skip to main content

Garden Restoration

Reference books and websites

20 years ago

I didn't really want to start a new thread on an already busy forum but I will:-\

Perhaps this a thread heading for the archives so if anyone has a website or a reference book or results of their own research that would like to add please do.

First, have a look at this one to get an idea of what I am driving at http://www.trp.dundee.ac.uk/research/glossary/glossary.html

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (17)

Saypoint zone 6 CT
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You mean like these?
Jo
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/collections:@field(SUBJ+@1(Art+and+Architecture)):heading=Topics%3a+Art+and+Architecture

http://www.epreservation.net/Resources/Articles/Results.cfm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/period/baroque/baroque1.shtml

http://www.doaks.org/COPEctn.html

http://www.magma.ca/~evb/garden.html#anchor1433512

http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org/

http://gardening.about.com/sitesearch.htm?terms=historic%20gardens&SUName=gardening&TopNode=3042&type=1

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/history/126.html

http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;sid=6ad981b842382aa6edc2468e05b539ec;rgn=full%20text;tpl=home.tpl

http://groups.msn.com/moderncottagegardens/links.msnw

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/guide/port-6.html

http://www.spnea.org/resources/list.asp

http://members.lycos.nl/gvolffen/index-51.html

http://www.cthistoryonline.org/
0
ginny12
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow--what a great list. Now I am hoping for a blizzard so I will have an excuse to sit in front of the computer and explore all these sites. Thanks for posting!
0
Related Discussions
Books or website with complete reference
Q
Comments (3)
Google works really well for me. Ebay too. I just use the search string 'succulent' to find plants that I like the growing habit of. Once I get the botanical name, I search out care. I choose one plant at a time, acquire it, then learn all I can about it and how I can take care of it in my environment, before moving on to another. I've killed a succulent or two hundred, lol. Kidding. No I'm not. =D For watering, the combination of amount of light, amount of roots, type of media, and size of pot are all related. Get the balance right & you'll learn how *not* to drown your potted plants. If a plant has adequate enough light to support it, it will take up water from the potting media via roots. For succulents, it should be a quick draining gritty mix, if the mix is too wet, small roots may drown. The decrease in roots means there's less to take up water, leaving your potting media wetter than ideal. Too much of that & fungus & rot can set it, or, the lack of roots to support the rest of the plant, means leaves will drop. Here in NY, challenges are to get enough light to the plants. This means a very gritty mix is beneficial and as much bright light as possible (this time of year). It helps to stick a skewer or chopstick in the pot, pull it out before watering. If it's wet, don't water. If it's damp, check back in a day or so. If it doesn't dry out, check the health of the plant. If that checks out, you're good for the time being, but you should note that *this* particular succulent likes more moisture. One example is P. afra. (I have 2 of these guys that I keep more damp than my other plants. I thought I was nuts, as I've killed 2 of these in the past, but another GW member verified that they really DO like more water.) If plant is struggling, amend for better draining media....or more water retentive media. Whichever is appropriate. To sum up; light, potting media, amount of roots, general health of plant all dictate how much to water. You can't find that in a reference book or website ;) Hope that helps some ;)
...See More
Current Antique/Collectible Reference Books?
Q
Comments (7)
If you are going to yard sales, auctions or thrift shops & want to get general idea on what value should be try Schroeder's price guide(lots of pics & index in back), Antique Trader, Warman's Antiques & Collectibles, Kovel's Price guide, these cover many subjects & might carry 1 in vehicle in case you think you've found a real treasure. Gene Florence has a lot of books out on Kitchen glassware, Elegant Glassware, Depression Glass with price guide for all tho some books may be several years old. Shows each type of glass ,lots of pics to help you learn to identify glass. Hall China has book, Westmoreland,Nippon,Findlay,Carnival Glass, Ruby Glass, Pottery & Porcelain Ceramics by Antique Trader. Then there are books on Iron(anything made from iron)Wicker, Silver, Advertising, Postcards & or paper collectibles,Dolls have lots of books, Patrica Smith had whole series,Various books on furniture, country, American etc.,cookbooks, Dictionary of marks by Kovel,coins, stamps,kitchen collectibles, old books,toothpick holders,thimbles. The list goes on & on so either get general guide or 1 that fits area of collecting you are doing. Almost anything can be collected, but it may have very little value, buttons can range from 1 cent to several dollars for hand painted or very rare buttons. You can't collect everything so you narrow it down to your favorite things!Also some areas of country, things sell for very little if the item is readily available so as it says books are a "guide" to possible value of your items, some things popular 10 yrs ago may not be selling now. Library will have 'reference books on antiques" & books that can be checked out so check both areas of library! Have fun!
...See More
Which spice and herb reference book.
Q
Comments (15)
So here I am opening it, carefully, though with this kind of binding there isn't a worry about cracking the spine. :) This is a beautiful book and exactly what I wanted. herbs & spices the cook's reference Jill Norman The page edges and backgrounds are different colors. I can't find a theme for the colorings, on first glance, and it may just be for pretty. The author talks about different definitions of spice by region and uses what she calls the European version (though it's what I've always used too) that herbs are called herbs whether fresh or dried, and the same for spices. The very first one is parsley. She only has curly, flat leaf and root, and I have more kinds trying to die in the garden (I'm the only one I know who has trouble grown parsley but none growing roses and orchids), but that's what I like about the book. I can taste the difference between the different kinds of flat leaf parsley I have, but they're really nearly the same. Each large picture of the three forms gets a one paragraph description, takes about flavor and where it's from. There are a couple of paragraphs of culinary uses for the group, what kinds of things it goes in, how to prepare it, what it goes well with and what it's necessary for. There's a sidebar with a paragraph of "tasting notes", then "parts used", "buying and storing" and "grow your own" (which just talks about seeding and not why mine always wants to die...) On the other hand, extra pages are devoted to multiple kinds of sage and