The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Chapter & Verse on gardening
Experts single out favorite books and resources, from growing veggies to styling houseplants
Longtime gardener, tomato expert and author Craig Lehoullier said he still sometimes gets nervous reading reviews of his book, “Epic Tomatoes.” Despite his worry, he typically ends up pleased that the book has gotten great reviews and helped people. “What I wanted my book to do is really feature those things that I particularly gained an expertise in, which is knowledge of a lot of types of tomatoes and being able to tell the stories and honor the families that sent them to me through those stories,” Lehoullier said. Lehoullier knows the value of a good book in educating people, and he credits those by James Underwood Crockett as being major influences on his interest in gardening. That got us thinking about other books that might be good choices for gardeners. We asked Lehoullier and three other book experts to recommend some of their favorites. We talked with Lehoullier, a North Carolina author and member of the Dwarf Tomato Project; Danae Horst, author of “Houseplants for All” and owner of Eagle Rock-based plant store Folia Collective; Andrew Wilcox, a professor of landscape architecture at Cal Poly Pomona and a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects; and Ana Buckley, a houseplant enthusiast and manager at Lost Books, a Montrose store specializing in books and houseplants. Some books are new and some are vintage, but like a prized heirloom that’s been grown for decades, our experts say they’re just as good now.
Lehoullier recommends:
“CROCKETT’S VICTORY GARDEN” AND “CROCKETT’S FLOWER GARDEN” » These two books, published in 1977 and 1981 respectively, are from James Underwood Crockett, the original host of “The Victory Garden” on PBS. They give month-to-month guidance on topics such as when to transplant and how to tend particular plants.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THEM » Lehoullier said the books are just as relevant as they were 40 years ago and are written in a way that’s homey and not condescending.
MORE READING » The online Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection features 200,000 historical American and foreign seed catalogs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » Though it’s not technically a book, Lehoullier said, the collection is worth perusing because it’s free and readers can learn a lot. “If anything adds to my current education of trying to understand more about the history of gardening in the country, it’s just taking a half hour every night and flipping through, trying to figure out what my grandfather grew in the 1900s. Or my great-grandfather — what was he growing in the late 1800s? And the answer is sitting in all of these wonderful digitized seed catalogs.”
Horst recommends:
“BOTANY FOR GARDENERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF PLANTS” » Multiple editions of this book by Brian Capon have been put out since its initial release in 1990. An expanded fourth edition will be published in August. The book teaches nonbotanists about complicated plant processes in layman’s terms.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » Horst said the book is helpful for picking up terminology that a gardener might encounter in gardening books or articles.
MORE READING » “Success With Houseplants.” This book from Reader’s Digest was originally published in 1985 but offers information on many kinds of plants and their care needs. The second half takes a more overarching look at plant care.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » Horst said the thick book addresses topics ranging from pruning to fertilizer. Though the illustration is dated, there are actually a lot of inspiring photos of plants being styled in homes in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
STILL MORE » “Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants.” Horst’s own book came out in 2020 and tells how to pick out houseplants that are appropriate for their spaces. It includes information on lighting (with a quiz designed to help readers figure out what kind of light they have in their home), plants that are appropriate for that light, and how to style plants, plus practical tips on repotting, pruning, watering and more.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » Horst said the book and its content stemmed from her everyday interactions with customers at her shop and the questions they would bring her. She said her book aims to have something for everyone, from beginners to more experienced plant owners.
Wilcox recommends:
“NATIVE PLANTS FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GARDENS FLASHCARDS” » These flashcards are available through the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley. The foundation operates a native plant nursery. The cards identify particular types of native plants and also have notes on how to maintain them, Wilcox said.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THESE » “This is a super-handy tool not only for helping to identify plants as you walk around the nursery or home center on the weekends, but they are bilingual too,” Wilcox wrote in an email.
MORE READING » “Wild Suburbia: Learning to Garden With Native Plants.” This 2016 read by Barbara Eisenstein details how gardeners can transform thirsty suburban yards into spaces filled with California native and climate-adapted plants.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » For beginners, “this is a good place to start with some practical advice and stories of success,” he said.
Buckley recommends:
“HOUSE PLANTED: CHOOSING, GROWING, AND STYLING THE PERFECT PLANTS FOR YOUR SPACE” » This 2021 read by Lisa Muñoz features lots of good tips for beginners on how to take care of plants and how to stave off pests, with many photographs as visual aids.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » “My favorite thing about it is it’s about decorating,” Buckley said. “It will give you ideas about where plants will thrive and ideas on where to display them.”
“GREEN: PLANTS FOR SMALL SPACES INDOORS AND OUT” » This 2020 book by Jason Chongue shares tips and tricks for how to grow not only houseplants but fruits and vegetables in small containers.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT » Buckley said the book’s focus on container and small patio gardening is indispensable for people living in a small space such as an L.A. apartment.