As a basic reference I use the Southern Living Garden Book. It might be confined to Alabama gardening, but it does give you a view of plants for the South.
A question of my own: Where did you find Blanche Dean's book on native shrubs?

Swampbuck, this softcover book was given to me many years ago as a present. My gardening guru got tired of answering my many questions, and thought this book would keep me busy. I like to try ordering such books from BetterWorldBooks.com or abebooks.com before I try Amazon.com. As it turned out, the two Dean books on ferns and birds, ordered through the abebooks.com clearing house, were located and came from Birmingham and Mobile book stores. So checking book stores in your area might give good results.

I like Felder Rushing "Tough Plants For Southern Garden"
and "Alabama Gardening"

Thanks. I will continue to search for the Blanche Dean book. Now that I am at home some of the garden books on my shelf that I find useful are: What Plant Where by Roy Lancaster. Alabama Gardener's Guide by Greer, and as a field guide, Wildflowers of Alabama by Joab Thomas.

Swampbuck, I like the sound of your books, don't have any of them. I have ordered the Sou.Living gardening book. Micri....I too have Felder Rushing's book on TOUGH PLANTS...and enjoy reading it; I have to admire his plant selections and I like his sense of humor.

Now that I have new glasses, I can read without tiring my eyes, so I spend more time researching my plants.

Garden Perennials for the Coastal South by Barbara Sullivan
A neighbor suggested the book and I have thoroughly enjoyed. Common sense book.

Feathertrader, that is a title new to me, so it goes on the search list. I love to look through online book vender offerings, but usually wind up spending more time and ultimately more MONEY in the process.

Guess what....I located this book of Al.Wildflowers online, and the cover looked familiar. So I discovered tht I already have that one, which lists the primary author as Blanche E. Dean, with Joab Thomas as the 3rd mentioned author. Quite a surprise to me. But one less reference that I need to buy.

However, I did order WHAT PLANT WHERE by Roy Lancaster, ALABAMA GARDENING GUIDE by Greer, GARDEN PERENNIALS FOR THE COASTAL SOUTH by Barbara Sullivan.

I'm more into perennials than annuals for my Mobile garden, but up north the zinnias and nasturtiums give a lot of bang in a hurry, so I reseed them from the previous year seed collections. Wish nasturtiums liked the heat better, because they grow with RECKLESS ABANDON all over the place! It makes me think of Monet's garden at Giverny, the effect I desire with runners of nasturtiums everywhere.

if you like shade gardening, a favorite of mine (not just for alabama gardening) is "an encyclopedia of shade perennials" by w. george schmid. i have more woodland shade than sun and have found this book to be a real temptress when it comes to plant selection.
it was recommended to me by my friend, carex, who sometimes posts here.
it is a large, hardback volume with many color plates of beautiful plants. listings give zone and type of shade preferred by each plant referenced.
you might enjoy the link below from the dodd nursery down your way if you have not visited it. many native plants for the southeast are listed, including some of his named selections.
also, i have mrs. dean's book and have seen her website. you can find it here:
http://www.auburn.edu/~deancar/index.html

Here is a link that might be useful: native plants

All About Alabama Wild Flowers by Jan Midgley. It is very good.

TSmith says, All About Alabama Wild Flowers by Jan Midgley. It is very good.

Terry, now that one is on my list.

The sources suggested by Jeff_AL sidetracked me for a good hour, looking at the Dean/Auburn website and the Dodd website. I'm familiar with the Dodds' nurseries, but did not think to look for a website. It is convenient to see the plants identified and then shop for them in my town. I am not used to such luxury! Thanks Jeff.

While shopping online for gardening books, I ran across a book by Robin Chotzinoff. Just a smallish book, with essays in a journalistic vein.

The title: PEOPLE WITH DIRTY HANDS; THE PASSION FOR GARDENING.

So far, I've read the first chapter about the Antique Rose Emporium in Texas, and the background of the Rose Rustlers.

I find it relaxing to read. I bought it gently used. If you find it at a friend's house, or at the public library, it is a charming read. Give it a glance.

