Photo by joeysplanting
I don’t know when gardeners and people who buy gardeners’ presents for the holidays start shopping for these presents, but I thought TheGardenLady’s readers might want to look at some books to buy as presents or drop some hints to friends about certain books you or they might wish for. So, to that end, here is a list of some companies that publish gardening books- in alphabetical order.
The first publishing company that I love for books of all kinds is DK Books. Their gardening books are excellent. One book they print and sell that garden lovers would want to own is DK’s “A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.”
A second publishing company for gardening books is Fulcrum Books. One book that TheGardenLady thought looks interesting on their list is called “Culinary Gardens: From Design to Palate”.
If you are buying for a really scholarly gardener or professionals in the field check out the NYBotanical Gardens which has their own press. You can look at their list of books on their catalog on line here.
A fourth publishing house is Sterling Books. Sterling books have what looks like a wonderful series that is called “Success with…..” gardening series. For example, they have
- Success with Acid-Loving Plant,
- Success with Alkaline-Loving Plants
- Success with Bamboos & Ornamental Grasses
- Success with Cacti and Other Succulents
These are said to be published by Field of Master Craftsman.
Another excellent series of gardening books on the Sterling Books list is by Brooklyn Botanic Press. One book from this series is “Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants.” These last two book series are the wonderful and inexpensive books that are sold in many Botanic Garden stores.
Then there is Storey Press. One fun sounding book they sell is “Don’t Throw It, Grow It! 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps” by Deborah Peterson.
This book tells you to “Eat your vegetables — and plant them too! Plant the pits, roots, shoots, and seeds of almonds, anise, avocadoes, beans, celery, citrus, dates, fennel, figs, gingerroot, kiwi, mango, mustard, papya, peanuts, persimmon, pineapple, pomegranate, sesame, squash, turnip, tropical guava…and more !”
And the last of the publishing houses that TheGardenLady is writing about, but certainly not least, is Timber Press. Timber Press seems to be devoted to gardening, ornamental and edible horticulture, garden design, sustainability, natural history, and the Pacific Northwest. This is a great press so you must check Timber Press books out. For example, if you want one of their best selling books like Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr who is one of the best authors on the subject, Timber Press is where to go.
If you want to get a book for a friend interested in drawing, get How to Draw Plants The Techniques of Botanical Illustration from Timber Press.
And if you want to buy yourself or your friend award winning books, Timber Press lists their books with the awards they won. Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs was one such Award winning book.
Some of the Award winning Garden books in 2008 are:
- “Viburnum” by Michael Dirr published by Timber Press.
- “Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s All -Region Guide Series” published by Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
- “Foliage” by Nancy J. Ondia published by Storey Publishing
- “Perennial Vegetables” by Eric Toensmeier published by Chelsea Green Publishing Co.
- “A Natural History of North American Trees” by D. C. Peattie published by Houghton Mifflin Co.
- “Sunset’s Western Garden Book by Sunset Press
TheGardenLady just listed a few of the great presses for gardening books. TheGardenLady notes there are other presses, some of them even won Awards for their gardening books in 2008. But this is a starting point for finding that perfect gift for yourself or your gardening friends. Start your quest here and you won’t be sorry.