City Gardening / Container and Balcony Gardening / Flowers / Flowers and other Ornamental Plants - Subjects / General Gardening / Herb Gardening / Landscaping / Natural Landscaping / Natural Landscaping - Subjects / Organic Gardening / Special Gardens / Vegetable Gardening / Writings About Gardens

• City Gardening
• City Gardens: Creative Urban Gardens and Expert Design Ideas - Liz Primeau, ed. (2004)
  With real-life examples from gardeners across Canada, this Canadian gardening manual is a treat!
  
• No Garden? No Problem: Design and Planting Ideas for the Smallest of Spaces: Steps, Walls, Roof Terraces, Balconies, Basements and Courtyards - Mike Pilcher (2002)
  Full of tricks for getting the most out of the unlikeliest of spaces, this book will surely motivate a restricted gardener.
  
• The City Gardener’s Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Small-Space Gardening - Linda Yang (2002)
  This city-focused guide is packed with information, from plant selection to pest control, in an easy-to-read layout.
  
  
  
• Container and Balcony Gardening
• Beautiful Tabletop Gardens - Janice Eaton Kilby (2003)
  Looking for an alternative to cut flowers in vases? This book contains photos and instructions for creating stylish and unexpected table displays.
  
• Container Gardening - Paul Williams (2004)
  A celebration of colours and themes, this book covers all aspects related to container gardening, and includes a comprehensive plant directory.
  
• Flowering Containers Through the Year: Over 150 Planting Recipes for Boxes, Baskets, Pots and Tubs - Stephanie Donaldson (2004)
  From basic to bold, this step-by-step guide to growing flowers in an assortment of planters is full of inspiring ideas.
  
• P. Allen Smith’s Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden - P. Allen Smith (2005)
  A gorgeous book of seasonal strategies for transforming pots of all kinds into suitable, vibrant gardens.
  
• Planted Junk - Adam Caplin (2001)
  Transform your garden by filling meaningful and eclectic artifacts with plants!
  
• The Edible Container Garden: Growing Fresh Food in Small Spaces - Michael Guerra (2000)
  The best thing about this guide to container gardening is that you can eat the results!
  
• The Urban Gardener: How to Grow Things Successfully on Balconies, Terraces, Decks and Rooftops - Sonia Day (2003)
  Create a vibrant oasis in the midst of the concrete jungle.
  
• Window Gardens for Windows, Walls, Decks, and Balconies - Jane Forster and Stephen Roberts (2002)
  Examples of the most strikingly-arranged plants to accent any window-type setting.
  
  
  
• Flowers
• Amazing Annuals: More than 300 Container and Garden Plants for Summer-Long Color - Marjorie Mason Hogue (1999)
  A practical reference source discussing colour, fragrance, cultural techniques and container gardening as well as the history of annuals.
  
• Annuals for Every Purpose: Choose the Right Plants for Your Conditions, Your Garden, and Your Taste - Larry Hodgson (2002)
  What to look for at the nursery, how to design with annuals and how to keep plants blooming all summer long.
  
• Book of Blue Flowers - Robert Geneve (2000)
  Blues from lavender to deep blue add depth and tranquility to the gardener's palette.
  
• Gardening with Tulips - Michael King (2005)
  The pleasing photos in this collection will turn every gardener into a tulip fan! Tulip varieties are classified according to colour to make selection easy.
  
• Growing Perennials in Cold Climates - Mike Heger and John Whitman (1998)
  Beginning with the 50 best perennial groups to grow in cold climates, this reader-friendly book details both the good and bad news about these plants.
  
• High Performance Perennials: Low Maintenance Flowers with Extended Bloom - Judith Adam (2002)
  Beautifully illustrated recommendations for long-blooming perennial plants that are easy to grow.
  
• Hole’s Dictionary of Hardy Perennials: The Buyer’s Guide for Professionals, Collectors and Gardeners - Jim Hole, ed. (2006)
  Another great resource from Jim Hole.
  
• Lois Hole's Favorite Bulbs: Better Choices, Better Gardens - Jim Hole and Valerie Hole (2003)
  Top species and variety recommendations make this a valuable resource for Edmonton-area gardeners.
  
• Perennial All-Stars: The 150 Best Perennials for Great-Looking, Trouble-Free Gardens - Jeff Cox (1998)
  Plants chosen for this collection are long blooming, attractive when out of bloom, non-invasive and easy to grow in a wide range of conditions.
  
• Roses: A Gardener's Guide for the Plains and Prairies - George W. Shewchuk (1999)
  Learn useful techniques for the more delicate varieties — like hybrid teas, polyanthas and floribundas — from a local expert.
  
