[Guest post by Risa Edelstein]
I love to read and I love to read books about all things related to ecological landscape design. Surprise. So it’s no wonder that I have a good size library that includes books about gardening, native plants, horticulture, edibles, design and anything else that tickles my fancy during a month. But honestly, I have a few favorites that I could not be without. This is the list I created for you today.
I have not included Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy in this list simply because it is a given, a “must have” before the must haves. It has been mentioned many times by fellow bloggers and I wrote about it numerous times in the past. Reading it when it was first released really did change the way I designed landscapes and he has clearly had an influence ever since. So once you have Tallamy’s book – here is what I would recommend next.
The American Woodland Garden by Rick Darke
My book is falling apart and was one of the first I ever purchased. Rick Darke makes shade gardening seem like a religion in the way he photographs our native woodland plants and forests. He takes you through multiple seasons and then has an exhaustive list of plants at the back, many of which are available commercially. I use his book to show clients how beautiful our woods are and it convinces them that their backyards should look the same.
Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines by Bill Cullina & Wildflowers by Bill Cullina
Bill Cullina is our horticulture Superstar here in the Northeast. Woman swoon over him the way we once swooned over Bon Jovi (am I showing my age ;->). Once head of horticulture at the New England Wildflower Society, Bill now heads up horticulture at the Maine Botanical Garden. His writing is wonderful and he really knows his plants. Another book in my library is his Native Ferns, Grasses and Mosses – but it’s really for groupies only!
Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb
This is the bible if you want to ID wildflowers. It still takes me hours to figure out how to key a plant, but when you finally locate it, it’s a delight!
A recent purchase for me this year, this book does a great job at identifying and explaining all of the issues surrounding local pollinators.
Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East – Carolyn Summers
This book approaches native plants from a design perspective which is unique. Carolyn also identified a few plants I had not considered using in the past.
Urban & Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Places – Catherine Zimmerman
A wonderful book that has amazing photographs that show you how to create a meadow. It also provides lots of step by step approaches how to prepare your yard for meadowscaping. A wonderful resource with lots of charts to help at the back.
This is my bible for rain gardens. Nigel Dunnett is from the UK and is one of the lead planting consultants on the London 2012 Olympic Park. Need I say more?
The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect & Disease Control – Rodale Publishing
A wonderful reference for anyone seeking an ecological approach to insect and disease issues in the yard.
Bird by Bird Gardening – Sally Roth
A great book for bird lovers but I’ve still yet to get Cedar Waxwings into my garden! I did have a hummingbird this year though.
Do you have any favorite books you cannot live without?
[Risa Edelstein is an ecological landscape designer. She is currently the President of the Ecological Landscaping Association. Connect with Risa on LinkedIn]
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