thyme, for instance (those are very happy in my garden and thrilled to be in the book!). This template is used for all the entries. They're written using lists of overlapping names and a point of view that straddles the Atlantic. My only quibble so far is that the author says that welsh onions (which have nothing to do with Wales which I learned from an article online) are different from scallions, but as far as I can tell she's the only one who thinks so...the Latin names are the same. So no matter how hard she has tried to cover global usage, I think it's an impossible task. On the Rosemary page, since there aren't a bunch of alternate forms, she uses the facing page for a big picture and small paragraph on Herbes de Provence. Similarly, on the spice side, there are pictures of it ground and also of it in use, when there aren't a bunch of alternates to show. There are pictorials on bruising, grating slicing and shredding spices, dry roasting and frying spices, grinding crushing and making spice pastes, and how to deal with fresh and dried chili peppers. On the herb side, there's stripping, chopping and pounding herbs, drying and rubbing herbs, and making vinegars, oils and butters If I'd had this book three days ago I would have seen chives flowers before mine bloomed. :) At the end are short chapters on herb mixtures, which are recipes bouquets garnis, pastes, seasoning mixes etc. Spice mixtures includes some curry pastes and powders, seven- and five-spice, masalas, ras el hanout etc., organized by region of origin. The Sauces and condiments chapter has everything from salsa verde to pesto to bearnaise, salsas, chutneys and sambals. The Marinades include dry adobo, and some other, more general flavors. The Soups and Light dishes have things like tarragon soup, fattoush and spring rolls. There are also a couple of pages each for fish, all meats, and vegetables, many leaning East, but some Western too. There's a pasta, noodles and grains section with some classics and a desserts and drinks page with some basics. There's an extensive bibliography, a couple pages of sources around the world, most UK, The Spice House (father of Penzey's) and several US live and dried herb purveyors, some Canadian and Australian, and a few other countries. Also a website (in French) for Middle Eastern herbs and spices. I haven't had it long enough to know if the index is good, but given the organization, it almost doesn't have to be. Most of the pages are the two page layouts that I described above. There isn't a lot of verbiage. This isn't a botanical or a gardening book. (Yeah!) What it is is a great reference for people who don't want to read through a whole big book to get a quick answer, who generally know how to cook and how to garden, and just want to look up the essentials. I didn't even know there was lemon myrtle! (It's Australian.) And the recipes are best for spice mixtures and least for complete dishes to make. Those, however, could be great jumping off points. I love this book!! It's very easy to browse, and will be easy to use, and it's SO PRETTY! and it says just what I want to know without wasting my time with excess and has big, delicious photographs, instead of tight little drawings and parsimonious crowded snapshots. This one is getting shelf space in the kitchen. :) edit: words left out about Spice House founder above. The Spice House was founded as bricks and mortar by Penzey Sr. Penzey's was started later as a catalog business by Penzey Jr., and has become a larger chain of bricks and mortar. Both have (crummy) web sites, though Spice House is much better. Spice house has more variety. Penzey's probably makes more money by limiting. Personal opinion. YMMV. This post was edited by plllog on Thu, Apr 10, 14 at 0:22
...See More
What is your "go to" gardening reference book?
Q
Comments (2)
Lolol - thanks! That we usually go to a book for care instructions about a particular plant is the reason I've never found a book about houseplants that I like, mainly because they all give so much conflicting information (compared to other authors) and they all say the same thing in different words about huge classes of plants w/o really telling you anything specific about individual plants. Books often leave the grower with the impression that every plant requires its own specific care regimen in order to be kept happy, but most of the care instructions are based on the plant's tolerance for adversity, rather than what it actually prefers. We don't need to buy into the idea that plants require very different sets of care instructions ..... because they don't. Cacti are a little different because they are extremely intolerant of wet feet, and a very few succulents are similar in that regard - especially in periods where they enter a situational dormancy; but by and large, a huge % of the plants we grow indoors want and will prosper under exactly the same care regimen, which pivots on our ability to keep the root system happy and providing an appropriate amount of light. I treat everything I grow the same, maybe other than providing some shade for plants intolerant of intense or direct sunlight. They are all in a soil that drains almost perfectly (that means to the point there is no water between soil particles - only air), so I don't need to worry about over-watering (not even the succulents). This also makes fertilizing monkey easy. Once you start experimenting with providing a high quality home for roots, you'll discover that the sweet spot at which houseplants grow best is almost universal, while the limits of what houseplants will tolerate varies widely. Worry about the sweet spot and you'll be able to forget entirely about the plant's ability to deal with conditions at the fringes of what it was genetically programmed to tolerate, which is central to the inability of many growers to keep plants healthy. Valued books: Plant Production in Containers II ~ Carl Whitcomb PhD (fairly easy reading) Water, Media, and Nutrition for Greenhouse Crops ~ a Ball book (easy reading) Botany for Gardeners ~ Brian Capon (very easy reading, gives a basic overview of how plants work. I often recommend it because understanding physiology is a key to growing proficiency) Plant Physiology ~ Mohr & Schopfer (tough sledding if no background in botany/ horticulture) Plant Physiology ~ Taiz & Zeiger (again - tough sledding w/o some background) Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants ~ Petra Marschner (tough sledding w/o background) Plant Pathology ~ Agrios (tough sledding w/o background) Soils for Ornamental Plants and Turf ~ Handreck and Black (fairly easy reading) Hamiltons Commercial Indoor Plants ~ Hamilton (easy reading - closest thing I've seen to a decent book on houseplants, but the longer it remains out of print and not updated, the more obsolete its information will become. It already has a lot of inaccurate info, i.e. based on today's knowledge. Al
...See More
ginger_nh
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Excellent, Tony. Just reading the built landscape definitions is fascinating in itself. (In checking the "R's" I went immediately to "rat course" which turns out to be slates arranged in a fashion to keep rodents out of dovecotes!! Very British.)

