Is there one entitled "How to Garden in Sandy Soil"? Teehee. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Perennials by G Rice

Cyn: Haha I said 'deserted" not "desert". Let's imagine this island with an ideal climate fo growing perennials, annual, veggies, whatever. Miriam
"

If you were marooned on a deserted island you wouldn't have a chance to take any book. You'd better have the knowledge in your head. Besides if I were going to be marooned and was allowed to take something I would like my Trowel, some seeds, and other gardening tools as well as sunscreen.

Some kind of book on what wild flowers and plants are really edible, and which ones to stay away from!

Oh, and I do watch Survivorman and Bear Grylls. So something there in my head should click in! lol

Oilpainter "I just want to know what your most favorite gardening book is--what you couldn't be without if, for instance, your house was on fire and you could retrieve ony one gardening book before the place went up in flames. Miriam

Botanica's 'A-Z' - the big one with lots of entries covering lots of zones and species.

thanks rodja and vetivert8. I'll check these out.

Hmm, good question. Funny, my son and I were just listing our "10 albums to have with you on a deserted island" the other day, lol.

I don't really read a lot of gardening books, but I think if I were stuck on an island, I'd want a big book chock full of gorgeous, full-color photos. I think at that point I'd rather have something to look at than something to read about - at least garden-wise.

Although, kentstar makes a great point with the idea of a book on edible plants, lol. Perhaps the best book would be one on homesteading and self-sufficiency, lol!

Miriam, from your last post, I'm curious - is this just a fun, random thread, or are you looking for ideas on what our one, must-have book is, as far as practical gardening information?

:)
Dee

You got it, diggerdee. I'm trying to find some really useful books--ones that a seasoned gardener wouldn't be without. Miriam

I watch Survivorman too! Very good point about toxic and edible plants!

I haven't got it, but for Christmas I asked for "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden," on recommendations from people here. :)

Rodale's Illustrated Encylopedia of Perennials

The point people have been wandering around, hoping you notice the circle pattern, is that gardening is local. This was something that sort of gets drilled into your head when you live on the Main Line in Philadelphia :-) The local library had practically an entire shelf of gardening books written by people who lived and gardened within 20 miles - starting with Louise Beebe Wilder, and ending with anybody connected with Longwood. So if you are stranded on a deserted island, you would want a book that told you how to garden on a deserted island. The most useful book is the one that tells you want you need to know.

So what do you think you need to know?

Mad: what do I need to know? just about everything. Miriam

This was my first year with a garden, so I need help with just about everything too.

I've been looking through a lot of books at the library. The only one I bought a copy of so far is Great Gardening Companions by Sally Jean Cunningham, but this is more of a vegetable garden book. Ann Reilly's Gardening Naturally is a good book too. She has a nice reference section on vegetables, flowers and herbs towards the back. I also like the Sunset books (which have been very helpful, believe it or not). The Edible Garden, Vegetable Gardening and Roses are all good reference books and small enough to carry around easily. I looked at a lot of rose books and the Sunset one is nice to take with you when you shop for roses. Hope this helps :)

lavender lass: I have so much shade (lots of trees, northern exposure) that I can't grow veggies, roses, or for that matter any of the perennials that need more than 3 hours of sun--very limiting! Miriam

Hmm, as I said above, I don't read a lot of gardening books, but I would think there is really no one book that would cover it all. You'd need books on design, on plants, on shade, sun, veggies, flowers, annuals, perennials, disease, stonework, ponds, and so on.

Unless, of course, there is a comprehensive book out there and I just don't know about it because I don't read them, lol!

While I can see your intent here - the idea of getting the "bible" of gardening, so to speak - I think it would be more helpful (and lots more fun!) to read several books on all the above topics. After all, different authors have different takes on things.

I'd say just go to your library and find the gardening section. Make sure to check the catalog also, because you can get lots of great books on loan from other libraries if your own doesn't have something.

