List of horticulture and gardening books

A home gardener's library includes gardening books and journals to aid the residential gardener in planning, planting, harvesting, and maintaining a garden around the home. Gardening books encompass a variety of subjects from garden design, vegetable gardens, perennial gardens, to shade gardens. Every plant genus or category of plants may also be covered including roses, clematis, bulbs, hellebores, and hydrangeas. The Internet has expanded and enhanced the availability of gardening resources. Plant databases, photographic collections, as well as detailed articles and blogs greatly add to the range and depth of home gardening information.
"The gardens I love best are those that are still affectionately tended by the people who own them and who made them, who planned and planted and replanned and replanted them, who dug in the dirt and moved hoses and watched their gardens change with cycle of seasons and over the passage of years." A home gardener's library may include the following sources(books, journals, websites):

Plant Information

• Dirr, M.A. (1998). Manual of woody landscape plants: their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses. Champaign, IL: Stipes.
• Dirr, M.A. (1997). Dirr’s hardy trees and shrubs: an illustrated encyclopedia. Portland: Timber Press. (ISBN: 0-881-92404-0)

Not as comprehensive as the manual above, but it is enhanced with photographs.

• UI Plants. Gary J. Kling. 2008. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 17 Mar. 2008

<http://woodyplants.nres.uiuc.edu/>.

Design

• Easton, V.(2007). A pattern garden: the essential elements of garden making. Portland: Timber Press. (ISBN 0-881-92780-5)

Perenials & Plants

• Di-Sabato-Aust, T.(1998). The well-tended perennial garden: planting & pruning techniques. Portland: Timber Press.

This work discusses techniques of pruning perennials to extend bloom time and visual appeal.

• Howells, J.(1996). The rose and the clematis as good companions. Woodbridge: Garden Art Press. (ISBN 1-870-67319-0)
• Harper, P.J.(2000). Time-tested plants: thirty years in a four-season garden. Portland: Timber Press.

Seasonally organized, plants discussed are hardy in USDA hardiness zone 7.

Containers

• Fisher, S.(1999). Scented containers: great ideas for year-round fragrance. NY: Sterling Pub. (ISBN: 0-706-37800-8)

Container ideas for spring, summer, autumn, winter. "Plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage can be planted in pots and positioned for maximum enjoyment."

Inspiration

• Lacy, A.(1998).The inviting garden: gardening for the senses, mind, and spirit. NY: Henry Holt.

Divided into three parts: Part 1: Gardening and the Senses; Part 2: Gardening and the Mind; Part 3: Gardening and the Spirit. "An introduction to the passion of gardening and its lifetime rewards."

Garden Journals

• Fine Gardeningbi-monthly magazine with ideas for garden design, plant combinations, techniques and tips, and advice for your gardening region. Companion sitewith plant guide, design, and how-to sections.
• Garden Design
• Horticulture