Book Reviews and Recommended Reading for Connecticut Gardeners

THE NEW HANDBOOKS ARE IN!!

The new handbook became effective July 1, 2007. Each handbook is $15.90 ($15 + .90 tax). Checks should be made out to FGCofCT. If you or your club would like a copy of the new handbook, please contact FGCCT Books Chair Jessica Fischer.

Recommended by Horticulture Chair Kathrine Neville:

Bringing Nature Home
How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas W. Tallamy, Timber Press, 2007. Revised and Updated Edition.

"The most wonderful book. [It] clearly explains the whys and hows of going with natives. As our theme this year I encourage everyone to read this book. I cannot praise it enough and it has become my garden bible and guide. . . . It's great!'

And from Jacqueline Connell, Chair, CT State and National Projects:

“This book has been life changing for me.” – Judith P.
Just one of the comments we received about our first book selection, Bringing Nature Home How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. Tallamy is professor and chair of the Dept of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Doug Tallamy lays out in no uncertain terms why it is imperative for gardeners to invite nature into their yard—there are simply not enough large areas of "wilderness" set aside to carry on the biodiversity of the planet.

His premise is that because there is too little space left for the wildlife we care about and love to watch, we must make our yards friendlier to birds, frogs, butterflies and other wild creatures. To do this we must promote a food source in our gardens-insects. His research goal is to better understand the ways insects interact with plants and how these interactions determine the biodiversity of animal communities. Did you know, for instance, that 96 percent of the birds that come to your garden will only feed insects to their young? Prof. Tallamy and his students have been studying which plants support the most insects and have the greatest effect on the local food web. His conclusion: GROW NATIVESl

Tallamy defines natives as species "having a historical evolutionary relationship" with their environs-they have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to support the insects that birds and other animals rely on. In contrast, most ornamentals sold in nurseries are alien plants that evolved in some other part of the world and have little interaction with the local food web. Butterfly bushes only attract adult butterflies that sip nectar. The plant cannot be eaten by butterfly larvae. Tallamy notes that pest-free alien ornamentals like lilacs do nothing for insects and birds. "It's as if they were plastic." And alien invasives are far worse as they stray from gardens and displace native species drastically diminishing food sources. A white oak, on the other hand, tops his list of host plants for our area. White oaks support up to 534 species of Lepidoptera, the insect order which includes butterflies and moths.
Everyone who reads Tallamy's book seems to be affected by it. Many now view insects as vital friends, look at what were once pests as no longer that and want to plant only natives.

Available from FGCCT Books Chair Jessica Fischer:

Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older by Sydney Eddison

Sooner or later every older gardener faces a similar challenge, Sydney helps transform gardening from a list of chores into the rewarding joy-filled activity it was meant to be.

Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin

This book provides everything a beginner or experienced gardener needs to create stunning container displays of exceptionally water wise plants.

Bloom-again Orchids by Judy White

This book highlights the easiest, most fuss free varieties of orchids and includes invaluable tips on how to keep them in bloom.

Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design by Paula Pryke.

For the beginning floral designer. Well illustrated and packed full of good information. $45.00

Connecticut Gardener is a wonderful publication. Published right here in Connecticut 4 times/year at a cost of $18. To subscribe write to Connecticut Gardener, P.O. Box 248, Greens Farms, CT. 06838

From the New England Region Newsletter:

Gardener's Book of Pests and Diseases: The Complete Diagnostic Guide by Dr. Roland Fox. Published by Batsford Gardening Books  (www.batsford.com)

This is a wonderful addition to a horticulture library, especially if you are enrolled in Gardening Study School Course II, which focuses on IPM (Integrated Pest Management). This book is wonderful!  
Recommended by Bonni L. Dinneen

Bulbs by John E. Bryan

Truly an encyclopedia of bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes, this book includes over 230 genera with detailed descriptions and over 1,000 photos/prints. Expensive, but worth the price.  Recommended by Cathy Felton

The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato

For those intrigued by carnivorous plants, this book is full of good information on these fascinating species. Easy-to-read text with detailed growing and propagation information, good photos and illustrations. Recommended by Cathy Felton

A Guide to Northeastern Butterflies and Butterfly Gardening by Massachusetts Audubon Society (2006) (www.massaudubon.org)

This laminated foldout is a compact but highly informative publication, complete with illustrations of butterflies, caterpillars, and their host plants in one masterful panorama. Information on life cycle, migration, anatomy, butterfly gardening and conservation as good as most books on the subject at a fraction of the cost and very handy for your hiking backpack. Visit a Mass. Audubon center and pick one up (headquarters in Lincoln, MA, near Boston). Recommended by Pat Snyder