ABRAMS
Set to rebloom in April in reduced format editions are the lavishly illustrated Roses from the Archives of the Royal Horticultural Society and Orchids… ($16.95 each) by, respectively, Peter Harkness, contributor to the Royal Horticultural Society Roses Plant Guide, and Mark Griffiths, a noted writer on orchids. Flower-arranging aficionados will discover anything but traditional bouquets in Nico De Swert: Living with Flowers (May, $40) with photos by Wendell T. Webber. Famed for arrangements that mimic anything from an haute couture gown to a simple watermelon, De Swert suggests a wide range of plants to be used and offers hints for extending their life. "The very act of making a personal garden implies that the maker feels at home," says May Brawley Hill in her introduction to On Foreign Soil: American Gardeners Abroad (May, $40). She reveals insights into expatriate life as she explores the gardens abroad created by such notable Americans as Thomas Jefferson, Edith Wharton and Gore Vidal, as depicted in period prints, photographs and paintings.
ALGONQUIN
Not sure how to encourage earthworms to inhabit your garden? Rejoice. The paperback reprint edition of The Earth Moved: Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms (Mar., $12.95) by Amy Stewart will answer that and any other questions you may have about these accomplished critters.
ANTIQUE COLLECTORS' CLUB
Coinciding with the bicentenary of its discovery in Nepal, acknowledged clematis expert Dr. John Howells's Montanas: Everyone's Clematis—A Book for Gardeners (Apr., $24.95) provides the seeds to successful cultivation of the climber whose tiny flowers provide swathes of color from early spring through September.
From Frances Lincoln: The secrets of creating glorious flower arrangements year-round can be found in The Cutting Garden: Growing and Arranging Garden Flowers (Apr., $45) by Sarah Raven, who offers step-by-step instructions for choosing, planting, maintaining and arranging more than 500 blooming plants.
From Verba Volant: With Herman Hesse's poem "Step" as an inspirational foreword, Becoming Being Passing (May, $39.95) captures the majesty of a single clump of tulips from birth to demise in 28 large-format color photographs by Sabine Rösner.
BALL (dist. by IPG)
Great Flowering Landscape Shrubs (Apr., $24.95 paper) by Vincent Simeone, director of the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, N.Y., profiles more than 100 deciduous and evergreen shrubs selected for ornamental value, cultural adaptability, pest resistance and function. Six- to 12-year-olds whose thumbs haven't yet turned green can dig into Cindy Krezel's Kids' Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out (June, $14.95 paper) for 18 kid-tested and kid-friendly projects designed to introduce the pleasures of gardening.
BARRON'S
Location, location, location—as important to indoor gardening as it is to real estate—is just one of the topics detailed in The Indoor Plant Bible: The Essential Guide to Choosing and Caring for Indoor, Greenhouse, and Patio Plants (Mar., $22.95) by Dorte Nissen. Containing some 400 color photos, the spiral-bound volume offers tips on buying, potting, feeding, watering and more.
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN (dist. by Sterling)
The publisher adds three new titles to its All-Region Guides series. Intimate Gardens (Feb., $9.95 paper) by master garden designers and horticulturalists C. Colston Burrell and Lucy Hardiman offers easy instructions for transforming any outdoor space into an intimate garden for year-round enjoyment. Beth Hanson prescribes more than one apple a day in The Best Apples to Buy and Grow (June, $9.95 paper), a small-sized guide (especially handy at farmers' markets) with tips for buying, eating, storing and growing 60 of the tastiest varieties. Saving time and money—two things gardeners never have enough of—is the focus of Garden Tips and Timesavers (Sept., $9.95 paper) by Walter Chandoha, whose advice promises to minimize maintenance and maximize enjoyment.
BULFINCH
Portable gardens are the mobile subject of Gardens to Go: Creating and Designing a Container Garden (Apr., $35) by Sydney Eddison, whose designs and instructions yield lush container arrangements for decks, terraces, balconies and yards.
CHELSEA GREEN
The art and science of putting plants together in woodland-like patterns that forge mutually beneficial relationships to create a garden ecosystem is fully documented in Edible Forest Gardens Volume 1: Ecological Vision and Theory for Temperate-Climate Permaculture and Volume 2: Ecological Design and Practice for Temperate-Climate Permaculture (June, $60 each, two-volume set $100) by Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier.
