Natural Gardens

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian studies at
Concordia University, and the author of Kurlek, Margaret Laurence: The
Long Journey Home, and As Though Life Mattered: Leo Kennedy’s Story.

These colorful, attractive books are the size of a magazine but far more
substantial in content. Together, this series from the editors of
Canadian Gardening magazine covers a lot of ground. Garden ground.

Great Ideas for the Garden, subtitled “Over 100 Easy and Creative
Ways to Give Your Garden the Look You Want,” deals with fences and
gates; garden structures such as arbors and summerhouses; front yards,
paths, and steps; plants for special effects; and container gardening.
The lead sentence for the latter section notes that containers allow us
to grow plants “we might otherwise only dream of.”

Vegetable Gardening, subtitled “How to Grow and Enjoy the Best of
Summer’s Bounty,” covers getting started, salad gardens, “heavenly
herbs,” and some two dozen common vegetables, together with photos and
wide-ranging advice on cultivation, harvesting, drying, and freezing. As
food prices soar and chemical hazards increase, novice vegetable
gardeners will appreciate the practical advice.

Natural Gardens and Creating a Garden both have Brenda and Trevor Cole
as consultants. The former, subtitled “A Complete Guide to Gardening
with Native Trees, Wildflowers and Grasses,” covers composting, native
plants, and creating a sound ecological community that could include
birds, butterflies, and frogs. The latter, subtitled “Designs for
Every Kind of Garden—from Country Settings to Urban Spaces,” deals
with basic principles of garden design and with particular styles such
as Mediterranean, Japanese, formal, cottage, and winter gardens.

Each book includes a Canadian Plant Hardiness Zone map and a listing of
further resource materials. All of these highly attractive books offer
sound practical advice, new ideas, and striking color photographs. An
excellent series.