I am a bookoholic, Tony, have about 30 feet of shelf space on gardening, botany, herbal medicine and related topics, including antiques from the early 1800's.

The ones most worn are: Hortus Third, RHS Index, Garner's Grafter's Handbook (when I worked for the feds, my boss wouldn't let me keep that in the office), Radford's Fundamentals of Plant Systematics, Garrett's Landscape Design - Texas Style, Smith's A Gardener's Book of Plant Names, Voss's 3 volume Michigan Flora, Correll and Johnston's Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas, and the Time Life Gardening Series.

My gardening orientation is organic, which I learned as a little kid, the only way my German/Scot grandparents farmed and few of the organic books tell me anything new so I don't bother buying them. My first love is native plants, and we landscaped with those because we found so many beauties in the fields and woods; present city garden has about 50 species. My books reflect those interests.

Have you checked out the GardenWeb glossary? Spike and I have nearly 5000 words in process of being entered there. If anyone has a need for a word not already contained, we will do our best to find the definition for you.

O.K. Barb maybe the only reference I need is your email address! I used to have a truck load of books too but what with one thing and another (?) I got seperated from them. Now, with a memory like a sieve I am a bit lost. I was part way through something just yesterday, regarding organic gardening coincidently, and started writing about the "no dig" method then drew a blank. Do you have anything? or can you point me in the right direction.

Well, Tony, my memory is on the same level as yours, the reason I need so many books!

As to the no-dig method, an Extension agent once pointed out a farmer with a huge tractor working the soil into the finest granules. "If anyone saw someone beating a horse to death, we would have him arrested. People beat the soil to death and we applaud them."

Ruth Stout was the founder of the organic movement, which uses no-dig as one technique. Can anyone recall the name of her book, which is a classic? Bit of trivia, did you know she was a sister to Rex Stout, the mystery writer?

And Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening should have one or more articles on the topic.

Are you sure, Barbara? For some reason I thought she was his wife. It's been a long time, though, since I read about her, and what I remember most clearly is her garden attire. I emulate her in more ways than one, albeit in more privacy.

Where would we be without this classic of organic gardening? Has anyone had the fun of seeing the video of Ruth Stout, made when she was about 90? It's a gem! Ruth Stout (who is also infamous for gardening in the buff) wrote "The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book," published in 1971 by Rodale Press. I found my copy at a yard sale for $1, proud to have it in my collection. (Yes, Viktoria, she was Rex Stout's sister, not his spouse.)

I couldn't do without Mark Griffiths' "Index of Garden Plants" (by the RHS), the "Sunset Western Garden Book" (I'm in San Diego), and my 1941 copy of Bailey's "The Standard Cycolopedia of Horticulture" (which I much prefer to Hortus). Like Barb I'm a bookoholic - I've got over 60' of books and magazines in my office, all on horticulture. I'm the editor of the monthly 20-page newsletter of the San Diego Horticultural Society, and I'm always looking up things about all kinds of plants, both for the newsletter and my own garden.

Maybe someone can recommend a good book on South African plants (in addition to the Cape Bulbs book)? Here in So. Calif. we can grow darn near anything from the Mediterranean climate areas of the world. Thanks in advance!

dear tony,
I can help, here in wales due to popular demand the re publication of Albert Guests book gardening without digging has been reprinted after more than 50 years.
I can abtain a copy for you, if you want one please e-mail me and I,d be happy to help. It is a fascinating read and i am at present trying to generate local interest in the no-dig method as it would be very helpful to elderly and disabled gardeners. The book is being sold through the good gardeners association and costs £4.95 love claire

Rodales Gardening Techniques covers this topic. I have a
piece written already on "No-Dig" if you would like a copy.

I got em' all and use Botanica the most, augmented with hortus III and RHS, As far as coffee table books , lets say there are no chairs or couches in my living room , only coffee tables.

I would like to find out more about the dichrostachys cinerea. This is an interesting African and Australian plant that I am researching. I work for Walt Disney World as a gardener and we have these growing. I want to know any history stories and folktales. Yhanks

Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crop Plants, by Dr. Samuel McGregor is the standard reference for food crops. It was published by the USDA and is often referred to as the 'pollination bible.'

I've seen some flights of fancy in garden writings when pollination is discussed. This book would help prevent some serious errors. It's out of print, but now available online.

Here is a link that might be useful: Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crop Plants

Great thread!

YouÂve listed most of mine and a few I covet. Gawd, I covet books like Imelda coveted shoes. ItÂs a disease.

Look here in the Grassland Index for more on:

Dichrostachys cinerea, Judy.

Tony, the "no dig" method is also called sheet composting and / or lasagna gardening. The basic idea is you lay down layers of newspaper or cardboard, wet it down and then mulch the dickens out of it. Lasagna is basically the same thing only elevated layers of manure, leaves compost ect with newspaper or cardboard overwintered it shrinks down quite a bit and mother nature takes its course. I was hurt in an accident and dont have full use of my hands and gardening was one of the things that fell by the wayside for me because of the physical demands. It broke my heart and almost my spirit till I happened to come across an article about sheet composting. I have been experimenting on my own landscape for about two years using the diffrent teqniques and concentrating on making gardening a reality for people with disabilities. It has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me and I am lucky enough to be able to share with my local community in my endeavors.

according to rodales "encyclopedia of organic gardening ruth stouts books are" ruth stout no-work gardening book( with richard clements) 1971 "how to have a green thumb without a aching back"1955 " gardening without work" 1961 and " i've always done it my way" 1975 and i only have able to find two!1 i'd love to see the video---

I would love to know more about Ruth Stout. I have one book, "How to have a green thumb without an aching back", and cannot even order one through my local bookstore. I loaned it to someone once, and had a rough time getting it back. However, I prevailed. Thanks

I always thought the Ruth Stout/Rex Stout connection was interesting, especially since I'd read several of Rex's many, many books. If you remember, Nero Wolfe, the lead character, was an orchid enthusiast!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-5603726-8250524

I was given this book in 1971 and bought many more paperbacks to give away so that people would quit swiping my copy! I did a search on Amazon.com for THE RUTH STOUT NO-WORK GARDEN BOOK and I hope the link above will take you there to see what is available! It is worth whatever you pay for it and is the most down to earth, common sense, book I have seen on gardening!

Good luck!
Magic

Here is a link that might be useful: THE RUTH STOUT NO-WORK GARDEN BOOK

Rats - it didn't work - you will have to go to http://www.Amazon.com and do a search yourself to find it. Check the used books dealers too.

If I could have only one book on gardening this would be my choice.

Cheers!

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon.com

You could try Forbes Best of the Web as a resource portal. I usually do most of my research online.

Here is a link that might be useful: Forbes Best of the Web

finally--i've found, and purchased the last 2 books to my ruth stour collection. its shocking tho--to see the prices asked on the first 2 originals that i have-but--they're worth any price-oh, yes, i found them at amazon.com

If you are looking for out of print books, the best source on the web is www.bookfinders.com. Much better than Amazon, which often lists books the dealer has long since sold. Plus they are a middleman. And PS, I am amazed this very old thread has reappeared. Good for you, ceresone.

It's been three years now since Susy asked on this thread about a good South Africa plant book. May I suggest "Fynbos, South Africa's Unique Floral Kingdom" by Richard Cowling and Dave Richardson, Fernwood Press, 1995. Fantastic photos by Colin Paterson-Jones. The authors are ecologists with much field experience in this vegetation type. In addition to the abundant botanical information, there is also a good bit on wildlife. This is a beautiful book about a little-known region of South Africa. Worth your attention.