| FROM
SUNSET PUBLISHING CORPORATION |
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Many refer to the Western Garden Book as the California gardener's bible because it's the first thing we turn to when we need green guidance. If a plant isn't in the Western Garden Book, well, you're probably on your own, buddy. Each plant has been assigned a range of "Sunset zones" in which it is considered hardy. Sunset zones are much more finely tuned than USDA zones and it's comforting knowing the folks who assigned Sunset zones understand that gardening in the Bay Area is vastly different from gardening in Sacramento or the foothills. They're all in USDA Zone 9, but who's going to tell you that you can't grow impatiens in full sun in Sacramento but you can in San Francisco? Those horticultural geniuses at Sunset are going to tell you... that's who.
To
increase your gardening odds, bring the Western Garden Book with you every time you
visit a nursery so you can look up a plant's zone or zones and any special needs. Most nurseries have a copy at the front desk for customer use.
If a plant is outside your Sunset zone range, it
will require special attention.The Western Garden Book zone maps make
it easy to figure out what zone you're in and, consequently, which plants
do best in your area.
Remember, just because you see a plant at a local nursery doesn't mean
it'll thrive here. For example, 'Alice Du Pont' Mandevilla is commonly
found in Sacramento nurseries despite the fact that its hardiness range
is restricted to Sunset zones 21-24 (southern California) and Hawaii.
Its showy pink blossoms make it irresistable in bloom, so try picturing it as a
frosty brown pile of leaves come January unless you're willing to nestle it into the perfect microclimatic corner of your yard.
An extremely useful
feature in the Western Garden Book is its "Guide to Plant
Selection". These essential plant lists make it easy to find "Plants
to Use Near Swimming Pools", "Plants for Growing Beneath Oaks",
"Fragrant Flowering Plants" and plants for 28 other specialized
situations.
The Western Garden
Book does contain some color photographs, but most plant profiles
are accompanied by small hand-drawn illustrations.
- Hardcover: 768 pages
- Publisher: Sunset Pub Co; 8th Rev&Up edition (February 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376039175
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The Edible Garden
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Sunset Publishing Corporation (January 31, 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376031700
- Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
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Sunset's California
Top 10 Garden Guide is a hefty, glossy paperback featuring what Sunset deems the "10 Best"... California gardening
styles, trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, bulbs, annuals, roses, ornamental grasses, edibles, and ground covers. Zone
maps and descriptions are included, along with
a list of seasonal chores. Peak seasonal features of each
plant, recommended cultivars and companion plants accompany each entry...
as does when, where, and how to plant each Top
10 plant. TLC notes on special care are also included.
If you're new to gardening or the area, or just can't resist anything new
from Sunset, the California Top 10 Garden Guide is for
you.
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Sunset Books Inc (January, 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376035293
- Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
Sac.
Public Library Call # 635.909794 C153 2004
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Unlike
most garden design books, Sunset's Reinvent
Your Garden shows what the featured yards looked like before their transformations.
Extensive "after" pictures follow, along with how-to steps for
completing "over 80 projects and quick finishing touches." High
quality color photos throughout. Several home styles are represented, including
Victorian, Ranch, Asian, Bungalow, a condominium and more. Plant lists included.
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Sunset Publishing Corporation; 1st edition (January, 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376036117
- Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
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Sunset Western Garden Problem Solver
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Sunset Books Inc (February, 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376061324
- Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
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Sunset Western Landscaping
- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Sunset Publishing Corporation; Revised edition (January, 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376039159
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NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA GARDENING, MONTH-BY-MONTH |
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Gardening
Month by Month in Northern California
I was expecting a "big book", like the other Nor Cal gardening books,
but this one turned out to be more compact (5 1/2" x 8 1/2").
I was a little disappointed at first that it's not chock full of info like
the Gilmer and Endicott books, but it still manages to cover the main to-do
items. Its strengths include being easy to tote around and the fact that it's laid out
in calendar form with space for jotting notes. So, think of it as a compact
guide and journal. You can use it for noting upcoming gardening
events, or reminding yourself when to apply dormant sprays or when to start
seeds indoors. The most comprehensive guide? No. Cute and compact and covers
the basics? Yes.
