I have been gardening for enough years that I am rarely interested in "how to" books on the subject. I want to read about the history and philosophy of gardening, about the people and the places that have been or currently are influential. I want big stories and back stories. So this is a list based on those personal preferences.
I read "Head Gardeners" late last year and it sent me off to find "At West Dean: The Creation of an Exemplary Garden" by Jim Buckland and Sarah Wain, the gardening duo who have salvaged and re-imaged the landscape and gardens associated with West Dean College. First, this is a beautiful book in terms of its large size, design and photography. As well as endless full color images of the gardens, there are sensitive black and white photos of the gardeners working on projects of all sizes. Thus it is a book about the people who do the work as much as a look at the results.
Though none of us garden on the scale of West Dean, the book is filled with valuable ideas — even lessons — for us lesser mortal gardeners. They employ a "house color" as a unifying element on signs, furniture etc. They constantly deadhead and give their perennials annual performance reviews that look at how a plant performs, when it's at its peak, when it needs attention and of what kind. There is a fair amount of discussion given to the lack of on-site housing for garden staff and other issues of concern to professional gardners and those who love these kind of gardens.
One noteworthy point is that the measurements are given in both the European and American systems which is a huge help in visualizing the gardens. West Dean gets an average of 41" of rain per year and is subject to late and severe frosts, which means we share some gardening issues.
WEST DEAN
"Heroes of American Horticulture" by Barbara P. Robinson.
An informative look at a varied group of men and women who have greatly influenced 20th century gardening in the US: Garden designers, directors of botanical gardens and plant explorers. Even thought I was familiar with about half of this group, I still learned lots.
It did seem at times, however, that the author was connected in some way to many of those she profiled. Perhaps that is a given when you are a gardener yourself, like Robinson, who has worked with Rosemary Verey and Penelope Hobhouse.
Good concept for a much needed book but I'm not sure if Robinson was the best person to write it. I would have liked to a bit more in-depth profiles and there was little or no criticism about the members of this group or their work. Of course, that is perhaps a bit unfair on my part but I did think the profiles were a bit too self-serving.
"Nature into Art: The Gardens of Wave Hill" by Thomas Christopher.
My husband and I visited Wave Hill twenty years ago and it is still fresh in my mind. It was an outstanding natural landscape with equally outstanding gardens then, and this new book suggests it has only improved over the intervening years. I bought this book sight unseen based on the author and the publisher (Timber Press) and was not disappointed.
This is another book that is well designed and awash in superb photographs by Ngoc Minh Ngo and the color is not souped up and unrealistic. The front and back endpapers are a map of the gardens with each area indicated by name and number; each garden has its own chapter. Wave Hill is the first place I ever saw a monocot garden and a trough garden and the most amazing Blue Atlas Cedar I've ever seen. They were unforgettable in person and come across equally well in this book.
We bought directions to make the "Wave Hill Chair" when we visited.
What surprised me most about this look at Wave Hill is the amount of information and ideas — including very specific tips — is presented for home gardeners which is very unusual in a book like this. Among the tidbits included are information on everything from caring for aquatics to getting seeds off to a proper start. The book also includes a list of titles for further reading which are as quirky and personal as Wave Hill. A great book about one of America's great gardens.
TIMBER PRESS
"Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement" (revised edition) by Judith B. Tankard.
I was already familiar with Judith B. Tankard's book (with Alma Gilbert), "A Place of Beauty: The Artists and Gardens of the Cornish Colony," so I had no qualms about buying the revised edition of her book on Arts and Crafts gardens from Timber Press. The very first image on the title page of the book is of Folly Farm whose gardens are being reinvigorated by Dan Pearson. If you read UK garden magazines you will have seen images of this glorious garden's refurbishment.
Tankard is a respected garden scholar so you can read her book from that perspective, covering both American and British gardens. She also looks at contemporary gardens where Arts and Crafts concepts and elements remain relevant. You could use it as a travel guide as Tankard provides four pages listing gardens to visit here and in the UK. Or, like me, you can just settle back and swoon over the beauty of these gardens in photographs, paintings and drawings.
"The Making of a Garden Gertrude Jekyll, An anthology" compiled by Cherry Lewis.
When I first started gardening, the plethora of books on every aspect of the subject that are available today did not exist. As a result, all my first garden books came from second-hand bookstores. I continue to buy older books, like this one, that catch my eye. Not only is this book a collection of Gekyll's writings, it is illustrated with her own photographs and drawings, as well as watercolors by contemporary artists.
The book is divided into four sections by seasons. Within the Spring section, for example, are Jekyll's writings on rock gardens, Hellebores, woodland plants and scents of the season to name just a few topics. This is a perfect way to capture the quintessence of Jekyll: Just open the book at will and read what catches your fancy that once upon a time captured hers as well.
