Long winter evenings offer some time to relax with a good book. (Illustration by Marjorie Boehme)
By Steve Boehme

Nature’s Guide to Successful Gardening and Landscaping by William Flemer III explains how design should be guided by an understanding of plant habitat, and has sections on the various types of gardens and how to install them.

Another excellent read is Janice Doherty’s “A Calendar Year of Horticultural Therapy – How Tending to Your Garden Can Tend to Your Soul.” Aimed at educators and caregivers, this practical book on “gardening as therapy” includes sixty garden-related projects for children, seniors and the young at heart.

“Last Child in the Woods – Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” by Richard Louv. Every parent should read this eye-opening book, full of documented evidence that nature is essential for healthy childhood development. It shows how nature-based education improves grades, test scores, problem-solving, critical thinking and decision making, and directly links childhood obesity, ADD and depression to the lack of nature in children’s lives.

Long winter evenings offer some time to relax with a good book. (Illustration by Marjorie Boehme)

“Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs – An Illustrated Encyclopedia,” by Michael A Dirr (Timber Press) is a comprehensive reference book on woody plants with listings of over 500 species with more than 1,600 color photos, and includes helpful plant selection charts. This is a gorgeous “cocktail table” book that’s also a serious reference work.

“The Well-Tended Perennial Garden,” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (Timber Press) is a complete guide to perennial garden design, installation and maintenance, along with a perennial encyclopedia that includes specific maintenance by species. The author lives in Ohio so the book is about plants that grow here.

“The Backyard Orchardist,” by Stella Otto (OttoGraphics) Thorough but non-technical, this easy-to-read and well illustrated handbook covers all aspects of home orchard selection, planting and maintenance. A Benjamin Franklin Award winner, this book is so helpful to beginner orchardists that we sell it at our nursery.

All of the above books are available through the library, independent booksellers or online.

Steve Boehme is the owner of GoodSeed Nursery & Landscape, located on Old State Route 32 three miles west of Peebles. To e-mail your landscaping questions click “Contact Us” from their website at www.goodseedfarm.com or call (937) 587-7021.