May I recommend Don Hastings book "Gardening in the South" ? Matter of fact, I suggest you go to Amazon.com and view all Mr. Hastings books. He is very knowledgeable, and perhaps more importantly, has a literary heart and writes beautifully. Best of luck in all your gardening endeavors.
Bobby

I love Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr
and Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan Armitage. I want Armitages 'Native Plants' next. While not Alabama books, they are written by professors at UGA and include helpful information for our soli and our heat (often overlooked in gardening books).

One of my all time favorite reads is The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan, very interesting read for this gardener. I have another of his books coming to the library for me, Second Nature: a Gardener's Education.

idig, is Michael Durr's MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS mostly photos, or line drawings as in Blanche Dean's TREES & SHRUBS OF THE S/E?
I will be looking for your recommended all-time read, THE BOTANY OF DESIRE: A PLANT'S EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD. It sounds fascinating.

My mailbox lately is the destination for many book orders, but the list of books I want to get does not get shorter!

I haven't checked out gardening books at the Project Gutenberg website, but if the book is out of print and a sort of classic in its field, this is a great place to look. A free download is about as cheap as you can get it.

Botany of Desire is really interesting to me, though some might find it strange. Here is wikipedia's apt description:

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World is a 2001 nonfiction book by journalist Michael Pollan. This work explores the nature of domesticated plants from the dual perspective of humans and the plants themselves. Pollan presents case studies that mirror four types of human desires that are reflected in the way that we selectively grow, breed, and genetically engineer our plants. The apple reflects the desire of sweetness, the tulip beauty, marijuana intoxication, and the potato control.

Pollan narrates his own experience with each of the plants, which he then intertwines with an exploration into their social history. Each section presents an element of human domestication, or the "human bumblebee" as Pollan calls us. The stories range from the true story of Johnny Appleseed to Pollan's first-hand research with sophisticated marijuana hybrids in Amsterdam to the alarming and paradigm-shifting possibilities of genetically engineered potatoes.

You'll never look at a McDonald's french fry the same again! :-)

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants has line drawings. He does have a shrub book showing pictures, but it has a lot of more Northern plants in it and is not nearly as thorough as the Manual. Dirr is a professor at UGA, but also lived in Ohio, I think. The Manual also includes propogation techniques, potential pest problems, what culture they thrive in, etc. Many plants he lists various cultivars and their attributes. I get a copy each time he updates. He also is very, very opinionated and doesn't hesitate to tell you if, and why, he doesn't like a plant. He has a dry sense of humor, which suits me perfectly! He has an interactive DVD for use on the computer that is supposed to be the best of both worlds, but I don't have it. He has an extensive collection of photographs of plants from all over the world.

Here is a link that describes his different books and you can order from it. I have found his books on walmart.com at a much better price, though. It is a textbook, so not available in most bookstores, though I am sure it could be ordered.

If you read Botany of Desire (it is at most libraries) I would love to hear what you think!

Here is a link that might be useful: Dirr books

idig, BOTANY OF DESIRE is now on order. Pollan has another book also, about building A PLACE OF MY OWN. The publisher and seller give it good reviews, but Library Journal considers it ho-hum. However, I am currently meditating on a similar project of my own, it being the redoing of an old cement block garage (no roof structure) for my greenhouse and perhaps Endless Pool, and my getaway from the house in general. I'm very much into tiny sheds for creative purposes. I look forward to reporting my take on Botany of Desire.

I found the MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS, by Dirr, for a good price through the Amazon online merchants . There is another Dirr book not listed as his at Timberpress OR at Amazon, and I think it is because it is an Ortho book.
It is called CREATIVE HOME LANDSCAPING with a subtitle about 400 plants etc, leading me to feel it is a rehash of the woody plants information. Since it is for less than 10 bucks, I will eventually look into it. But first, I'll browse for it at the library.

This thread is a goldmine of source material with personal reviews included.

I've just ordered Creative Home Landscaping used off Amazon for $4, including shipping. Thanks for the tip, I did not know it existed. I also ordered People With Dirty Hands, and look forward to reading that!

