| Author | Content |
admin
Schenectady, NY
 December 10, 2012 9:50 AM Post #9354678
| There are a total of 72 votes:
| A field guide to help me identify wild plants.
(17 votes, 23%) |  |
| A guide to gardening in my region with monthly tips and suggestions.
(14 votes, 19%) | |
| A basic how-to for general gardening.
(3 votes, 4%) | |
| Landscaping designs and suggestions.
(7 votes, 9%) | |
| A garden journal that I can create myself.
(3 votes, 4%) | |
| A book for the culture of a specific plant. (e.g. roses, orchids, vegetables, etc.)
(14 votes, 19%) | |
| Other (tell us!)
(14 votes, 19%) | |
|
Previous Polls |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX (Zone 9a)
December 10, 2012 10:18 AM Post #9354714
| Because that's what phase my garden is in right now... |
Indy
Alexandria, IN (Zone 6a)
December 10, 2012 10:37 AM Post #9354725
| My favorite ones deal with the soil...fertility, amendments, soil types, textures, and structures. |
steadycam3
Houston Heights, TX (Zone 9a)
December 10, 2012 12:12 PM Post #9354787
| I vote other because I use them all. My "stack" sits right beside "my chair" along with a butterfly ID book. When it gets too dark to garden outside, I sit and "garden inside". Sometimes l look up specifics and sometimes I dream and plan. My books are supplemented by DG, google and my trusty computer. I guess if I have a favorite, it would be garden design but reading that, generally leads me right back tto the other books and to the net. I read a thread recently on DG by butterfly chaser about getting a Kindle Fire so I wonder next year if we asked the same question, will people say Kindle instead of books. |
Katlian
Carson City, NV (Zone 6b)
December 10, 2012 2:03 PM Post #9354892
| Sunset Western Garden Book. When I need more detailed info I boot up the laptop and look on DG. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO (Zone 6a)
December 10, 2012 5:25 PM Post #9355083
| The first two. I like knowing my wildflowers and sometimes I could use help with regional ideas. |
bonehead
Cedarhome, WA (Zone 8b)
December 10, 2012 8:49 PM Post #9355213
| I went with field guide, although I have all the others as well. I tend to use the internet for specific information (care, bugs, whatever) for a particular plant, but rely on my native plant field guide to try to figure out what I've got growing out and about on its own. |
Garden_Sass
Central, TX (Zone 8b)
December 11, 2012 6:09 AM Post #9355386
| Beginning gardeners should start with a book(s) written for their region which covers "the basics". Another resource is the land grant university of their state and the county agricultural/horticultural agent's office. Many have free or low cost publications in print or on-line and most have a Master Gardener group to help via educational presentations. Local garden clubs, local nurseries and neighbors that have great gardens are another resource.
My daughter's husband was in the Navy for a number of years, they lived on one coast or the other as duty stations changed. As soon as she was settled in, she would drive around the neighborhood looking for "gardeners" to help her with "how-to" information for the new location!
|
kittriana
Magnolia, TX (Zone 8b)
December 11, 2012 2:34 PM Post #9355770
| I voted field guide and was thinking about voting again-for the region gardening tips, but haven't done it yet... |
growin
Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 December 11, 2012 9:23 PM Post #9356069
| Although I said, "A book for the culture of a specific plant.", it is really a bit of everything. I have always relied heavily on my books and have been collecting for about 30 years. I have everything from Greenhouse & Nursery production, Propagation, Landscape Design to plant specific book like Cycads & Palms, Fuchsias, Heliconias, Camellias to regionally specific books like the Western Garden Book that Katlian mentioned, native plants of British Columbia, Trees of Vancouver/Seattle, etc. As I hang out in the ID forum alot, books with mostly images are helpful in flipping through the pages to get an ID if I remember having seen it somewhere in one of my books. I study the Dirr books, Hillier Manuals and the Encyclopedias for tidbits of info. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
luciee
Hanceville, AL (Zone 7a)
December 12, 2012 10:36 AM Post #9356433
| I had to vote other because there is no place for "all of the above". Luciee {;^) |
bonehead
Cedarhome, WA (Zone 8b)
December 12, 2012 2:36 PM Post #9356574
| I am a bit surprised that 'field book' is so far winning the popular vote. I take that as a good sign that we are all becoming a bit more in tune to our own micro-climates and working along side nature rather than against it. All good. Nothing against out-of-zone exotics, mind you, but I for one am finding a more naturalistic garden to be more soothing to my eye and less labor intensive. |
mamasita
Southern Dutchess Co, NY (Zone 5b)
December 12, 2012 5:27 PM Post #9356782
| I agree with growin. My personal library is filled with all types of plant/garden books and guides but my faves tend to be the encyclopedia types that cover a vast assortment of plants. From there, I can hone in on specifics. Armed with the right information, it then comes down to trial and error as well as testimony from other gardeners with what works for them. I think it's all about the challenge!
|
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA (Zone 8b)
December 13, 2012 7:06 PM Post #9357702
| Katlian
I agree with you, I used to call it my plant Bible for the Western States, it is so much more informative and accurate that USDA is for us. |
flowAjen
central, NJ (Zone 6b)
December 13, 2012 7:09 PM Post #9357706
| Landscaping and design...love looking at real pictures of garden layouts |
g_whizz
rosetta TASMANIA
Australia
December 13, 2012 8:43 PM Post #9357756
| Liliums-A giude to growing liliums, by Edward Austin Mcrae..If anyone can help me out with a copy[IN-AUSTRALIA] |
juhur7
Anderson, IN (Zone 6b)
December 14, 2012 3:02 PM Post #9358338
| L&D only I read everything !!! Each one all!!! |
greenbrain
Madison, IL (Zone 6b)
December 14, 2012 5:24 PM Post #9358417
| I agree with whoever wrote "all the above". I have a huge assortment of books that fit in all the categories. However, if I just want to look up something real quick, I go for my Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. |
cando1
Ozone, AR (Zone 6a)
December 16, 2012 3:27 AM Post #9359584
| I will read anything that is printable. When we lived in Turkey I read an entire encyclapedia(SP).
Vickie
PS It did'nt help my spelling at all.
Vickie |
bonehead
Cedarhome, WA (Zone 8b)
December 16, 2012 12:47 PM Post #9359951
| Apparently you never sang that en-cy-cl-op-edia song as a child... |
greenbrain
Madison, IL (Zone 6b)
December 21, 2012 4:24 AM Post #9363628
| I had my book in front of me when I typed the title, so I cheated. lol |
grits74571
Talihina, OK
December 21, 2012 12:31 PM Post #9363934
| I didn't get to vote and now can't find my way back so will just say My favorite book is Arkansas Wildflowers as I live in SE Oklahoma but very close to Arkansas 'The plants covered in the Arkansas book matches up with my area much better than any of the Oklahoma field guides that i own ..FYI I bought it at a Arkansas state park (Queen Wilhelmina) |
greenbrain
Madison, IL (Zone 6b)
December 21, 2012 7:49 PM Post #9364313
| Now that I've had more time to think about it, I've learned quite a bit from gardening and seed catalogs. I love browsing thru looking at the pics. |
hopflower
Santa Rosa, CA (Zone 9a)
December 22, 2012 5:17 PM Post #9364994
| Any of them: I love garden books! |
greenbrain
Madison, IL (Zone 6b)
December 25, 2012 5:52 PM Post #9367036
| Wow! I just received a mailbox full of seed/nursery catalogs on Christmas Eve!!! |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO (Zone 6a)
December 25, 2012 6:42 PM Post #9367077
| So did I!!! |
