Gardeners love to garden. That’s a given. We like to get our hands in the earth and see new life start. But many gardeners aren’t as lucky as I am. I live in central Alabama (Zone 8A) so I can get out and work in my garden most any month of the year. Winter keeps many gardeners from doing what they really want to do for several months of the year.
So, you may wonder what do gardeners do when they can’t get out and work in their landscapes? I have decided that lots of gardeners including myself use some of that time to read. But what do gardeners read?
- Seed catalogs
- Garden supply catalogs
- Gardening and landscaping blogs
- Classic garden books such as Gertrude Jekyll’s Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden
- Reference books, such as Dr. Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants
Recently, I read “Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature and the Shaping of the American Nation” by Andrea Wulf. It’s a fascinating book that examines how gardening and agriculture were ingrained in four of the Founding Fathers. Most people would expect Thomas Jefferson to be one of the men explored in the book. His passion for gardening and agriculture can still be seen at Monticello today. But Wulf also explores the gardening sides of George Washington, John Adams and James Madison.
When I am looking for fiction, I often look for something from Susan Wittig Albert. Her China Bayles series always has an herb in the title and herb lore is included throughout the books. Her newest series, The Darling Dahlias”, is a new favorite of mine. It is centered on a garden club in a small Alabama town during the Depression.
You can find some excellent reviews and recommendations of garden books from Master Gardeners all over the country.
- Santa Fe Master Gardener Association Book Reviews
- Master Gardeners of Mecklenbury County Book Reviews
- Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Book Review
- Book Reviews from Vermont Master Gardeners
- Jefferson County Colorado Master Gardener Book Reviews
A quick web search using the phrase “Master Gardener Book Reviews” will bring you to even more possibilities for your reading list. Finally, ask some of your fellow Master Gardeners what they are reading. You will find a garden of great reading is within your reach.
By: Maggie Lawrence, Communications and Marketing Specialist with Alabama Cooperative Extension and Lee County Alabama Master Gardener
Thanks for putting all these great resources to find good books for gardeners.
Also, from our Facebook page, we should add that there is also a great book review on Founding Gardeners at http://www.growyourownnevada.com/a-nation-sewn-by-gardeners-spring-2013-master-gardener-newsletter/ or the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Grow Your Own blog
Margaret, thanks for the mention! China and I are delighted to be included in your recommendations–and the Dahlias are blushing with pleasure.
Excited to see that other Master Gardeners have enjoyed “The Founding Gardeners.”