I wanted to start a thread like this but as only 3 responses were given to the "Books on Restoration?" query below, I thought I'd wait a bit. Hope people respond to this post's title; would be a good FAQ thread.

Three books that I use frequently are:

"Rejuvenating a Garden" by Stephen Anderton
This is not a book about restoration or historical aspects of garden renewal. This is the nuts and bolts "how to do it" aspect of renewing or renovating any and all gardens -- takes you thru the whole process of re-designing, budgeting, formulating the steps to change and in what order, immediate "first aid" for plants, excellent chapter on pruning in the older, mature and/or overgrown garden, assessing and timing: when to wait and when to act -- I love this book. Very practical and well-written British gardening lore and practices.

"The New Traditional Garden: A Practical Guide to Creating and Restoring Authentic American Gardens for Homes of All Ages" by Michael Weishan. New, comprehensive, good overview.

"For Every House A Garden" by Rudy and Joy Favretti
About New England gardens 1600-1900 and for the average DYI homeowner making the effort to reproduce something of a period garden. Interestingly, they recommend finding out as much as you can about the former owners of your home and garden as the place to start the restoration research.

The various garden history societies are excellent sources of information and good organizations to support through membership:

The New England Garden History Society
Web Page URL: http://www.masshort.org/neghs.htm

I belonged for some time but have let my membership lapse. They have an excellent bookstore, newsletter, journal, workshop offerings, lectures, garden tours, and the like.

