"Book Can Plant Ideas For Creating Beauty At Home"

From the time I first became a homeowner, nearly 25 years ago, I have been working at landscaping my property. Supposedly, a well-landscaped home is more valuable at the time of resale. So, I’ve justified the hundreds--if not thousands-- of dollars I have spent on trees, shrubs, and plants and all of the “sweat equity” as an “investment” in my property.

All winter long, I enjoy reading the Library’s new gardening books and magazines. In the spring, I relish in perusing the garden and seed catalogs that come to our home in the mail. On vacations, my wife and I visit famous gardens where we take photos and purchase cuttings and seeds for our home gardens.

Each spring, however, I seem to start over again on my yard and flower beds... From the previous years of plantings, I thin, tear out, and move plants to new locations. Some of the plants from earlier seasons have not done well---sometimes they have even died. Often times, the plants I had so lovingly planted, watered and fertilized don’t turn out as beautiful as pictured in the books and catalogs. I always long to have a garden—like the Butchart Garden in Victoria, BC—that looks like it has been transplanted from heaven. In reality my flower gardens generally looks like gardens from hell. In my mental image of my gardens, I’m grimy and sweaty in the midst of flowerless and stunted plants with a rake or shovel in hand, wondering why all my planning, work, and money have not given me the beautiful gardens I feel I deserve.

But a gardener must be an eternal optimist, so I’m always on the lookout for new gardening books to add to the Library’s collection. Recently added books include: “Southern Living Big Book of Flower Gardening”, “Perennial Gardens” by Eleanore Lewis, “Hydrangeas” by Glyn Church, “Landscaping with Perennials” by Barbara Ellis, “Perennials of Every Purpose” by Larry Dodgson, “Natural Gardens” by Laura Coit and “Hardy Perennials” by E.H. Sawford. To help someone in need of landscaping ideas, “25 Best Planting Plans” by Noel Kingsbury, and the “Garden Color” book offers many colorful suggestions. Some specialty garden books include “Beds and Boarders, 40 professional Designs for do-it-yourselfers”, and “How to Build Walks, Walls and Patio Floors”. The Better Homes and Gardens book, “Bird Gardens” offer many suggestions on what to plant to attract birds.