Hi

My girlfriend works as a gardener for the National Trust. I'd like to get
her a book on gardening for her birthday (romance eh!) but there are so many
choices I'd like to run some ideas past you in case any of the options
aren't as good as they seem

Which of these do you think will be the most informative/useful choice - dry
and technical is fine - dry and not actually very useful will hit the bin
:-)

Wood and Garden: Notes and Thoughts, Practical and Critical, of a Working
Amateur by Gertrude Jekyll
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new

Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capron
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Botany-Garde...=pd_rhf_shvl_3

Science and the Garden: The Scientific Basis of Horticultural Practice by
David S. Ingram
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...ref=sib_rdr_dp

Applied Principles of Horticultural Science by Laurie Brown
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Applied-Prin.../dp/0750653426

RHS Pruning and Training by Christopher Brickell
http://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-Pruning-.../dp/1405300736

As the garden she works in is Victorian there's also the option of books
from that period. Any recommendations on that front?

Thanks for any help

Tim
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lusername/
http://www.timdenning.myby.co.uk/

Since we don't know her, her tastes or professional expertise its
impossible to second guess which she'd like.

Oh tell me about it :-))))

So this is purely personal.
I wouldn't want any of the above. Technical books for a 3rd party
risk being either too dry or too old hat. I've already got the Jekyll
(it's a classic, but dull)

I would suggest, books about the travels and adventures of famous
Victorian (and earlier) planthunters. They are both horticulturally
and historically interesting and put Victorian gardening into a context
of hard won prizes at terrible human cost, we can barely imagine today.
http://www.summerfieldbooks.com/showdetails.asp?id=1582 (a great
garden writer btw)

or.

http://www.amazon.com/Plant-Hunters-.../dp/1841880019

Janet

Thanks for the suggestions Janet.

The Plant Hunters won the day as I thought it sounded like a pretty good
worldwide overview rather than just one region.
I think she has an interest in plant history and geography so fingers
crossed :-)

Tim

How about a book on making water gardens? Designing Water Gardens by
Anthony Archer-Wills is a good one, IMO.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Thanks for the suggestion Sacha it's appreciated.
Just looked at his website. Sounds like an interesting guy

Tim

"Tim" no wrote in message
om...
Hi

My girlfriend works as a gardener for the National Trust. I'd like to get
her a book on gardening for her birthday (romance eh!) but there are so
many choices I'd like to run some ideas past you in case any of the
options aren't as good as they seem

Which of these do you think will be the most informative/useful choice -
dry and technical is fine - dry and not actually very useful will hit the
bin :-)

Wood and Garden: Notes and Thoughts, Practical and Critical, of a Working
Amateur by Gertrude Jekyll
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new

Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capron
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Botany-Garde...=pd_rhf_shvl_3

Science and the Garden: The Scientific Basis of Horticultural Practice by
David S. Ingram
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...ref=sib_rdr_dp

Applied Principles of Horticultural Science by Laurie Brown
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Applied-Prin.../dp/0750653426

RHS Pruning and Training by Christopher Brickell
http://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-Pruning-.../dp/1405300736

As the garden she works in is Victorian there's also the option of books
from that period. Any recommendations on that front?

Thanks for any help

Tim
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lusername/
http://www.timdenning.myby.co.uk/

Depends where she's at career wise.
The Brian Capon is an excellent introductory text for both amateur and
professional gardeners and he relishes his subject as the reader usually
will.
Travel/adventure/gardening - Valley of Flowers by F. S. Smythe - it's out of
print but widely available.

Rod

Depends where she's at career wise.
The Brian Capon is an excellent introductory text for both amateur and
professional gardeners and he relishes his subject as the reader usually
will.
Travel/adventure/gardening - Valley of Flowers by F. S. Smythe - it's out
of print but widely available.

Rod

Thanks for the feedback on Brian Capon and the F. S. Smythe suggestion, I'll
look into it.

Tim

"Tim" no wrote in message
om...


Depends where she's at career wise.
The Brian Capon is an excellent introductory text for both amateur and
professional gardeners and he relishes his subject as the reader usually
will.
Travel/adventure/gardening - Valley of Flowers by F. S. Smythe - it's out
of print but widely available.

Rod

Thanks for the feedback on Brian Capon and the F. S. Smythe suggestion,
I'll look into it.

Tim

Following on Janet's suggestion, I read an excellent biography of David
Douglas (of the Fir) some years ago - can't remember the exact title but an
inspirational read for a gardener.
Also from my rose phase many years ago - 'For Love of a Rose', by Antonia
Ridge. Again almost certainly out of print but an excellent and sometimes
moving history of The Meilland rose growing family and an account of the
breeding and introduction of' Peace' - the first of the modern hybrid tea
roses (and still as good as many newer ones)

Rod

If she is working for the National Treust, the most relevant one is the Gertrude Jekyll.

A nineteenth century reference work I have always found interesting and helpful is "The Cottage Gardener's Dictionary". It may be out of date on some plantnames and growing methods, but it is a good comprehensive dictionary of 19th century practice. It is usually fairly findable on Abebooks, and xshould not be expensive.

A