| Hi, I don't know about books, but there are many web sites that deal with hybridizing plants. Most deal with very specific genera, not hybridizing in general. So it would help knowing what you intend to try your hand at to start with. The basic step is very simple: put some pollen (male part) on the stigma (female part) of the plant. That being said, the anatomy of a plant can be very different depending on the genus: in some genera, there are male plants and female plants while on most, the 2 reproductive organs can be found on the same plant. Sometimes, what appears to be a flower in not, it is rather made of several flowers that look like a single bloom. On others, the flower seems to be very big because of its colored bracts, but the flower itself is very tiny. In some genera, species can be crossed easily (interspecific) while in others, it is harder. In yet other cases, crosses can easily be made between different genera (intergeneric). Then you have the seeds you have to wait for until they rippen. Some will germinate very easily, other are very hard to germinate like peonies. Some will bloom very fast after sowing, others will take years before they do. You say you are new to gardening, so I suppose that you have never taken care of plants either indoors or outdoors. A good way to start would be with african violets: they are indoor plants and can be grown year round, they are small and take less room and less care than many other more demanding plants, sexual parts are easily identified, and you wont have to wait years to see the results of your work when you make a cross between 2 plants. Sounds hard? Don't worry, it seems worst than it really is. Hope this helps a bit, but I'm not sure... Anyway, welcome to the wonderful world of hybridizing. Laurier
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