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing (January, 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 1551053659
- Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
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 In The
Complete Guide to Northern California Gardening, author Maureen Gilmer
gives an excellent overview of the northern California plant palette.
Not only does she tell you what you can grow, but she also gives tips for
selecting, planting and caring for northern California plants. The Month-by-Month
Gardening Guide section is especially helpful since it covers monthly maintenance of: lawns, trees,
shrubs, vines, groundcovers, perennials, annuals, roses, irrigation systems,
tools and more.
This book is a wonderful complement to the Sunset
Western Garden Book and Katherine Endicott's Northern California Gardening book. Over 250 color photographs. 235 pages.
Published in 1994. It's getting a tad dated, but if you don't already have this book, it's still a great addition to your library considering northern California gardening books aren't published very often...
- Hardcover: 248 pages
- Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (March, 1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 087833842X
- Product Dimensions: 1.0 x 8.2 x 11.0 inches
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Sunset
Western Garden Annual 2004
Discontinued, out-of-print series, but older editions still give you a good sense of what to do in the garden each month. Contains articles and photos that were featured in Sunset Magazine the previous year. Get the 2004 edition while you still can.
- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Leisure Arts Inc. (January, 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0376039124
- Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.0 x 0.7 inches
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| FROM
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES (ANR) |
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| LANDSCAPING |
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Dig This! Landscaping Without a Backhoe or a Big Budget
for Northern California and Beyond
If you're
embarking on your own landscape installation project, this book will pay
for itself very quickly. Author Kate Anchordoguy shares time- and money-saving
landscaping advice in a casual and often opinionated manner. Having landscaped
hundreds of yards, Kate reveals herself to be a seasoned pro who's learned...often
the hard way...what to do and what not to do. She says, "If
wisdom is measured by the mistakes we've made, I am very wise." Chapter
1 focuses on planning, shopping, and working efficiently. Chapter
2 covers basic landscape design. Chapter 3 discusses
construction projects and their timing. Chapter 4 addresses
the all-important (and often ignored) subject of drainage. Chapter
5 teaches you how to prep and improve your soil. Chapter
6 covers irrigation. Chapter 7 teaches you how
to "plant like a pro". The final chapter tackles
lawn installation and renovation. All in all, a fun and very informative
read.
- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Sasquatch Books (March, 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 1570613389
- Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
Sac Public Library: Call No. 712 A539 2003, ISBN: 1570613389
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GARDEN
DESIGN |
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Making Gardens Works of Art: Creating Your Own Personal Paradise
Keeyla Meadows is a Berkeley, California garden artist who combines her own sculptures, clay pots, furniture and accessories with complementary plant palettes. With her background in art, it's no wonder her emphasis is on color... and lots of it... rather than foliage. Keeyla shares not only her color expertise and design approach, but also the personally concocted soil recipe responsible for bringing her gardens into lush abundance in mere months. If your garden lacks color and whimsy and an artist's skill for combining flowering plants, this well-written, beautifully photographed primer will give you the inspiration and information you need to get started.
- Paperback: 128 pages
- Publisher: Sasquatch Books (February, 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 1570613079
- Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
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| GARDENING
WITH NATURE |
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| GARDEN
PROSE |
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From the Ground Up : The Story of a First Garden
What can I say about Amy Stewart except that she's
a really, really good storyteller! Whether she's writing about her first garden
at a rented house in Santa Cruz, California or about about worms, you'll
enjoy her charming and evocative prose. Her stories are as much about people
as they are about gardens and worms. She reveals that a garden-- even a
worm-- can have quite a riveting human interest story attached to it.
- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 5, 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0312287674
- Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
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CALIFORNIA
NURSERY GUIDES |
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The Guide to Sonoma County Nurseries
Out of print, but snag a used copy when you see one at a reasonable price.
- Spiral-bound: 224 pages
- Publisher: Spring Hill Press (December 31, 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 1890539015
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| CALIFORNIA GARDEN GUIDES |
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California Gardens: A Nature Lover's Guide
Out of print, but used copies are often available.
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Capra Pr (May, 1993)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0884963373
- Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 5.2 x 8.8 inches
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