For the southern part of the country there is:

Southern Garden History Society
www.southerngardenhistory.org

For Californians/West Coast:
California Garden and Landscape History Society
www.cglhs.org

And for England:

Garden History Society
http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org/index.shtml

General(some garden and landscape focus):

National Trust for Historic Preservation
http://www.nationaltrust.org/

Ginger
0
ginger_nh
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Jo-
Would be helpful if the name of the site or organization accompanied the web address. Thanks.
Ginger
0
back_yard_guy
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ron_B recently recommended a book to me. It is entitled:

Establishment and Maintenance of Landscape Plants
by Carl Whitcomb.

This is probably my most treasured book. The first section details all of the 'hows' without bothering you with the 'whys'. The next portion elaborates on the 'whys'.

This book blows a lot gardening myths out of the water. For example, he elaborates on why the timeless advice to 'water deeply and less frequently' can bring about disasterous results and why you should really rather use 'frequent shallow watering'. Also, he explains how useless these deep-watering probes, which are used to inject dissolved fertilizer tablets, really are. Another is a gripping tale about the benefits of all planting, and how they will out-perform/out-grow spring-planted stock.

I really owe Ron_B for this one.
0
mjsee
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ginny--be careful what you wish for! You might get your blizzard--and lose your power! Voice of experience...even in zone 7b!

My favorite book of the moment is Passalong Plants by Steve Bender and Felder Rushing. Talk about a source for names and suggestions of "old-timey" plants! Plus, it's just fun to read. And Felder Rushing appeals to the "Junk Queen" within...

Confession time--I found Landscape Design via Garden Junk...so I must confess a secret delight in bowling balls and garden benches made from headboards...

Am I still welcome?

melanie
0
spectre
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hello All:

I'm beginning to feel like the lonely Maytag repairman (much skinnier) in the forum's "Tropical and Subtropical Garden Department", located just behind the unopened US Government crate last seen at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I'll probably become the forum's wacky uncle; you know...the demented relative everyone has locked up in the attic until Thanksgiving, at which time the loony and wheel chair are rolled out and paraded to the kids at the turkey dinner. After the festivities, it's time to SpaceBag him/her and stuff the crazy, but lovable, lug in the attic to watch The Jerry Springer Show until the next Thanksgiving, when it's time to do it again.

I'm not sure how a guy with a warm-weather bent can contribute to a forum loaded with historical colonial-era (and temperate) gardens. Heck, the McDonald's a mile from me qualifies as a historical landmark...and it was built seven years ago. I guess I can hang around for comic relief, ready with the clever quips and metaphorical links between big landscape balls and the Horta nodules or Enterprise's engine nacell... errrr...never mind....

Anyway, with disclaimer aside, here are some of my most referenced garden books for plant compendiums, design, and inspiration:

Balinese Gardens. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni (Photography), William Warren (Text). Periplus, 2000. $39.95.

Cultivated Palms of the World. Don & Anthony Ellison. Betrock, 2001. $59.95. Cant have a list on tropical plant books without at least one on palms.

Gardens by the Sea: Creating a Tropical Paradise. Gadren Club of Palm Beach. University Press of Florida, 1999. $34.95

Mediterranean Gardening. Heidi Gildimeister. University of California Press, 2002 (paperback ed). $24.95.

Ornamental Trees for San Diego and Other Mediterranean Climates. Don Walker (Photography), Steve Brigham (Text). San Diego Horticultural Society, 2003. $34.95.

Plants For Tropical Landscapes: A GardenerÂs Guide. Fred D. Rauch, Paul R. Weissich. University of Hawaii Press, 2000. $39.95.

Southern California Gardening. Pat Welsh. Chronicle Books, 1999. $29.95.

Subtropical Garden, The. Jacquelyn Walker, et al. Timber Press, 1996. $24.95.

Thai Garden Style. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni, William Warren. Periplus, 2003. $30.00. Latest edition is in paperback.

Tropical Flowering Plants. Kirsten Albrecht Llamas. Timber Press, 2003. $69.95.

Tropical Garden, The. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni, William Warren. Thames & Hudson, 1995, 2000. $29.95.

Tropical Garden Design. Made Wijaya. Periplus, 1999. $50.00.

Tropical Look, The: An Encyclopedia of Dramatic Landscape Plants. Robert Lee Riffle. Timber Press, 1998. $49.95. This book won an AHS Annual Award in 1998.

