Holiday Gift Guide: When the Gardener on Your List Is a Bookworm

There's a book for every gardener. SerPhoto/Shutterstock

It’s that time of year again—time to think about gifts for the gardener in your family who already has all the tools and gadgets. Gardening books are a great way to pass the winter away while learning new things about plants and gardens.

Over the past few decades of telling gardeners about new books, the places where books are purchased have changed. The list price of the books has also changed. There used to only be one way to buy the book and only one book version. Now, the books can be bought in stores and online, and the book may be available in paper or as an electronic version. In the past, prices didn’t change much, but now prices can vary from site to site and day to day.

“Hortus Curious“ by Michael Perry is a great book for the curious and fun-loving gardener. There are a lot of weird plants in the world and this book covers 41 of the most unusual ones. From plants that can eat fish, catch fire, or look like rocks, this book is a fascinating and fun read. The illustrations alone are worth the price.

The newest book by Shelley Cramm is “My Father Is the Gardener.” It is part biblical devotional and part botanical devotional. She combines plants found in the bible and the gardener’s work such as watering and weeding to help the reader find meaning in daily life. There is an unusual combination of original artwork, botanical renderings, and macro-photography of botanical plant specimens.

Growing herbs has been a trend for several years, but it really took off during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Whether you had success or not growing herbs, the latest book by Susan Betz, “Herbal Houseplants,” is a good read. Many herbs are great houseplants; they just need the right conditions. Ms. Betz lets you know which herbs will grow on your windowsill and which ones are better off in the kitchen. From the easy-to-grow to the finicky, she covers all of the care instructions for each herb. There are guidelines for harvesting and preserving herbs and dozens of recipes.

If you thought herbs were a trend, then watch out for the beekeepers. Many towns are changing ordinances to allow beehives in the suburbs and urban areas that until recently, few people thought would allow the bees to thrive. If you have a hive or want to get one, “A Beekeeper’s Diary“ by Charlotte Wiggins is a must-read. It covers the equipment needed, where to set up the hive, how to get bees, and how to manage pests and diseases. There are checklists that will help you quickly set up a hive and keep the bees healthy.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you about my book. “Greener View Gardening” is a book that covers everything a landscape owner who never took a gardening class needs to know about growing plants. It covers how to buy, prune, and maintain your plants indoors or out. It is only available at GreenerView.com in both softcover and PDF formats. It is over 400 pages long and has almost 1,000 pictures and illustrations. From now until Christmas, use the promo code “Gift” to get half-off the price of either version of the book.

Courtesy of Jeff Rugg

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