eBook The Southern Living Garden Book: Completely Revised, All-New Edition download

Texas is in a funny location. It's too far west to be considered southern. It's too east to be called the West. It's somewhat south to be called part of the Great Plains. Yet it's referred to as all those things. I consider it Texas and home. Nevertheless, the Southern Living Garden Book includes Texas, albeit not very well.

First off, the Southern Living Garden Book is, in my experience, the best general reference available because of its extensive plant encyclopedia and the inclusion of the American Horticultural Society's heat zones. But the book is in need of some editing and updates.

The heat zone map included in this book remains a work in progress. Their map puts us in Heat Zone 9, but we're really Zone 10, based upon my examination of historical temperature data and gardening experience. This year, due to the drought, we were Zone 11. You have to keep such variations in mind, because the El Niño/La Niña cycles may raise and lower your heat zone from year to year. This year taught me to move more towards Xeriscape. Also, a thermometer survey showed that near the south-facing street is as much as 20° hotter than just 30 feet back under the Pecans. (We're installing a 60 foot dedicated cacti/succulent bed.) Considering these factors in your landscape plan will make the Southern Living Garden Book a more valuable reference when you look for the right plants for your nano-climates.

Some plants were inaccurately rated for both heat and cold hardiness by the Southern Living Garden Book, experience showing that they aren't tough enough for our heat. For example, they claim Fatsia japonica is hardy enough for Heat Zone 12. Hah, hah. Experience shows it's perhaps good for Zone 9. We had one below-average summer and it lived. The next year, back to Heat Zone 10, and it died. This year, I tried once more, placing a new specimen in a more protected area. It did fine during the winter, despite two streaks of three 15° nights, but last summer's heat killed it. The book also says Fatsia japonica is marginally hardy for the Lower South (USDA cold hardiness zone 8, which is where we live). Perhaps the book needs to split Lower South into two zones to reflect the USDA's division into Zones 8A and 8B. We live in 8B, which may explain why Fatsia japonica is cold hardy here.

The editorial offices reside in Birmingham, Alabama, which may explain why this book is more southern oriented and not so relevant for Texas. The editors would benefit from corresponding with the experts at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Texas A&M, the latter being the source of the Texas Superstar plant list of heat- and drought-hardy plants for Texas. By incorporating this expertise, the next edition of the Southern Living Garden Book-and it definitely needs an update-will be much more valuable to Texas gardeners. The current edition doesn't include many species listed by those two Texas sources, including many Texas natives.

On the plus side, compared to the Texas-centric gardening books I've read, the Southern Living Garden Book provides the most extensive plant information and is a useful addition to your garden library.

I cannot believe the amount of information that is contained in this book. Easy to look up very detailed information on a huge number of things to plant in the south. Like having a set of encyclopedia on the subject of southern gardening and landscaping. Much more than I expected.

I am an amateur gardener. I recently attended a class where the speaker mentioned this book. It has now become my Bible for gardening. It's so important to plant flowers, shrubs, etc. based on environment...location, light, and water requirements. This book provides all that information and more. I love it, and plan to give this as a gift to my gardening friends.

I had the first edition of The Southern Living Gardening Book and wore it out over the years. Recently, I purchased the new one, and it's even better! If you garden in the south, you must have this book! The way the book divides the south into zones takes the guess work out of buying plants. If the doesn't say a plant will grow in your zone, don't waste your money. It simply will not. The information for each plant is excellent. And the list is exhuastive. It's the rare plant that isn't listed, and if it's not, it means one of two things: either the plant is so new it wasn't included in the book or it simply won't grow anywhere in the south.

I am a garden designer, and I find the plant lists in the book invaluable. Need evergreens? Need blooming shrubs? Need flowers? Go to the lists and pick and choose according to your needs. For the most part, the plants in the lists will be readily available at your local garden center.

Are you browsing garden catalogs? How many times have you ordered and planted new things just to have them die, making you feel like a failure? Before you spend your money on a new, exotic looking plant, check the SLGB. It will tell you where to plant, how to plant, and whether it will thrive in your garden. Big confidence builder!

Whether you are a beginning gardener or have gardened for decades, you need this book! If I could only have one, this would be it!

I have ordered two copies of this edition for grandchildren who are new homeowners. I have had a previous edition - and referred to it frequently - so know how useful it is. I did not order the most recent edition as published reviews indicated that it was not as well organized as the previous editions. And, yes, the grandchildren have found it very helpful in establishing their new landscaping.

I moved from Washington to Texas, an area with different climate and soil conditions, and needed a book that will tell me everything I need about the plants best suited to my new home. This is almost identical to the Sunset Western Garden book I had in my previous area. It was so useful it was used by all the local nurseries as a resource. This book is identical but for this area. It appears to be the most comprehensive book available and I'm sure I'll find it as indispensable as the previous book was in the other state. I'm just surprised it's not by the same people as they are so very similar.

One of the greatest books. I considered it my garden bible. It has all the information that you will ever need. A must for anyone who wants to be a great gardener,and wants to have a green thumb.I am not only a garden lover, I help people in my garden center every day. When they have problems I take to my desk to show them the answer they can see on their own. Many people have bought this book. I now have book # 2. The first was worn out. Love this one it is my garden bible.

We bought our first home this summer and knew we had to make big changes to the small backyard but had no idea where to begin. This was the first gardening book I bought, and I might never have to buy another! The lists of plants for various conditions is extremely helpful. The plant descriptions are thorough but easy for a beginner like me to understand. And the other gardening procedures and tips, from how to prune a shrub to how to get rid of pests and diseases are equally as readable and useful. A must-have for any Southern gardener!