'Planting the Dry Shade Garden'
If you want to discover the best plants for one of the garden's most challenging problems – dry shade – 'Planting the Dry Shade Garden' by Graham Rice, will fit the bill nicely.
As Graham points out, there is no reason why dry and shady areas cannot be as attractive as the landscaping in other areas of the garden and from the outset he shows us how we can garden successfully by understanding the problem and then using techniques to take the edge off drought and poor light.
Once we understand that all shade is not equal – it can be solid or dappled and indeed although almost permanently shaded from direct sun some areas can still be quite bright – we can start to appreciate the effect that trees, fences, walls and buildings play in shading areas of our garden.
Graham gardens on both sides of the Atlantic and I first came across his entertaining writing through his Transatlantic Gardener Blog -http://www.transatlanticplantsman.typepad.com/
A noted journalist, he has written for Horticulture and Garden Design in the U.S and The Observer and Evening Standard in the UK. The author of more than 20 books, Graham has the rare distinction of winning garden writing awards on both sides of the Atlantic.
At the heart of 'Planting the Dry Shade Garden' are profiles of more than 130 plants suitable for dry shade and plants that will do fine with reduced moisture levels. He divides these up into shrubs; climbers; perennials; ground cover; annuals and biennials and bulbs. Each profile gives a succinct description of the plant together with recommended selections and each profile is illustrated. (Photography is by judywhite and Graham Rice.)
Discover methods to help increase moisture and how to prune selectively to admit more light. How to deal with shady containers is not forgotten and there is a useful list of native plants suitable for dry shade for both the U.K. and the U.S.
You will be challenged to find another book about plants for dry shade, which makes Graham’s book a must for the garden bookshelf. 'Planting the Dry Shade Garden' would make an ideal present for a gardening friend, as there are very few gardens which do not suffer from the challenges of some aspects of shade. Written in an authoritative and easy manner with plenty of solutions for tricky shade problems.
I like gardening books to earn their keep on my bookshelf and I know that 'Planting the Dry Shade Garden' will be one I will be consulting regularly. Published by Timber Press – www.timberpress.co.uk - it is on sale at £14.99 (UK) and $24.95(US). Check out the Reckless Gardener bookshop to order your copy via Amazon.