From Permanent Publications: The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps to Create a Self-Sustaining World (Mar., $39.95 paper) by Graham Bell delineates the basic approach to making the most of natural resources by minimizing waste and maximizing potential. The Permaculture Garden (Mar., $29.95 paper) by Bell provides specific practical advice on reducing garden labor, recycling material, and planning crop successions for year-round chemical-free harvests. Specifically for sub-tropical and warm-climate gardeners, a revised edition of Permaculture Plants: A Selection (Mar., $39.95 paper) details hundreds of common and unusual edible, medicinal and useful perennials that thrive in those climes. Available for the first time in the U.S., The Basics of Permaculture Design (Mar., $29.95 paper) by Ross Mars is an introduction to the processes and tools needed for designing sustainable gardens in spaces big or small. A step-by-step guide, Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally (Mar., $69.95 paper) by Robert Kourik is back in print with advice on low-maintenance plants, soil improvement and pruning for temperate-zone gardeners.
From Seed Savers Exchange: Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit organization committed to saving heirloom garden seeds from extinction, has compiled its sixth Garden Seed Inventory: An Inventory of Seed Catalogs Listing All Nonhybrid Vegetable Seeds Available in the United States and Canada (Mar., $32; paper $26), which lists some 8,500 nonhybrids from amaranth to zucchini.
CONARI
Tips from the Old Gardeners (Mar., $9.95) by Duncan Crosbie contains a bounty of gardening folklore (and quite a few chuckles) handed down from good old green thumbs, much of whose sagacity has been validated by modern botanical research.
COOL SPRINGS PRESS
New last month to the publisher's Jackson & Perkins brand line: Jackson & Perkins Rose Companions: Growing Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, Shrubs, and Vines with Roses ($22.99 paper) by Stephen Scanniello. February additions to the Can't Miss line include Can't Miss Container Gardening by Felder Rushing and Teri Dunn and …Flower Gardening by Teri Dunn ($18.99 each paper).
This month the publisher's Month-By-Month series grows with the following: Month-by-Month Gardening in Ohio: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year by Denny McKeown; …New York… by Jacqueline Hériteau; …New Jersey… by Pegi Ballister-Howells; …Missouri… by Mike Miller; …the Prairie Lands… by Cathy Wilkinson Barash; …New England… by Jacqueline Hériteau; …the Rocky Mountains… by John Cretti ($19.99 each paper). New editions in the Regional Guides series are Tennessee & Kentucky Gardener's Guide by Judy Lowe, Washington & Oregon… by Debra Prinzing and Mary Robson, The Carolinas… by Toby Bost and Jim Wilson, and Alabama & Mississippi… by Jennifer Greer and Felder Rushing.Among the revised editions are Oklahoma… by Steve Dobbs, New Mexico… by Judith Phillips, Nevada… by Linn Mills and Dick Post, and Missouri… (Feb., $24.99 each paper) by Mike Miller.
Other key February titles include Native Perennials for the Southeast by Peter Loewer and California Gardening Rhythms ($22.99 each paper) by Bruce Asakawa and Sharon Asakawa. March roars in with The Abundant Garden: A Celebration of Color, Texture, and Blooms ($29.99 paper) by Debra Prinzing, which identifies nine key design elements epitomized in gardens on Bainbridge Island, Wash. Also out this month are additions to the First Garden series: …How to Get Started inRocky Mountain Gardening by Rob Proctor, …Southwest Gardening by Janice Busco and Rob Proctor, …Northeast Gardening by Rob Proctor and Darrell Trout and Southern Gardening ($19.99 each paper) by Nellie Neal and Rob Proctor.