Have fun!
:)
Dee

See if the library has (or can get) 'The Natural Shade Garden' by Ken Druse. It's mostly a picture book, but a very impressive picture book. It's also by no means a 'deserted island' book, but we now know that isn't at all what this thread is really about....

Dee: okay you're right. I'll check out the library (already have done some research there I have the well-tended perennial garden by disabato) and as for your suggestion, mad gallica, I think the Natural Shade Garden by Ken Druse is a good source.
But the shade garden books I've already at don't seem to be talking about gardens that get less than 3 hours sun. Miriam

I do not know how shaded your garden is but I divide my shade plants by indirect and no sun. Indirect being that something blocks direct sunlight but there is nothing directly overhead. May not make much sense but think of you sitting next to a canopy. The canopy is blocking the suns direct rays but directly overhead is sky. The light that that comes from the shy over you is still sunlight. The ones that I classify as no sun are directly under the tree and any sunlight they get comes from the side not directly overhead. There are quite a few plants that can grow with this indirect sun you just have to experiment.

The biggest, thickest plant encyclopedia known to man so once I figured out how to make fire, I'd have a big-ol fuel source to signal a boat cruise ship to rescue me.

maifleur (French--fleur, flower) I get the canopy analogy, but am not sure what you mean by indirect sun. I have 2-3 hours of direct sun (sun almost directly overhead from 11:30 to 2:00 p.m. This part of the garden I call partial shade. The rest gets no sun (north wall but no overhanging tree branches) and I think this would be complete shade but not dense shade. Miriam

It just so happens I have my mom's copy of Better Homes and Gardens "Gardening in the Shade" and it talks about types of shade at the beginning of the book. It says types of shade can be divided into different categories.

Partial shade, also called open shade or semishade covers the areas that receive three to six hours of sun a day, either in the morning or afternoon, or have lightly dappled sunlight all day.

Light shade, also called thin shade, is when plants are under young trees or trees with very small leaves which allow sun to still get through to the plants.

Medium or half shade is the kind that makes you comfortable on a hot summer day. This is shade under trees with branches 20 feet or more off the ground. Many plants will still grow well in this shade, according to the book.

Full shade is the shade beneath mature trees with heavy foliage, like maples and oaks. Some shade plants will still do well, like hellebores, ivy, wild ginger, hostas, ferns and violets.

Dense or heavy shade is the kind of shade found beneath evergreen trees or the north side of a tall building. This is difficult for most plants and often ends up being a deck or patio with potted plants that can be rotated out to sunnier locations.

It's a good book and it also has a reference section for many shade-tolerant plants. Very pretty pictures, too!

Boy, have I got a Shade book for you! Try to get your hands on "The Complete Shade Gardener" by George Schenk. It is terrific. It's a well written, clear cut primer on shade garden design, maintenance, and pruning, and has a very good list of shade garden plants with good info on each. It's definitely one of my favorite garden reads ever. It's published by Timber Press.

How about we think of our most useful first gardening books? My mother gave me Louise and ? Bush Brown's general gardening book donot recollect name. Anything I wanted to know was there, from bugs to fences. It was a good basic all purpose book, which Perhaps is what a beginning gardener needs to have. That's why Rodale is good.

Which brings me to the point that a good basic book of any type should contain information not just encouragement and be somewhat lighthearted, so to bring continuing encouragement during hailstorms and failures.

idabean

I've been AWOL for a few days. Donnabaskets, lavender lass and idabean: thanks for great shade book ideas. All are now on my list. If we live through this ugly winter (just Dec. 10 and laready 10 degrees below windchill in Chicago!

Lauren Springer (Ogden)'s book 'The Undaunted Garden' is an excellent, no nonsense apporach to gardening in the cooler, dry areas of the country, specifically Colorado. I live in southern Ontario, and most of the plants she recommends do well for me, too.

I appreciate all of the gardening books recommened here..I have just three books, with titles like Easy Care, Easy to Grow, Simple and Fool-Proof, Plants for Simpletons, etc. Miriam