city or country garden that is developed as an extension of the home. His recommendations include: analyze existing plot, determine type of space desired, decide what to keep or discard, then design the project. 2003.

Gardening Through Your Golden Years by James Wilson.
RC 57787, BR 15099, DB 57787 (BARD Download)
Former cohost of PBS television show The Victory Garden and author of Landscaping with Wildflowers shares wisdom gathered from "seasoned" gardeners on the benefits of continuing this hobby into old age. Includes tips to minimize fatigue and other ailments, describes labor-saving methods, and offers all kinds of advice. 2003.

Accessible Gardening: Tips & Techniques for Seniors and the Disabled by Joann Woy.
RC 49080, DB 49080 (BARD Download)
Advises gardeners with special needs on ideas, tools, and methods. Topics include garden design and layout, raised beds, container and tabletop gardening, easy composting, watering, lawn care, and accessories to facilitate physical tasks. An appendix lists sources of tools, supplies, and information. 1997.

Horticulture Magazine (NLS Subscription on cassette)
Horticulture is dedicated to celebrating the passion of avid gardeners who delight not just in gardens but in garden making. To subscribe, contact the Perkins Library.