CREATIVE HOMEOWNER
Focusing on one of today's most popular trends, Landscaping with Stone (Mar., $19.95 paper) by Patricia Sagui covers basic design and provides step-by-step instructions for patios, rock gardens, walls and more; photos of completed stonescapes may inspire planting ideas. New Complete Home Landscaping (Mar., $24.95) is an updated and expanded edition, with comprehensive advice on preparing to landscape; setting the stage with paths, ponds and other features; and planting and growing. Water Gardens, Ponds & Fountains (Nov., $19.95) by Kathleen Fisher covers design and installation advice for features ranging from naturalistic to formal. Encompassing the entire U.S. and southern Canada, Trees, Shrubs & Hedges (Nov., $19.95 paper) by Jacqueline Hériteau offers complete details for the selection, planting and care of more than 1,000 environmentally friendly woody species and cultivars. Also coming in November are four additions to the publisher's regional series: California Home Landscaping by Roger Homes and Lance Walheim, Mid-Atlantic… , Midwest… , and Southeast… , all by Roger Homes and Rita Buchanan ($19.95 each paper).
DK
Getting the season off to a chemical-free start is the paperback reprint of Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Feb., $25) by Pauline Pears. In Learn to Garden (Mar., $30), Guy Barter and a group of Royal Horticultural Society gardeners present beginning gardeners with tips and techniques. To ensure a brighter botanical future, Janet Marinelli of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and a team of international experts have compiled Plant (Mar., $50), a new-generation visual encyclopedia that provides complete cultivation details for some 2,000 plants that are currently endangered or no longer grow naturally in the wild. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to support plant conservation worldwide. Coming in October is a revised, updated edition of Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening ($60) by Michael Pollock, Mark Griffiths, Camilla Speight, Vana Hagerty and Andrew Lawson—a one-stop alphabetical reference for hundreds of plants, techniques, terms, pests, etc.
DOWN EAST BOOKS
Helping to overcome the challenges of extreme weather and a short growing season is the focus of Gardens Adirondack Style (July, $35), in which garden photographer Janet Loughrey supplements her profiles of contemporary gardeners with historic photos of famed Adirondack-style estates and resorts.
DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Montrose: Life in a Garden (Oct., $34.95) by Nancy Goodwin is a month-by-month exploration of the author's efforts with unusual plants in the nationally known Hillsborough, N.C., garden.
F&W PUBLICATIONS
The publisher grows its recently launched Horticulture Books imprint (in partnership with Horticulture magazine) with the launch of The Horticulture Gardener's Guides series: The Horticulture Gardener's Guides: Shrubs (Mar.) by Andrew McIndoe, director of the U.K.'s Hillier Garden Centers; and …Plants for Small Spaces (Apr., $19.99 each) by Clive Lane, administrator of the Cottage Garden Society.
FIREFLY
Water conservationists will raise a glass to Dryland Gardening: Plants That Survive and Thrive in Tough Conditions (Apr., $24.95 paper) by Jennifer Bennett, who expounds xeriscaping—dryland techniques—to conserve time, energy and other resources as well as water. An extensive plant list, growing tips and sources are included. In Easy Orchids: The Fail-Safe Guide to Growing Orchids Indoors (Apr., $29.95, paper $19.95), Liz Johnson attempts to demythicize the plant's hard-to-grow reputationwith detailed instructions for 100 varieties.
GIBBS SMITH
In 75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden (Apr., $24.95), Jack Staub profiles history, lore and culinary insights for a selection of heirlooms, hybrids, natives and transplants as exciting for their beauty as they are for their taste. With its spiral-bound flip-page format, The Texas Flower Garden: A Seasonal Guide to Bloom, Height, Color, and Texture (Apr., $21.95) by Kathy Huber allows Texas—and other similarly-zoned—gardeners to preview prospective combinations and designs before investing in the plants.
HARPERCOLLINS
The publisher's HarperResource imprint launches a new series, HarperCollins Practical Gardener, with three titles that address the most common uses of a home garden: HarperCollins Practical Gardener: Kitchen Garden by Lucy Peel, …Architectural Plants by Christine Shaw, and …Flowers by Alan Toogood (Mar., $12.95 each paper).
HORTICULTURAL PRESS
Ruah Donnelly braves roads paved and unpaved in The Adventurous Gardener: Where to Buy the Best Plants in New York and New Jersey (Mar., $25.95 paper), a guide to some 120 growing establishments that includes driving directions, business hours, Web addresses and mail-order info as well as tips on nearby roadside diners and historic sites.
