Garden gift books for all skill levels

Laurie Casey
The Morton Arboretum

A gardening book makes a wonderful holiday gift. Here are some titles that shine, according to Rochelle Hoffmann, book buyer at The Morton Arboretum Store. Whether you want a book for a beginning gardener or someone who’s got two green thumbs, you can find it among these:

Native Plants in the Home Landscape (University of Illinois Extension, $30) by Keith Gerard Nowakowski
“I always recommend this book to local gardeners,” said Hoffmann. “It promotes using native plants for beauty and ease of maintenance.” The book includes landscape design plans complete with suggested plants that thrive in our upper Midwest climate. According to Nowakowski, “One of the best ways to create an interesting landscape garden…is to use accessible natural areas near your home for design cues.”

Grow Organic (DK, $25), Louise Abbott, Editor
Not many books actually practice what they preach like this one does. “This is a unique book that is published with eco-friendly materials and methods. It would make a nice gift presentation to a beginning organic gardener,” said Hoffmann. “And the photography is luscious!” The book touches on a number of trends, including the idea of “edible landscaping,” where food plants are used decoratively in a landscape.

The Green Gardener’s Guide (Cool Springs Press, $16.95) by Joe Lamp’l
Hoffmann likes this book because it addresses “going green as it applies specifically to gardening. TV host Joe Lamp’l presents information in an easy-to-follow format.” Chapters cover water conservation, reducing use of chemicals, erosion, composting, protecting animal habitats, and landscaping to reduce your home’s energy consumption.

Low-Maintenance Garden (DK, $9.99) by Jenny Hendy
“This richly illustrated book focuses on the low-maintenance approach to gardening,” said Hoffmann. The book offers step-by-step instructions for building simple garden structures, a great chapter on ideas for easy-care plants, and tips for minimizing upkeep, such as this one: “Weeding success is all about timing. If you miss your window of opportunity…in the spring when weeds are young and easy to remove, the rest of the year can be a struggle.”

The Way We Garden Now (Potter, $25.95) by Katherine Whiteside
If you have a friend who wants to garden but is short on time and gardening space, here’s “a little gift book that is beautifully illustrated and that includes a lot of tips and projects perfect for beginning gardeners,” according to Hoffmann. The book includes 41 small, medium or large project ideas that are written like recipes, including tools and materials needed. Projects include making a compost pile, brightening shady spots and planting a sunflower “folly.”

The Tree Care Primer (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, $9.95) by Christopher Roddick with Beth Hanson
At a little more than 100 pages, “this book concisely covers the basics of tree care in all stages of growth, from young saplings to aging trees,” said Hoffmann. Here’s a tip: “Take a site’s prevailing wind patterns into account when deciding what type of tree to plant and where. Some trees are structurally better suited to a windy spot than others.”

Tree & Shrub Handbook, 2nd Edition (The Morton Arboretum, $50)
Hoffmann said, “I always recommend the handbook because it not only covers tree care, but also selection and common pests and diseases.” The handbook, which shares with Midwest gardeners the Arboretum’s vast research and horticulture experience, includes many photographs, charts and step-by-step instructions.

Chicago Gardens (The University of Chicago Press, $35) by Cathy Jean Maloney
Author Cathy Jean Maloney beautifully describes the colorful early history of gardening in Chicago, including the days when “peacocks strutted across many a manicured lawn” or when neighbors showed off the latest reel lawn mower, which was a “newfangled improvement over the sheep or cows that used to graze the grass.” Hoffmann recommends “this well-researched book as a lovely gift for all Chicagoland gardeners.” 

At the Arboretum
The Arboretum Store is hosting “Men’s Shopping Night.” Free beer, snacks and gift wrapping as store personnel help men pick out just the right gift for the women in their lives, December 18 from 5-8 p.m. on. Call (630) 719-2454 for details.

Laurie Casey is a staff writer at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.