Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Three Interesting & Informative Gardening Resource Books from Master Gardener Carolyn Harstad: "Got Sun?"--"Got Shade?"--then dig in and "Go Native!"



Got Sun?: 200 Best Native Plants for Your Garden


 

Are you looking for more butterflies and birds in your yard? Do you enjoy seasonal color and beauty? Are you concerned about environmental issues such as water conservation and pollution control? Do you yearn for simple, maintenance-free gardening? Arranged in a question-and-answer format, Got Sun? showcases native trees, shrubs, ground covers, ferns, vines, grasses, and over 100 sun-friendly perennials for your home garden. Illustrated with detailed drawings and beautiful color photographs, this is a book to keep close at hand as you plan and plant your garden. 



Got Shade?: A "Take It Easy" Approach for Today's Gardener




"A masterpiece, full of charm and humor." --Dr. Rebecca W. Dolan, Director, Friesner Herbarium, Butler University


Whether it's urban, suburban, or rural, nearly every property has some shade, if only on the north side of the house. Countless more are "blessed" with giant trees planted decades ago that screen out the sunlight. Under such conditions, you may think that it's impossible to have an interesting garden without a lot of work. Not so if you are willing to learn about the plethora of easygoing horticultural gems that don't require full sun.


Most gardeners think only of impatiens and hostas for their shady areas, but shade gardening can be far more interesting, and even exciting--and you need not work too hard at it if you incorporate some lesser-known but easy-to-grow plants into your landscape. Judiciously mixing the common plants with the more unusual ones can help the busy, tired, or lazy gardener create a special and unique retreat.


Carolyn Harstad, author of the best-selling Go Native!, organizes this book around the principle that an interesting shade garden is well balanced and has a variety of plantings. Early chapters focus on designing the low-maintenance garden. Further chapters discuss small trees, shrubs, dwarf conifers, vines, ground covers, ferns, grasses, perennials, woodland wildflowers, spring bulbs, and annuals (yes, there are annuals that enjoy shade!).


She discusses hundreds of shade-tolerant plants hardy in Zones 4-8, suggests how they may be used and combined, and recommends methods to reduce garden maintenance--a universal concern in this fast-paced world. With its informative text, accurate drawings, and colorful photographs, this book is a "must have" for gardeners across much of North America.









Using a simple question and answer format, this informative and user-friendly book focuses on the Lower Midwest, and includes everything you need to know about gardening with plants and wildflowers native to the region. It explains methods of planning, site and soil preparation, garden design, plant selection and propagation. Illustrated with 125 drawings and 100 color photos.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


CAROLYN HARSTAD is a Master Gardener, nature photographer, and popular lecturer. She is a member of the Garden Writers Association of America, a group of creative garden communications professionals including freelance writers, book authors, syndicated columnists, editors, photographers, lecturers, television and radio personalities and more.


INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS


Founded in 1950, IU Press is recognized internationally as a leading academic publisher specializing in the humanities and social sciences. The Press emphasizes scholarship but also publishes text, trade, and reference titles. It is one of the largest public university presses, as measured by titles and income. IU Press produces approximately 140 new books annually, in addition to 29 journals, and maintain a backlist of some 2,000 titles. The major subject areas include African, African American, Asian, cultural, Jewish and Holocaust, Middle East, Russian and East European, and women's and gender studies; anthropology, film, history, bioethics, music, paleontology, philanthropy, philosophy, and religion. They also feature an extensive regional publishing program under their Quarry Books imprint.


http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/

No comments:

Post a Comment