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
A revised edition of the late Boughton Cobb's classic fern guide, Peterson Field Guides: Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America (Apr., $20 paper) by Cobb, Cheryl Lowe and Elizabeth Farnsworth, features an updated text (by New England Wild Flower Society members); 100 new color photos, in addition to Laura Louise Foster's original line drawings; new sections on habitats and conservation; and a botanical glossary.
INTERLINK
From Georgina Campbell Guides: Whether arriving by plane, ship or armchair, garden-loving travelers are invited to tour 100 top gardens in Garden Lovers' Ireland (Apr., $19.95 paper) by Georgina Campbell and Marianne Heron.
From Stacey International: Gardening in the Middle East (Apr., $29.95) by American horticulturalist Eric Moore is the definitive work on the subject. Since 1977, the author has supervised landscaping and garden nursery operations in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, Egypt and elsewhere in the region.
KODANSHA
From Japan Publications Trading: Creating Ikebana (May, $35) by Akihiro Kasuya presents techniques from Japan's classic Ichiyo School for creating arrangements for both personal and public spaces. Teahouses, rock gardens and ponds are just a few of the elements visualized in Styles & Motifs of Japanese Gardens (May, $12.95 paper) by Katsuhiko Mizuno. The two-volume paperback set serves as inspiration to stay-at-home gardeners and as a guide for those who visit the 31 public gardens featured in the books.
MEREDITH
A gardeners' favorite since it first appeared in 1951 gets a makeover: Better Homes and Gardens New Garden Book (Feb., $34.95; paper $24.95) boasts an updated text that features more plants; the latest trends in all aspects of gardening; and over 1,000 photos. Weighing in at 93 ounces is the Miracle-Gro Encyclopedia of Plant Care (Feb., $39.95) with complete details for successfully growing some2,000 plants, which are identified in more than 2,300 photos. Other February titles in the Miracle-Gro line include: Miracle-Gro Guide to Growing Healthy Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs , …Flowers , …Houseplants , and …Trees & Shrubs ($14.95 each paper). A revised edition of Ortho's All About Lawns (Feb., $14.95 paper) promises to reveal up-to-date secrets for solving all lawn-care problems. New February titles in the Ortho brand line include Ortho Books Complete Guide to Landscaping , offering creative design solutions and installation procedures; and …Orchids ($19.95 each paper), a resource for the best and most easily grown species and a primer for their care and upbringing. And to avoid parched landscapes, gardeners may turn to Scotts Sprinklers & Watering Systems (Feb., $19.95 paper), a complete guide to planning and installing landscape irrigation.
NORTON
The Intimate Garden: Twenty Years and Four Seasons in our Garden (Feb., $39.95) by professional gardener Gordon Hayward and his wife, Mary Hayward, chronicles the evolution of their Vermont garden, with sound advice for achieving a desired level of success "a lot sooner than we did." Those in search of deeper insight into creative processes—human and natural—will find much to ponder in The Wild Braid: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden (May, $23.95), by former poet laureate Stanley Kunitz with Jenine Lentine. As he nears his 100th birthday, the acclaimed poet—and gardener—reveals connections between writing and cultivating. Leading the publisher's fall list is The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the Modern World (Oct., $49.95), in which Dominique Browning and the editors of House & Garden magazineoffer readers entry to 35 landscapes created by pre-eminent designers.
CLARKSON POTTER
TV's favorite gardener cooks up a smorgasbord of gardens that can be assembled in minutes in P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent your Garden (Mar., $29.95), with each project—from sophisticated to casual—presented in cookbook-style recipe format.
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
Determining whether those creepy crawlers are pests or welcome guests is clarified in Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History (Aug., $60, paper $29.95) by David L. Wagner, identifies and discusses the caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the Mississippi.
RANDOM HOUSE
Through a series of linked essays, Laurie Lisle recounts how a passion for gardening an imperfect plot of land led her from a crossroads in life to discover personal fulfillment in Four Tenths of an Acre: Reflections on a Gardening Life (May, $24.95).
