Dig into reading for a better garden

The beautiful warm days of spring are here and about to lead us to

the hot and lazy days of summer when we loll about in our fragrant

and colorful gardens. Oh, dear ... haven’t you done your spring

planting yet? Or, are you busy these days staring at your yard and

wondering just how to improve it and make it not so blah?

It’s hard to resist the appeal of a lovely garden or the pleasures

of being close to nature by tilling the soil and planting and

nurturing an array of flowers and plants. Often, though, we are

afraid to dig right in, as it were. Many people turn to the library

for help in designing, choosing, planting, and caring for their

gardens.

The Newport Beach Public Library has a wonderful collection in

gardening and landscaping. Besides the basic books on how to plan and

how to plant a garden and yard, there are some new specialized books

you might want to read. “The Weather-Resilient Garden: A Defensive

Approach to Planning and Landscaping” by Charles W.G. Smith is the

perfect book for California gardeners. Smith gives advice on which

plants to choose that will withstand the vagaries of nature. “Native

Plants for High-Elevation Western Gardens” by Janice Busco and Nancy

R. Morin compliments the first book with its detailed photographs and

information on the kinds of plants that can withstand our climate

because they are found here naturally.

A book that is even more specific is the North American Rock

Garden Society’s “Rock Garden: Design and Construction.” This

incredibly fact-filled little book will teach you how to build a

“natural” habitat in your own back yard. The book covers everything

from “hardscaping” and pathways to specific techniques and plants, as

well as different regional styles. “Designing Borders” by Noel

Kingsbury also focuses on one part of a garden and is a stunning

inspiration to the gardener in all of us. Kingsbury asked six of his

fellow, well- known landscape designers (e.g. Penelope Hobhouse and

Sandra and Nori Pope) to come up with original garden designs and the

results are not only breathtaking, but cover all different styles of

gardens. The designs themselves include detailed layouts, plants,

materials, maintenance guidelines and 3-D illustrations.

Gardening books can also focus on other aspects of the subject. A

sublime example is Peter Harkness’ “The Rose: an Illustrated

History.” The cultivation of roses dates back 5,000 years in China

and runs throughout world history. This fascinating and beautiful

book narrates and illustrates that story. Yet, another book offers a

completely different look at gardening. “So You Want to Start a

Nursery” by Tony Avent is a fact-filled guide to starting a gardening

business for those with a green thumb and the desire to actually make

a living doing what they love.

The book takes you step by step to building a business plan with

directions on finding all the practical information you need to run a

nursery.

These are just a few examples, to be sure. There are books on

perennials, annuals, soil treatment, bulbs, bugs, and so on and so

on.

Check them out at all four of our libraries and start to make your

garden a place of great pleasure for you and the envy of your

neighbors.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Soon Jung and Sara Barnicle. All

titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the

catalog at https://www.newport beachlibrary.org. For more information

on the Central Library or any of the branch locations, please contact

the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.