  
  
• Flowers and other Ornamental Plants - Subjects
  Books on specific flowers and ornamental plants can be found using the subject access in the library catalogue.
• Allium
• Azaleas
• Begonias
• Brugmansia
• Campanula
• Carnations
• Chrysanthemums
• Clematis
• Climbing Plants
• Conifers
• Daffodils
• Daylilies
• Echinacea
• Ferns
• Flowering Crabapples
• Fuchsia
• Geraniums
• Hellebores
• Hostas
• Hydrangeas
• Irises
• Lilacs
• Lilies
• Orchids
• Ornamental Grasses
• Papaveraceae (Poppies)
• Pelargoniums
• Peonies
• Rhododendrons
• Roses
• Salvia
• Sunflowers
• Trilliums
• Tulips
  
  
• General Gardening
• Better Lawns: Step by Step - Joe Provey and Kris Robinson (1999)
  For many homeowners, lawn care is a duty rather than a pleasure. Efficient culture practices are the key to a great-looking lawn with minimum effort.
  
• Favourite Plants: Expert Advice on Choosing and Growing the Best Plants from Canadian Gardening Magazine - Liz Primeau, ed. (2005)
  With colourful and clear content, this book is sure to inspire.
  
• Gardening Month by Month in Alberta - Alison Beck (2002)
  Brief, general information provides ideas and possibilities for Alberta gardeners.
  
• Hobby Greenhouses in Alberta - (1989)
  Alberta Agriculture published these simple instructions regarding the building, heating and managing of small greenhouses for amateurs.
  
• Prairie Garden: Western Canada's Foremost Horticultural Annual
  "A non-profit publication written by and for western gardeners and homeowners."
  
• Propagation Basics - Steve Bradley (2002)
  Overview with practical instructions on the many ways to propagate plants to fill your garden.
  
• Reliable Rain: A Practical Guide to Landscape Irrigation - Howard Hendrix and Stuart Straw (1998)
  Conserve water by designing and installing a system to suit the needs of your plants and your site.
  
• Reluctant Gardener: A Beginner's Guide to Gardening in Canada - Dinah Shields (1992)
  This step-by-step, witty guide covers everything a neophyte needs to know, with an emphasis on how satisfying the experience can be.
  
• Soil and Composting: The Complete Guide to Building Healthy, Fertile Soil - Nancy J. Ondra (1998)
  A guide to starting from the ground up.
  
• What Grows When in Canadian Gardens - Trevor Cole, ed. (2005)
  A helpful guide to choosing exactly which plants will grow best in a variety of Canadian conditions.
  
• What Grows Where in Canadian Gardens - Trevor Cole, ed. (2005)
  Plants are arranged according to season in this handy guide that includes brief descriptions and photos for each.
  
• Woody Ornamentals for the Prairies - Hugh Knowles (1995)
  The only guide to hardy trees and shrubs that an Edmonton gardener needs; planting, pruning, pests and diseases as well as useful descriptions and photos.
  
  
  
• Herb Gardening
• Culinary Herbs for Short-Season Gardeners - Ernest Small and Grace Deutsch (2001)
  Practical tips and hardiness ratings for growing over 50 species of herbs.
  
• Gardening with Herbs - Emelie Tolley (1995)
  Stunning photographs of landscapes designed using herbs make this book a visual delight. Garden ornaments, structures, pools, fences, paving and pathways are also addressed.
  
• New Book of Herbs - Jekka McVicar (2002)
  The list of top 100 herbs is the main feature in this attractive guide to growing and using culinary and therapeutic herbs.
  
• Prairie Herb Garden - Lyn Kublick (1990)
  An excellent guide for northern herb gardeners which includes history, folklore, growing tips and recipes.
  
  
  
• Landscaping
• Brand New Garden: From Bare Plot to Stylish Garden in 5 Easy Steps - Joanna Smith (2003)
  Although this is a British book, the principles of garden design are applicable anywhere. A bonus to city-dwellers is that the illustrations are all examples of small yards.
  
• Designing Alberta Gardens: The Complete Guide to Beautiful Gardens - Jan Mather (1994)
  An invaluable tool for Alberta gardeners, outlining basic theory, a practical five-step process to creating your own design, examples of nine specialty gardens, and including extensive lists of hardy plants as a bonus.
  
• Feng Shui Garden: Design your Garden for Health, Wealth, and Happiness - Gill Hale (1998)
  Apply the principles of Chinese geomancy in your landscape.
  
• Landscaping with Stone - Pat Sagui (2004)
  Packed with beautiful photographs and ideas for using stone decoratively in the garden.
  
• Mrs. Greenthumbs Plows Ahead: Five Steps to the Drop-Dead Gorgeous Garden of your Dreams - Cassandra Danz (1998)
  "With a hilarious earthiness that makes gardening an unrivaled entertainment, Mrs. Greenthumbs introduces five simple principles that any gardener can follow."
  