READER'S DIGEST BOOKS
From meditative Japanese to wildly chaotic tropical, Great Garden Designs (Feb., $26.95) by Tim Newbury offers preplanned, fully envisioned templates for creating 40 specific styles, easily adaptable for any gardener's dream of a backyard oasis. Beginner's Guide to Gardening (Feb., $32.95) by the editors of Reader's Digest prioritizes and simplifies the myriad details that beginners often find daunting in this all-inclusive handbook. Putting out the garden welcome mat for birds, butterflies, frogs and other beneficial creatures is the focus of Wildlife at Your Back Door (Feb., $26.95) by Sharon Amos, who advises on creating an ecological balance with nature, using natural means to make the good feel at home and repel the harmful. Coming in April is the paperback reprint of Tim Newbury's Planting by Number ($15.95), with 40 unique designs that readers may follow as is or mix-and-match aspects of several to create custom gardens for any terrain or space.
RIZZOLI INTERNATIONAL
Although Gertrude Stein thought otherwise, there is a rose for every budget and garden style, as outlined in Passion for Roses: Peter Beales' Comprehensive Guide to Landscaping with Roses (Mar., $45) by Peter Beales, recent recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Victor Medal of Honour—the highest accolade in the rose world.
RODALE
Transforming your landscape into an extension of your home is fully detailed in Homescaping (Mar., $35) by Anne Halpin. The Pruner's Bible (Mar., $21.95 paper) by Steve Bradley instructs how to apply the cutting edge to over 80 plants to achieve the best display of flowers and foliage. Square Foot Gardening (Mar., $18.95 paper) by Mel Bartholomew proposes an ingenious labor-saving planting method using square foot blocks of space instead of rows, which eliminates tilling after the first year. For spaces where the sun doesn't shine bright, Making the Most of Shade (May, $22.95 paper) by Larry Hodgson recommends nearly 300 shade-thriving perennials, annuals, bulbs, ferns and ornamental grasses.
ROUTLEDGE
From West Asia, moving northward into Europe, and across the Atlantic to the Americas, Garden History: Philosophy and Design 2000 BC—2000 AD (Feb., $75) is a comprehensive study of the evolution of western garden design over 40 centuries. Author Tom examines more than 150 gardens, tracing how differing social, artistic, religious and other factors have shaped the design traditions followed today.
SASQUATCH
The Big Book of Northwest Perennials: Choosing—Growing—Tending (Feb., $24.95 paper) by Marty Wingate alerts the region's gardeners to 150 A-list choices with full descriptions and suggests combination plantings of those with similar light and water requirements. While the emphasis is on cooking in Fresh from the Garden: Recipes Inspired by Kitchen Gardens (Feb., $22.95 paper) by Ann Lovejoy, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist includes a wealth of gardening advice along with her time-tested organic cultivation methods. Garden photographer Ilona zooms in to capture the beauty of 150 flagrant blossoms in Fleurish (Feb., $21.95) with text by floral designer Veronica D'orazio.
STERLING
April brings two titles by horticulturalist Tara Dillard. Gardeners striving for elegance without going over the top may turn to her Beautiful by Design: Stunning Blueprints for Harmonious Gardens ($24.95), which offers easy-to-achieve arrangements designed to maintain their loveliness year round. And for those seeking to create or highlight a focal point, the vistas in Dillard's The Garden View: Designs for Beautiful Landscapes ($24.95) range from a grand Adirondack-style deck to an old-fashioned sundial embraced by climbing roses.
From Cassell Illustrated: A revised edition of Beth Chatto's Damp Garden: Moisture-Loving Plants for Year-Round Interest (May, $34.95) by Beth Chatto ensures success in every conceivable type of damp terrain, from wet silt to sticky clay. Helping city gardeners make the most of their limited space, Urban Gardens: Plans and Planting Designs (May, $17.95 paper) by Ann-Marie Powell presents a dozen inspirational designs.
The subtitle says it all in a revised edition of The House Plant Expert Book 2: The Must-Have Sequel to the Word's Best-Selling House Plant Book (May $14.95 paper) by Dr. D. G. Hessayon.
From Gaia: The Gaia Book of Organic Gardening (May, $17.95 paper) by Charlie Ryrie with Cindy Engel is a comprehensive guide to getting off the chemical treadmill, with checklists and planners for everything from crop rotation to making your own "green manure."
