[.ca] Burpee Complete Flower Gardener (ISBN 0764543245)

Two Green Thumbs Up!:
I like intelligent garden writing that is both engaging and friendly. Nothing puts me off more than dry or condescending writing, and if it puts off a seasoned gardener, it will intimidate and discourage a newbie. Happily, Burpee Complete Flower Gardener by Karan Davis Cutler & Barbara Ellis is one of those kitchen-table books; where reading it makes us feel like we're chatting with a couple of fellow gardeners at our kitchen table. Cutler and Ellis love growing flowers, and it shows--and the real beauty about this book is that it focuses on an organic approach to flower gardening. They write with wisdom and humour, and the 488 pages are packed with practical information AND seasoned with lovely photos. The book is divided into two sections. Part one is Flower Gardening from the Ground Up, which takes readers through the basics of plants, soils, creating new beds, and the art of tending, planting and dealing with problems in the garden. The second part is Plant Portraits, which I like because it profiles nearly 200 different annuals and perennials, including some that often aren't given the attention they deserve. The profiles are each several pages long, including information on how to grow and what species or cultivars to look for. In a world where new plant selections are as numerous and varied as fashions off designer runways, Cutler and Ellis don't try to mention all the newest of the new; but with this volume in your library, you'll have the confidence to go try a new coneflower or zinnia or astilbe.