• Ornament in the Small Garden - Roy Strong (2002)
  Ornamental features, whether practical or purely decorative, bring distinctive character to a garden.
  
• Story of Gardening - Penelope Hobhouse (2002)
  Beautifully illustrated history of the evolution of gardening over thousands of years.
  
  
  
• Natural Landscaping
• 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens - Lorraine Johnson (2005)
  Select the right plant for the right place and the result will be a low maintenance garden.
  
• Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture - Toby Hemenway (2001)
  Design an ecosystem in your backyard.
  
• Garden for Life: The Natural Approach to Designing, Planting, and Maintaining a North Temperate Garden - Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2004)
  A thoughtful book that considers environmental impact and sustainability first and foremost.
  
• Lawns for Canada: Natural and Organic - Don Williamson (2005)
  This comprehensive guide to creating and caring for a lawn organically was published right here in Edmonton.
  
• Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn - Stevie Daniels (1995)
  Useful advice on replacing lawns with low-maintenance alternatives — wildflowers, ornamental grasses, ground covers and moss.
  
  
  
• Natural Landscaping - Subjects
  For more titles on native landscapes, use the following subjects in our catalogue:
• Gardening to Attract Birds
• Native Plant Gardening
• Natural Landscaping
• Wild Flower Gardening
• Xeriscaping
  
  
• Organic Gardening
• Complete Gardener - Montagu Don (2003)
  A visually-stunning book that covers the basics of organic principles for growing food and flowers.
  
• Gaia Book of Organic Gardening - Charlie Ryrie (2005)
  A well-organized and detailed look at how to begin and maintain an organic garden.
  
• Gardener's Weed Book: Earth-Safe Controls - Barbara Pleasant (1996)
  Identify 80 common garden weeds, learn time-saving tips for organic weed control and put weeds to practical use.
  
• How to Get Your Lawn & Garden Off Drugs: A Basic Guide to Pesticide-Free Gardening in North America - Carole Rubin (2003)
  "... work with, not against, nature — and spend less time and money on maintenance."
  
• Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology - Eric Grissell (2001)
  Insects play key roles in maintaining a garden's ecological balance; gardens managed as balanced, biologically diverse "naturalistic" systems are more enjoyable and easier for the gardener to maintain.
  
• Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener - (1992, 1997)
  First published in the early 1960s, this straightforward encyclopedia has grown to cover all aspects of gardening.
  
  
  
• Special Gardens
• Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping - Thomas Leo Ogren (2000)
  For anyone concerned with allergic reactions, the list of plants rated according to their capacity for allergy will be indispensable.
  
• Child's Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents - Molly Dannenmaier (1998)
  Create very special places that encourage young people to explore their imagination and the natural world.
  
• Creating a Cottage Garden in Canada - Stephen Westcott-Gratton (2000)
  Cottage gardens are unpretentious and the style — a riot of mixed flowering plants and vegetables — is easy to achieve.
  
• Cutting Garden: Growing and Arranging Garden Flowers - Sarah Raven (1996)
  Complete guide to selecting varieties, growing flowers, and creating arrangements throughout the year.
  
• Indoor Plant Gardening for Canada - Laura Peters (2004)
  This guide will be ideal for anyone interested in finding and caring for plants suitable to our indoor climate.
  
• Prairie Rock Garden - Donna Balzer (2000)
  Use this book to learn how to accentuate and enhance your garden with rocks.
  
• Shady Garden: A Practical Guide to Planning & Planting - Jane Taylor (1994)
  This useful book with its enticing photos challenges the notion that shady areas are the dead zones of the garden.
  
• Water Garden Plants for Canada - Allison Beck (2005)
  Perfect for those longing to hear the sound of trickling water in their yard.
  
  
  
• Vegetable Gardening
• Heirloom Vegetables: A Home Gardener's Guide to Finding and Growing Vegetables from the Past - Sue Stickland (1998)
  Celebrate diversity and flavour with little-known varieties that deserve attention.
  
• Lois Hole's Tomato Favorites - Lois Hole (1996)
  The tomato is easily the most popular garden vegetable; the difficulty is in deciding which varieties to grow.
  
• New Northern Gardener - Jennifer Bennett (1996)
  This text for cooler climates covers organic practices for flowers and herbs as well as vegetables.
  
• Salad Gardens: Simple Secrets for Glorious Gardens, Indoors and Out - Mimi Luebbermann (1996)
  Fresh ideas for growing and preparing a wide variety of leafy vegetables in any size of plot, including some unusual container gardens.
  
  
  
• Writings About Gardens
• Garden Writings

Revised: May 2006