From Guild of Master Craftsman: With its extensive directory, Success with Bulbs (Feb., $12.95 paper) by Eric Sawford guides beginners to splendid flowering indoors and out.
From Hamlyn: Lure youngsters away from the TV with How Does Your Garden Grow: Great Gardening for Green-Fingered Kids (May, $24.95) by Clare Matthews, who suggests 40 projects for hands-on digging and planting, building a weather station, turning homegrown gourds into art and more.
From New Holland: David Squires contributes four additions to the publisher's Specialist series: The Small Garden Specialist: The Essential Guide to Designing, Creating, Planting, Improving, and Maintaining Small Gardens ; The Container Specialist… ; The Tree & Shrub Specialist… ; and The Orchid Specialist… (Feb., $9.95 each paper).
STOREY
The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer (Apr., $24.95) by Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra relies on basic design principles to achieve spectacular results with any of 20 garden plans; case studies of three existing gardens illustrate key points. Proving there's a wealth of new information on a timeless subject that's always "in," The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essential Know-How for Keeping (Not Killing) 160 Indoor Plants (July, $24.95 paper) by Barbara Pleasant introduces exciting new imports, hardier cultivars of old favorites and an A—Z guide that ensures houseplant health.
SUNSET
New February paperbacks—$19.95 each—joining the publisher's regional series covering area-specific native plants, garden tasks and planting information include Tri-State Top 10 Garden Guide (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) and Northwest… (Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia). Gardeners from west Texas to Southern California will welcome the information on microclimates, soil, seasonal factors, design elements and more in Gardening in the Southwest (Feb., $19.95 paper). The Edible Garden (Feb., $19.95 paper) recommends tried-and-true as well as avant-garde methods for bringing a bounty of 70 delicious edibles from garden to table.
TAUNTON PRESS
With the help of Containers with Style (Feb., $14.95 paper) by the editors of Taunton Press—an addition to the Do It Now, Do It Fast, Do It Right series—stylish arrangements can be created in minutes. .
THAMES & HUDSON
From the Victorian era to today's boldest trends, Modern Garden Design: Innovation Since 1900 (June, $24.95 paper) by Janet Waymark examines the evolution of the art and puts the work of some of the 20th century's best-known designers in historical and international contexts.
TIMBER PRESS
One of the most-quoted and best-loved gardening books since its first publication in 1930, Down the Garden Path (Feb., $24.95) by Beverley Nichols is reissued with a foreword by Bryan Connon. The gates swing open to reveal a wildly fantastic combination of art installations and plantings in A Garden Gallery: The Plants, Art, and Hardscape of Little and Lewis (Feb., $29.95) by George Little and David Lewis. With its fully detailed information for growing 400 species, TheOrchid Grower's Companion: Cultivation, Propagation, and Varieties (Feb., $39.95) by David Banks makes the two-centuries-old hobby accessible to all. . Moving beyond traditional hostas and ferns, Timber Press Pocket Guide to Shade Perennials (Feb., $19.95 paper) by W. George Schmid describes 1,000 readily available plants; the pocket format makes it an easy carry-along on nursery junkets. Witch Hazels (Feb., $34.95) by Christopher Lane is the first comprehensive guide to all known varieties of the shrub whose distinctive flowers, showcased on bare branches, highlight snowy gardens in the depth of winter. Also out in February are expanded and updated editions of Botany for Gardeners ($19.95 paper) by Brian Capon, which answers questions about complex plant processes in simple language; and Hydrangeas: A Gardener's Guide ($34.95) by Toni Lawson-Hall and Brian Rothera, with added descriptions of20 new cultivars of the popular shrub. For those seeking an eerie, luminous quality, Elegant Silvers: Striking Plants for Every Garden (Mar., $34.95) by Jo Ann Gardner and Karen Bussolini delivers a bevy of the distinctively colored plants, prized also for their textures, silhouettes, and ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. A species previously thought to thrive only in tropical gardens is proved capable of weathering less hospitable conditions in Hardy Bamboos (Mar., $39.95) by Paul Whittaker. Another title of cool-clime interest is Native Plants of the Northeast (Mar., $39.95) by Donald J. Leopold, a resource for native plant gardeners and those committed to habitat restoration and enhancement of biodiversity. Plants described as flamboyant, funny, voluptuous or shy are just a few of those profiled in Plant Personalities: Choosing and Growing Plants by Character (Mar., $29.95) by Carol Klein, who demonstrates the importance of understanding plants' needs and providing appropriate conditions to encourage their personality traits. The spiky entries in Christopher Holliday's Sharp Gardening (Mar., $29.95), should thrill gardeners who prefer a crisp, clean-lined design over the "nice" look. Keeping borders looking lively is the focus of Succession Planting for Year-Round Pleasure (Mar., $29.95) by Christopher Lloyd, who recommends the best anchor plants, self-sowers, permanent perennials and more. Trees for a Small Garden (Mar., $29.95) by Simon Toomer suggests 100 trees that won't overshadow a small space. Also available in March are two revised editions: Perry D. Slocum's Waterlilies and Lotuses ($34.95), with expanded and updated information on 500 species and their needs; and Peter Thompson's Creative Propagation ($24.95) which nearly triples the number of plants discussed in the first edition.
