Monday, December 8, 2014

Great Gifts for Your Gardeners!

Do you garden in December?  Many gardeners do; a most important step to gardening in early winter, the planning for next years garden.  So this time of year is the perfect time to get a couple of great books for the gardeners on your Christmas list.    

I was contacted by Quarto Publishing Group to review some gardening books and I choose a couple that would make fantastic gifts for the gardener on your list!  The first book I reviewed was Royal Horticultural Society Companion to Scented Plants By Stephen Lacey with photographs by Andrew Lawson.

This book is a gardening classic, which is a comprehensive catalog that describes over 1,000 of the best plants to grow for their fragrance as well as their beauty.  Stunning photographs by Andrew Lawson throughout the book give you visualizations of the scented gardens you can reproduce.                                                                                                                  
The book has a garden planning guide which can help you put to paper the best choice of plants to create a scented garden for your own enjoyment.

The book doesn't leave out any type of scent producing plant you could enjoy.  It addresses trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, annuals, water gardens, Alpine plants, rose gardens, herb gardens, and indoor plants.

The beginning of each chapter starts out with the choosing of your plants and the fragrance you will experience from each plant's blooming phase and how to incorporate that into the garden.  The end of each chapter is laid out in encyclopedia style with an extensive list of the varieties of plants that are highly scented options for you to plant. 

Can't you just smell the honeysuckle wafting off of this wall planting?  What a fabulous plant to have in your garden.  I highly recommend the Companion to Scented Plants.  I haven't noticed a gardening book's focus being on scented plants before but, if planting something beautiful to look at that I can't eat I would want it to smell good, so this is the gardening book reference I would love. 

The next gardening book I reviewed was the Veg Journal by Charles Dowding.  Mr. Dowding has been growing organic vegetables for thirty years with the no-dig method.  

Using no-dig beds creates better soil and less weeds for the organic gardener.  Mr. Dowding gives you the how, why, and detailed instructions to reproducing your own success with his no-dig method. 

A great book for the planner in all of us.  This book is filled with tables for planning crops, second cropping for maximum yield of gardening space, crop rotation, and results from his no-dig method.  

This book is laid out in a month-by-month format to help you accomplish the gardening jobs that will give you great success with your vegetable gardening.  I also like how he has blank journal pages in each month for you to write what works for your gardening and suggestions for what you might try next season.

So, sipping on that tea dreaming of my spring garden with buzzing bees and ripe strawberries, I am going to be in the planning stages of my garden soon. This is the perfect present for the gardener you know that loves to grow their own food. 
My teacup is made by Roy Kirkham and the pattern is Alpine Strawberry.

Many thanks to Quarto Publishing Group USA for supplying me with the books for review.  The opinions and review were entirely my own.

Sherry
I will link this to:
  
Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 
A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life 
Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites
Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations
Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antiques and Teacups 
Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Say G'Day at Natasha in Oz
Your Going to Love it Tuesday At Kathe with an  E
The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict
Totally Terrific Tuesday at Live Randomly Simple
Project Inspire at An Extraordinary Day
Do Tell Tuesday at Maybe She Made It
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home  

15 comments:

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Those would be the perfect gifts for gardeners, Sherry! Love your strawberry teacup. Thank you for joining me for tea and have a fabulous week preparing for the holidays.

I see you too have the word verification button here. Everyone I have visited today has this on their blog. Wonder how we get it turned off again? I have already tried.

Blessings,
Sandi

The Charm of Home said...

Turned the word verification off. Testing to see if it is on. Can't turn it off! Ugh.
Sherry

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

A gardener can never have too many books and anything from the RHS is going to be good.

Millie said...

I was surprised by the word verification too.
I really need a book which includes garden planning...I have a habit of just planting wherever I feel like it at the time. That's why people comment that my garden has the "English Cottage" look!

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Lucky you, Sherry, for getting to review some wonderful gardening books. That makes passing the winter away much mor enjoyable! I have that same Alpine Strawberry teacup and I just love it!

Catherine said...

These are wonderful gift ideas for getting the garden on the right track. Catherine

Bernideen said...

I love your teacup too! These are great books and gardening books are special in the winter when we need to DREAM!

Antiques And Teacups said...

Perfect books, indeed! And love the strawberry teacup! I love Roy Kirkham! Thanksfor linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!
Ruth

Zaa said...

OMG ...I see so many fabulous books ..and yes ..I too dream of my Springtime gardens... such a sweet Alpine Strawberry tea set... How can you help but have a teatime dream...ENJOY your day...Hugs

Terri said...

Hello Sherry! I am happy to visit you today! Your gardening books are fab, I always drool over gardening books : )
Your Alpine Strawberry pattern tea cup is so adorable with all those berries on it.
I am wishing you a wonderful holiday season with many cups of tea and company.
Hugs,
Terri

Martha's Favorites said...

Hello my friend! Love the tea cup your shared today. You are so right gardening books are perfect gifts. Have a wonderful week. Sending hugs your way! Martha

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

I found myself at the tea party this time! But you always have such lovely teacups. I love everything about a garden too. Including perusing a lovely book. But I do very little gardening of my own. So much to admire here. Happy teatime, Sherry!

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

I love getting lost in a good garden book in the middle of winter!

Beth in NEPA said...

Another good gardening book. Must check to see if my library can get it. I have "PROMISED" myself NO MORE GARDENING BOOKS...... HA.....

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