The Evening Garden: Flowers and Fragrance from Dusk Till Dawn

Loewer, one of the very best garden enthusiasts now writing today, does not disappoint with his latest book. The depth of his knowledge is solid, while the cadences of his prose are lovely. From his first acknowledgment of how he became interested in things of the night as a child to various chapters on night-blooming and fragrant daylilies, cactuses, wildflowers, and orchids, Loewer delights with humor and helpful information. He quotes liberally from other experts--botanists and lepidopterists, poets and garden writers--adding their store of knowledge to his own considerable experience. And the lessons he teaches here are easy to learn: how and why flowers open, how the human eye sees colors, how bromeliads get their nourishment, and how to care for all the plants mentioned in the book. Loewer includes indoor as well as outdoor plants, and tropicals as well as temperate, winter-hardy types. A chapter on lighting the outdoor night garden and an extensive list of sources round out this welcome addition to the gardening library. Illustrations not seen by PW. Garden Book Club main selection, Organic Gardening selection, and Practical Homeowner Book Club selection. (Feb.)