A passion for plant collecting may result in a cluttered garden, but Design in the Plant Collector's Garden (Apr., $34.95) by confirmed plantaholic Roger Turner offers less than 12 steps to a coherent well-designed space. Dogwoods: The Genus Cornus (Apr., $39.95) by Paul Cappiello and Don Shadow, the first ever book on the genus, offers a solid overview of all dogwoods of horticultural merit, plus detailed identification and selection tips. The Nature of Plants: Habitats, Challenges, and Adaptations (Apr., $39.95) by John Dawson and Rob Lucas reveals remarkable ways that plants are able to adapt to the challenges of their habitats, visualized in over 200 color photos. Advocating more careful study of natural habitats and cultural needs rather than revisiting the usual seasonal approach, Bulbs for Garden Habitats (May, $$29.95) by Judy Glattstein recommends choices based on climate and local ecology. A flamboyant flower virtually unrivaled for impact and drama is profiled by Martin Page in The Gardener's Peony: Herbaceous and Tree Peonies (May, $39.95). Another flamboyant species takes center stage in Hardy Gingers (May, $34.95), in which T.M.E. Branney includes care details and descriptions of the lush foliage, intricately constructed flowers and intoxicating perfumes of those suitable for temperate-zone gardens.
Heucheras and Heucherellas: Coral Bells and Foamy Bells (May, $27.95) by Dan Helms and Grahame Ware chronicles the dramatic "makeover" through selective breeding that turned this perennial into a garden star. From a hands-on expert comes Gardening with Hardy Geraniums (June, $29.95) by Birgitte Husted Bendtsen, an enthusiast who shares her cultivation secrets for 400 species. Environmentally responsible types are highlighted in The Jade Garden: New and Notable Plants from Asia (June, $34.95) by Peter Wharton, Brent Hine and Douglas Justice, whose selection of 130 of the most fascinating species has been evaluated by the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden for hardiness and garden appeal. In Flora's Orchids (Aug., $59.95), Ned Nash offers an A-Z description of 1,800 plants and 1,200 photos that depict well-known species and rarely seen orchids in the wild. With thousands of cultivars on the market, right choices can be difficult, but Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia (Oct., $49.95) by nursery specialist and grower Claire Austin culls the best and provides meticulous cultivation advice. Orchid fanciers win by a nose with Fragrant Orchids (Oct., $29.95) by Sir Steven Frowine, who "scentsibly" profiles 110 of the most aromatic species. Proving that indoor gardening is always a hot topic, Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants (Oct., $29.95) by Ellen Zachos features plants native to both tropical and temperate regions and dispenses practical advice for the horticulturally clueless as well as the avidly addicted.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
From Aurum: Histories, designers, restoration and conservation, visiting information and more are provided for the 60 entries in The Gardens of the National Trust for Scotland (Oct., $55) by Francesca Greenoak. Another eye-popping tour can be had with English Gardens of the Twentieth Century (Oct., $65) by Tim Richardson, which features 200 photos from the archives of Country Life.
