Come Dec. 21 the solstice will start the slow conquest of light over dark. The depths of winter lie ahead, but the next few weeks offer the only real downtime for gardeners, time to read instead of dig.
“William Robinson: The Wild Gardener,” by Richard Bisgrove ($60). Robinson is not a household name, but he is one of the most influential gardeners in history. More than 70 years after he died, his ideas of gardening still resonate. He championed the ideas of border plantings of hardy perennials, and of informal gardens that sought to harmonize with nature, not compete with it. Bisgrove finds lots of entertaining material in voluminous writings in a career that spanned decades.
In “Plant-Driven Design,” by Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden ($34.95), the authors argue that too many gardens today are designed by professionals lacking an understanding of the plant world. As veteran horticulturists and designers, the Ogdens make an argument that is compelling. “You can’t have a garden without gardening,” they write. “And you aren’t likely to do very well designing one without getting your hands dirty.” This book is full of inspiring pictures and sophisticated plant lists that will have even seasoned gardeners Googling away.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has published a handsome book on the quaint annuals, vines, herbs and perennials that brought cheer — and healing — to Colonial settlers. It is called “Flowers and Herbs of Early America,” by Lawrence D. Griffith ($50). Basically cottage garden plants from the New and Old worlds, they all have a humble honesty about them, drawn out in the lovely photographic portraits by Barbara Temple Lombardi.
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