Book Review

Landscape Magic
by
Douglas Green

Graphic by Broderbund Clickart

     Douglas Green is a gardener, writer, and owner of Simple Gifts Farm in Ontario, Canada.  He writes from 20 years of experience in the "down-in-the-dirt school of education."  This particular book (he has also authored one of my favorite rose books-- Tender Roses for Tough Climates) deals with the tricks and techniques useful for rejuvenating old yards and gardens.  Have you inherited a tangled mess from the previous owner of your home, or is your own garden just getting out of control?  You need to read this book!
      The following topics are covered thoroughly:  annual flower gardens, perennials, flowering shrubs, roses, evergreen shrubs, vines, trees, small fruits, lawns, soil renovation, and maintenance-- all with the emphasis on renovation.  However, even if you are just planting your first garden and not dealing with an overgrown tangle, this book is for you too.  Division, propagation, pruning, and dead-heading are all addressed.  It is loaded with helpful charts that touch on the problems of plants that spread and how to deal with that issue, hardiness, plants that are easily rooted, plants that divide easily, root cuttings, what is sun, what is shade, plant anatomy, common hedge trimming mistakes, double-digging, soil preparation, and the list goes on.  Information helpful to the experienced gardener and novice is on every page.
      Sprinkled generously throughout the text are colorful photos that add more sparkle to this already interesting book.  When I see the shrubs flexing under the weight of summer blossoms in the chapter on roses, I wish it was a "scratch-n-sniff" page!  The many excellent hand-drawn illustrations make the instructions for renovation, planting, division, and pruning easy to comprehend.
      Douglas Green's Landscape Magic is a delight to read.  I think I can learn something from a gardener who lives in zone 4 but hasn't lost a tender hybrid tea since 1987 with absolutely no winter protection!  (His tips on how to plant tender roses in a cold climate are in this book too.)  This gardening book is a gem!

A  man who could make one rose... would be accounted most wonderful;
Yet God scatters countless such flowers around us! 
His gifts are so infinite that we do not see them.

Martin Luther

[Home] [My Garden] [Index of Roses] [Sandy Soil] [Winter Prep]

[Old Garden Roses] [Gardening Tips] [Rose Links] [Chickens and Ducks]

Copyright (C) J. Kovalcsik 1999