From BBC Books: Delia Smith, the U.K.'s top selling cookbook author (18 million copies worldwide), and garden expert Gay Search combine expertises in Delia's Kitchen Garden: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Fruits & Vegetables (Apr., $35), which offers 50 recipes for cooks of all levels. Gardening from Berryfields (Apr., $35) by Monty Don spotlights projects from BBC's Gardener's World and offers detailed, lavishly illustrated advice on how to achieve them in any garden.
From Kyle Cathie: The encyclopedic Complete Book of Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit: The Definitive Sourcebook for Growing, Harvesting and Cooking (Mar., $50) by Matthew Biggs, Jekka McVicar and Bob Flowerdew highlights more than 1,000 edibles and provides 600 recipes within its 640 pages and 1,200 color photos—if it isn't in this book, you don't need it. Adding majestic beauty to the landscape is made easier with Trees for the Garden (Mar., $23 paper) by John Cushnie. Cushnie shares his expertise on another topic in Shrubs for the Garden (Aug., $35), taking into account color, texture, shape and year-round appearance in his 175 profiles. Marylyn Abbott, one of the world's foremost garden creators, shares her Thoughts on Garden Design: Inspiration, Style, Structure, Color, Planting (Sept., $35).
From Harvill: A landmark work by the "king of roses," Peter Beales's Classic Roses (Feb., $45 paper) is now available in paperback, presenting over 1,000 species and hybrids in more than 600 photos.
TUTTLE
From a long-time student and certified teacher of the art in Japan, Keiko's Ikebana (June, $29.95) by Keiko Kubo provides a historical overview, the basic rules of design and easy-to-follow instructions for creating 20 stunning arrangements.
From Periplus Editions: The Art of the Japanese Garden (Sept., $40) by David and Michiko Young is a profusely illustrated examination of Japan's notable traditional gardens, with sections on modern trends and Japanese gardens in other countries.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
California's Wild Gardens: A Guide to Favorite Botanical Sites (May, $34.95 paper), edited by Phyllis M. Faber, showcases the abundance of the Golden State's native plants in their natural settings, highlighting the distinctive ecology of more than 100 sites.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PRESS
Proclaimed "the ultimate primer for growing cut flowers" by the Washington Post,An American Cutting Garden: A Primer for Growing Cut Flowers Where Summers are Hot and Winters are Cold (Feb., $16.95 paper) by Suzanne McIntire is now in paperback, presenting all aspects of the craft, from preparing a site to arranging blooms.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS
Weeding out a growing threat to ecosystems that dramatically decreases bio-diversity, Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest: An Illustrated Guide to Their Identification and Control (July, $60; paper $26.95) by Elizabeth J. Czarapata targets 140 enemy species in all of their seasonal disguises to aid in early identification and offers manual, mechanical, biological, and chemical control techniques for their eradication.
UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA
February releases includerevised and updated editions of The Florida Lawn Handbook: Best Management Practices for Your Home Lawn in Florida by Laurie E. Trenholm and J. Bryan Unruh and Florida Landscape Plants: Native and Exotic (paper, $19.95 each) by John V. Watkins. Encouraging a beneficial ecological symbiosis, Florida Butterfly Caterpillars and Their Host Plants (Mar., $34.95 paper) by Marc C. Minno, Jerry F. Butler and Donald W. Hall is an eco-gardener's comprehensive guide to attracting and identifying the region's caterpillars and resulting butterflies, which have been found to play beneficial roles in pollination, pruning and providing food for other critters.
WESTWOOD PACIFIC
Palm lovers will swoon at the coffee-table format of Palm Trees: A Story in Photographs (Feb., $39.95) by David Leaser, with a fact-filled text including historical and cultural details; a photo gallery of palms around the world may well inspire gardeners in appropriate climates to try their luck.
WILDERNESS PRESS
Considering the loss of lives and property damage in the millions of dollars caused regularly by California wildfires, Firescaping: Creating Fire-Resistant Landscapes, Gardens, and Properties in California's Diverse Environments (Apr., $18.95 paper) by Douglas Kent presents essential information on identifying and removing existing fire-prone landscape elements and offers hands-on strategies for creating fire-resistant gardens.
WILEY
Orchids for Dummies (Mar., $16.99 paper) by horticulturalist Steven Frowine provides a step-by-step route to successfully selecting, cultivating and even producing your own hybrids.
