Gardening from the couch: 5 for the beginner
Winter is the time to learn more about gardening by reading about gardening. And if you are new to gardening, a little help sorting through the thousands of titles out there is welcome.
Genevieve Schmidt, the author of the blog North Coast Gardening, offers her list of the best five books for beginning gardeners, and I heartily agree with two of her selections: "From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden," by Amy Stewart and "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden," by Tracy DiSabato-Aust.
Amy's book is utterly charming. And Tracy's thorough list of the proper care and pruning of perennials has been my Bible for a decade -- and she has a new and expanded version.
In addition to her top 5 for beginners, Genevieve has a list of other books she recommends for gardeners - rookies or veterans.
Check out the rest of Genevieve's list and recommend your own go-gardening books for the beginners out there.
Comments
Amy's book makes growing perennials something you can do in your own garden. With plain language her vast experience comes through in reading this book. well worth the time.
Posted by: Thomas Mickey | January 4, 2011 3:30 PM
Thanks for recommending Well-Tended. I hope it continues to be a useful resource for years to come. It has currently sold over 200,000 copies--so rewarding. Prune On!
Hey Tracy, Thanks for noticing! -- Susan
Posted by: Tracy DiSabato-Aust | January 5, 2011 9:50 AM
Susan, thanks so much for the mention! I'm delighted to know that you love two of my favorites, too. This really is a great time to catch up on winter reading - I have a stack of garden magazines from the fall just waiting for a rainy day so I can catch up on them.
You're welcome, and thanks for the list. It is a service to new gardeners! -- Susan
Posted by: Genevieve | January 5, 2011 7:37 PM