Summer Gardening Resources: Three Gardening Book Reviews

Erica Glasener and Walter Reeves, Cool Springs Press, $12.99 cover price, ISBN 1-591860-81-4, 2004

50 Great Trees for Georgia lists 50 profiles of flowers suited for the weather of Georgia. They have sections for Gardening Basics, a Glossary, and a Bibliography for other helpful guidebooks.

The Profiles contain common name and scientific names, but is organized by the common name. There are 2 page profiles for each variety of plant with a picture, bloom color, bloom period, the height/width, planting location and tips, watering guide, fertilizer guide, suggestions for vigorous growth, pest control, complementary plants, and the recommended selections. Also it has easy tips and useful hints with the top reasons to plant it as a guide to the new southern gardener. It is a useful book for reliable and straightforward advice.

Erica Glasener is host of HGTV's "Gardener's Diary" and has a bi-weekly column in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Walter Reeves is host of 750WSB AM radio's "The Lawn and Garden Show with Walter Reeves".

Trees in this book:

American Holly, American Hornbeam, Bald Cypress, Black Gum, Canadian Hemlock, Carolina Silverbell, Chaste Tree, Cherry Laurel, Chinese Elm, Chinese Pistachio, Cornelian Cherry, Dawn Redwood, Deodar Cedar, Florida Maple, Flowering Crabapple, Flowering Dogwood, Franklin Tree, Fringe Tree, Ginkgo, Golden Rain Tree, Japanese Cryptomeria, Japanese Maple, Japanese Snowbell, Japanese Stewartia, Japanese Zelkova, Katsura Tree, Korean Dogwood, Kwanzan Cherry, Leyland Cypress, Oak, Ornamental Pear, Paperbark Maple, Persian Ironwood, Pine, Purple Leaf Plum, Redbud, Red Maple, River Birch, Sassafras, Saucer and Star Magnolia, Serviceberry, Sourwood, Southern Magnolia, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Swet Gum, Thornless Honey Locust, Tulip Popular, Winter King Hawthorne, Yellowwood, Yoshino Cherry.

50 Great Flowers for Georgia

Erica Glasener and Walter Reeves, Cool Springs Press, $12.99 cover price, ISBN 1-591860-80-6, 2004

50 Great Flowers for Georgia lists 50 profiles of flowers suited for the weather of Georgia. They have sections for Gardening Basics, a Glossary, and a Bibliography for other helpful guidebooks.

The Profiles contain common name and scientific names, but is organized by the common name. There are 2 page profiles for each variety of plant with a picture, bloom color, bloom period, the height/width, planting location and tips, watering guide, fertilizer guide, suggestions for vigorous growth, pest control, complementary plants, and the recommended selections. Also it has easy tips and useful hints with the top reasons to plant it as a guide to the new southern gardener. It is a useful book for reliable and straightforward advice.

Erica Glasener is host of HGTV's "Gardener's Diary" and has a bi-weekly column in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Walter Reeves is host of 750WSB AM radio's "The Lawn and Garden Show with Walter Reeves".

Plants in this book:

Alumroot, Arkansas Blue Star, Artemisia, Bath's Pink, Bee Balm, Bigroot Geranium, Blackberry Lily, Black-eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, Blazing Star, Boltonia, Butterfly Weed, Cardinal Flower, Coleus, Columbine, Cosmos, Crocosmia, Fan Flower, Fragrant Hosta, Geranium, Globe Amaranth, Hardy Begonia, Hardy Lantana, Impatiens, Japanese Anemone, Japanese Roof Iris, Joe-Pye Weed, Lenten Rose, Mexican Sunflower, Moss Plox, Mottled Wild Ginger, New Guinea Impatiens, Pansy, Pentas, Petunia, Purple Coneflower, Purple Heart, Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Snapdragon, Spider Flower, Sweet Alyssum, Tartanian Daisy, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Verbena, Wax Begonia, Wild Indigo, Wishbone, and Zinnia.

Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee

Margie Hunter, University of Tennessee Press, $34.95 cover price, ISBN 1-57233-155-0, 2002

Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee incorporates 450 species of plants in a 4-color glossy book. They are arranged by plant type, flower type, fruiting type, distribution, and by propagation techniques. There are also 400 color photos to get your ready for the season. This book includes a nursery list, a botanical garden list, a listing of state agencies, of native plant organizations, and a very well done bibliography.

This is a beautiful book that is informative and well written, a must have for your gardening collection and well worth the price. I really believe this to be one of the rare few books with tremendous lasting appeal.

Margie Hunter lives in Nashville, TN and is an avid gardener.