|
The events of the past year have reminded me of what we as gardeners go through in planting, growing and maintaining a garden. A good gardener takes risks, embraces the unknown, and is perennially persistent in his or her pursuit of beauty and joy through the craft of gardening. Although this year’s turmoil has occurred largely in the realm of finance and business, it has forced many of us to reconsider what truly matters.
Our foundation of home, family and friends seems more important than ever. Thousands have returned to the earth to find their fix of solace and comfort. Many residents joined the First Lady and planted a vegetable garden. When space was at a premium, ordinary planters became wondrous, eclectic mergers of flowers and vegetables. And in the midst of crisis, Hill gardeners did not shirk their task -- throughout Capitol Hill front gardens and planters overflowed with color and texture.
This year’s Holiday Garden books selections are a vibrant reminder that through the art of flower and vegetable gardening we are instantly revived, renewed, and able to take on any challenge with vigor and good old fashioned spunk. The following selection of books are informative, beautifully crafted, and will revive the sprit by creating beauty and bounty one flower at a time. Enjoy!
Preston Bailey: Celebrations, lush flowers, opulent tables, dramatic spaces, and other inspirations for entertaining, Preston Bailey, Rizzoli International Publications, $60.00
This is the feel-good coffee table book of the year. Even if you have never had any interest in the art of floral design and event staging, one look at any of the spectacular creations in this book will instantly allure you into loving the craft. Preston Bailey is world renowned for his artistic over-the-top creations. In Celebrations, you are taken into a world of unbelievable beauty through a series of never-before-published events. From the bathroom decorated with ornate picture frames then filled with mirrors or candles or flowers, to the mirrored wedding gazebo that uses crystal curtains and white flowers to create a once-in-a-lifetime marriage of time and space, the creative genius of Mr. Bailey leaps off every page and gives joy and inspiration to anyone, with any budget, that wants to create their own celebration.
The City Gardener’s Handbook, the definitive guide to small space gardening Linda Yang, Storey Publishing, $19.95
Many books have been published to tell us how, and when, and why to do small space gardens. However, most fall short in combining all the considerations that you must have for success in small gardens. Linda Yang illustrates the essence that is at the heart of creating and maintaining small spaces. Her attention to hardscape and softscape is impeccable. The before and after pictures throughout the book are both illustrative and informative. There are great examples of four season gardens with photos of how the gardens will look in different seasons. Containers and soils and plants and structures are all masterfully addressed and incorporated in this comprehensive study into small garden design.
Garden Anywhere, how to grow gorgeous container gardens, herb gardens, kitchen gardens, and more without spending a fortune, Alys Fowler, Chronicle Books, $24.95
With sections like design with love, surviving the garden center, and no garden gardening, Alys Fowler transforms her love for her craft to a precious gift for any urban gardener. There is information on growing potatoes in containers, creating natural looking designs by random placement of plants prior to planting, making a window box and creating your own compost bin. This book packs in the information in a clear down to earth manner that will have you, book in hand, in your garden for years to come.
The Container Gardener’s Bible, a step by step guide to growing in all kinds of containers, conditions, and locations, Joanna K. Harrison and Miranda Smith, Rodale, $21.95
This book is for anyone who has ever planted a plant in an outdoor container and had it die. The authors have packed an enormous amount of information into this 200-page book. Designed in an easy to follow how-to format, this is the book you will turn to again and again to make and maintain container gardens in even the most challenging of spaces. The pots, the plants, the fertilizers, soils and harvest, every aspect of container gardening are covered. This book is truly a bible for the container gardener.
Flowers For The Home, inspirations from the world over by Prudence Designs, Grayson Handy and Tracey Zabar, Rizzoli International Publications, $40.00
New York City’s acclaimed floral designer Grayson Handy draws on worldly inspirations to create some of the most unique, awe-inspiring floral designs. He is creative director of Prudence Designs and Events, a renowned flower shop with a long list of famous clientele. His book takes us on a journey of fantasy and place. Whimsy and elegance collide beautifully in the Chinese-food take out floral display. A fawn colored tree trunk table adorns a washed-out green distressed sap bucket that is filled with pink lilac flowers and branches that evokes a sense of country casual. A single white gardenia blossom hovers in a slightly tarnished silver lotus blossom pedestal container, simply magnificent. This beautiful book will hopefully inspire you to create many world-class floral designs of your own. |