Tropical Plants for Home and Garden. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni, William Warren. Thames & Hudson, 1997. $50.00.

Western Garden Book. Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed. Sunset Publishing, 2001. $32.95

There's my recommended reading list from the subtropical zone. When someone comes in asking to restore Viscaya in Key Biscayne or the Huntington Gardens, you can find me upstairs watching the episode about mothers who date their daughter's third cousin's gay boyfriends...or was that last week's?

spectre
0
nandina
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Spectre,
You would be right at home restoring Viscaya. (Not that it needs it!) Very much the same types of plants used in CA. Anyone planning a Florida trip must visit the house (castle?) and gardens of Viscaya. Fabulous!
0
ginger_nh
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hope we don't go too far down the history and restoration road, leaving renewal and renovation behind.

Anyone have any books dedicated to garden re-design, garden renovation, garden renewal? Without the restoration/garden history focus?

I listed my favorite above:

"Rejuvenating a Garden" by Stephen Anderton
This is not a book about restoration or historical aspects of garden renewal. This is the nuts and bolts "how to do it" aspect of renewing or renovating any and all gardens -- takes you thru the whole process of re-designing, budgeting, formulating the steps to change and in what order, immediate "first aid" for plants, excellent chapter on pruning in the older, mature and/or overgrown garden, assessing and timing: when to wait and when to act -- I love this book. Very practical and well-written British gardening lore and practices.

Ginger
0
redthistle1_yahoo_com
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I think I've found heaven. This is wonderful. Unfortunately, I don't have any books to add which was why I was asking for restoration garden books. It didn't even occur to me to ask for web sites/links.
0
phdnc
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Quite the list guys!!! Thanks, for the sites. I may have to share in Ginny's wish in order to have time to puruse.lol.
Just wanted to add one more site below. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens has a great research library, historical pictures and they still publish their handbooks. These are packed with practical info and a great addition to any garden library.
For some reason its not excepting the quick link (go figure) so here is the site:
http://www.bbg.org/
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
0
Saypoint zone 6 CT
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Another link
0
Saypoint zone 6 CT
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Another Link
Jo
0
ginger_nh
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Jo-
The HALS has a great site. Photos bring an immediacy that words can't deliver. Also liked the "memory" site you posted(first one on your list above)with the old garden photos.
G.
0
Saypoint zone 6 CT
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Another link:
Jo
0
Saypoint zone 6 CT
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yet another:
Jo
0
Saypoint zone 6 CT
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Another interesting link:
0

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES Easy Reference: Standard Heights for 10 Household Details

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

How high are typical counters, tables, shelves, lights and more? Find out at a glance here

TASTEMAKERS Classic Decor Gets Its Due — in a Giftworthy Book

By Becky Harris

Entertainment and education mingle in this design reference, brimming with anecdotes, history and design lessons for today

LIFE 'Not My Precious Books!' — Pain-Free Ways to Declutter Your Library

By Alison Hodgson

Have your books and neatness too, with these ideas for paring down and straightening up a beloved collection

DECORATING GUIDES Book Tour: Salvage Secrets

By Vanessa Brunner

Joanne Palmisano Shares Practical Tips for Giving Old Finds New Life

MORE ROOMS Create a Place for Books

By Becky Harris

Dining Rooms, Living Rooms, Halls — Even TV Rooms Have Library Potential

DECORATING GUIDES Novel Ways With Bedroom Books

By Matthew Ankeny

Reading and relaxing go hand in hand. See how designers are incorporating mini and all-out libraries in the bedroom

DIY PROJECTS Neat Little Project: Make a Sturdy Stand for Tablets and Books

Save your neck from straining with this handy DIY wooden stand for an iPad, a Kindle or a good old-fashioned cookbook

ARCHITECTURE Explore Jim Olson's Art in Architecture

A new book celebrates a Northwest architect's ideas about space, perception, and the experience of living with nature

MOST POPULAR 7 Ways to Design Your Kitchen to Help You Lose Weight

By Mitchell Parker

In his new book, Slim by Design, eating-behavior expert Brian Wansink shows us how to get our kitchens working better

DECORATING GUIDES 12 Spaces That Prove There’s Always Room for Books

Be inspired by the bookworms on Houzz who have won the book storage war

Sponsored

More Discussions

Creeping daisy pots

0