Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

Alan Titchmarsh.
The Gardener’s Year: The Ultimate Month-by-Month Gardening Handbook.
London: BBC Books (distributed by Trafalgar Square Publishing), 2005.
hardcover, 311 p., ISBN 0–563–52167–8, $40.00.

Whether novice or experienced, all gardeners find it wise to have a written schedule for landscape maintenance activities. By planning ahead, labors become less frantic and the garden more enjoyable. Award-winning British horticulturist Alan Titchmarsh has compiled a definitive checklist of monthly gardening chores for the home grounds, based on the climate in the U.K. Even though differences in weather during the winter season will likely affect a similar work schedule in the United States, the handbook has valuable reminders on what to do when. He sorts the tasks into categories including general care, lawns, woody plants, annuals, etc. There are also reminders about timely preventive measures for pests and diseases. In addition to routine chores, the author has instructions and suggestions for the timing for special projects, such as constructing a garden pool. Heavily illustrated with color photographs and line drawings, the book is filled with information on activities and desirable ornamentals to beautify the landscape.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden.