Not exactly a gardening book, but I currently have out of the library "How to read a tree" by Tristan Gooley. Absolutely fascinating. Normally I whizz through books, but I am going slowly with this one as there is so much interesting stuff to take in.
I agree with most of the above! I have (and re-read from time to time) several of Geoff Hamilton's books, some of Christopher Lloyd's and Monty Don's too. I would recommend Beth Chatto's books too.
I also have several of the Dr DG Hessayon ones that were my first gardening books - they were cheap and readily available - I think mine came from supermarkets. I still use them for occasional reference, particularly the house plant one, but they are of their time and you have to ignore all the stuff about chemicals. I also have some of the RHS books (pruning, propagation, and the plant encyclopaedia) which are more for reference than for sitting down to read on a winter's evening.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
@JennyJ A neighbour employed a lady gardener, she inspired me to get into gardening for others. One winter just before I took on my first garden I read the index at the back of the RHS encyclopaedia and made notes as I went. I was particularly looking for plants I didn't know. Many were trees, or plants that I hadn't heard of because they were tender. It was an interesting excercise if a little nurdy.
However it did help me, I worked in various gardens where the owners had excellent plant knowledge and everything was referred to with it's latin name. Knowing what they were referring to gave me confidence and from that I was able to learn more.
I also realised I could read gardening books without looking up most of the latin names. This was a wonderful experience to read about a group of plants and imagining them growing together.
Latin names however should not stop the enjoyment of plants. Pronunciation doesn't matter and if 'that pink thing with large leaves' is the start of an ID that's great. Latin is important when purchasing plants it can stop you buying something you already have but didn't realise it!
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
And it isn't even proper Latin @GardenerSuze but at least this Latin Greek mangle we have does takes away from variable and market specific commercial names 😉
But totally appreciate your dorky reading of the index, I was exactly like that as a child and spent inordinate amount of time going through our 12 volume encyclopaedia...filled a lot of gaps in knowledge from my Greek school...it was so liberating getting online resources by half way in secondary school.
Mangled or not " real" names are so important, you only need to remember how often we get asked about Geraniums. How about Poppies? Himalayan Oriental Plume Corn Californian
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
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When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
However it did help me, I worked in various gardens where the owners had excellent plant knowledge and everything was referred to with it's latin name. Knowing what they were referring to gave me confidence and from that I was able to learn more.
I also realised I could read gardening books without looking up most of the latin names.
This was a wonderful experience to read about a group of plants and imagining them growing together.
Latin names however should not stop the enjoyment of plants. Pronunciation doesn't matter and if 'that pink thing with large leaves' is the start of an ID that's great.
Latin is important when purchasing plants it can stop you buying something you already have but didn't realise it!
But totally appreciate your dorky reading of the index, I was exactly like that as a child and spent inordinate amount of time going through our 12 volume encyclopaedia...filled a lot of gaps in knowledge from my Greek school...it was so liberating getting online resources by half way in secondary school.
How about Poppies?
Himalayan
Oriental
Plume
Corn
Californian
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border