The Prairie Garden Planner

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

This three-year weekly gardening diary and planner is handsomely
produced and replete with vibrant flower pictures. Each week occu-pies
one or more two-page spreads, which are divided into four columns. Jan
Mather’s suggestions for activities to be undertaken that week appear
in the first column. The remaining three are left blank for diarists to
chronicle their gardening activities in successive years. The book
concludes with pages for their garden photographs; garden design; seed,
bulb, and plant records; and supplier lists. Given its flimsy binding,
the book is more likely to withstand three years of armchair gardening
than three years in the greenhouse.

The text is basic and often repetitive. Particularly in the winter
months, the suggestions are confined to weekly admonishments to check
overwintering geraniums, tubers, and water lilies; to check roses for
snow cover; and to refill the bird feeders. Beyond the forcing of bulbs,
Mather makes no suggestions for indoor gardening. Such pursuits as
growing a garden in a bottle, sprouting an avocado, or growing herbs in
an indoor window box are not suggested. Advice for the summer months is
more plentiful, but still limited. Only about 50 of the 100 annuals (and
about 60 of the 200 perennials) that can be grown on the prairies are
mentioned. The emphasis is on trees, shrubs, flower gardens, lawns, and
roses; vegetables are completely excluded.

Not recommended for libraries, since it is designed as a consumable,
this book is suitable for the novice gardener or the experienced
gardener who is new to the prairie climate.