Ah yes, go for it!! There are some bargains to be had.
And I believe you, like moi, read as much for the enjoyment of it as for the information gained.

Stepping out on a limb here, to another format, I bet you would like to see the movie CROSS CREEK, starring Mary Steenburgen and Peter Coyote and Rip Torn. It is about Marjorie K. Rawlings, the author(ess) of THE YEARLING. The movie is based on the short chapters from her collected writings called CROSS CREEK, and the material she used when writing the award-winning novel YEARLING. She was a NY city girl back in the 40s, bought this rundown orange grove/farm in Florida, and set out to write and support herself after she divorced a wealthy husband. It is one of
Mary Steenburgen's best efforts, but the old orange grove and the landscape are what enchant me about the location where it was filmed. Plus the gentle way she treated the reallife neighbors she encountered. See how you feel about it. I have both the CROSS CREEK book and movie.
:)

I do read for enjoyment as much as, if not more than, information. Gardening is my therapy and a great source of joy for me. I have a stepping stone in my garden that reads "An hour in the garden puts all life's problems in perspective". My son laughs at a photo from a trip to Paris a few years ago of a plant at the base of the Eiffel tower. He tells everyone, "We are in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is right in front of us, and my mom is looking at the plants!".

Reading is how I unwind. Most people watch TV to wind down, I read! I haven't seen Cross Creek, but I love Mary Steenburgen. I have requested the book at the library. Netflix has the movie and I will watch it after I have read the book. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm glad you started this thread, I have looked into most of the books recommended on here. I am excited to head to the library and check some of them out!

Update:
Okay, folks. I watched a movie tonight which I enjoyed so much. GREENFINGERS. It is a British movie about prisoners in England who become gardeners, and it is gardening which rehabilitates them. Helen Mirren is a name most easily recognized from the movie. I watched the credits roll t the end, and it also gives an online spot where you can find more information about the plants used in the garden. Now I think that is only fitting. This is not fiction per se, it is based on a true story because these prisoners end up winning top national gardening awards. I also liked the sound track music. :)

Maybe we need to start a thread for just movies? If anyone feels that to be the case, go for it. I'll find it.

Thanks ML, I found the movie on play it now on Netflix and watched it on the computer last night. It was a good movie, the fact that it is based on real programs in Britain made it that much better!

A friend on a single parenting forum I am part of sent me a link to the Royal Horticultural Society and I thought about that when I saw the movie yesterday. Have any of you ever checked it out? Of course their climate is different than ours, but it has some really good plant info (7,000+ plants) and pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: Royal Horticultural Society

Glad you liked it, idig! I get more enjoyment from a movie or book when I share it with somone else.

Never visited the Royal Horticultural Society site before, but did today. As usual, the British are veddy dedicated to their passions. One being gardening. Some of our native plants like phlox were taken across the ocean and given the full treatment by these avid gardeners, and became truly magnificent. Of course, it is good to know the old native is still available right here at home still. Our countryside has a wealth of plants coveted or appreciated by the rest of the gardening world. We are lucky to live in a climate which permits such things to flourish.

If we begin a new thread, what would it cover? Movies for sure, books on gardening in general?

Let me know what ou think of the movie CROSS CREEK. I pick many movies because of the scenery or the house or garden. I was sorely disappointed in MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE because I expected to see more of the old house interior. Not to be.
And then by the same author, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE had a real spooky looking house perched with its toes in the Atlantic, which didn't look real but maybe it was, but the closeup details were interesting. Like the old exterior shutter mechanisms, the old kitchen and the furnishings, which reminded me of old bay houses along Mobile Bay here.
I'm into "comfortable casual shack" which is a few steps beyond "shabby chic" if you know what I mean.

The yearling is a wonderful book.....Ms. Rawlings was a special lady. Regarding the movie Cross Creek, I thought the best performance was given by Rip Torn.

I just picked up Cross Creek at the library, along with a slew of other mentioned here. I'm going to try to read it before seeing the movie.

I'll be buying Jan Midgely's Alabama Wildflowers, I love it!

My son and I went on a waterfall hike at Cheaha with a group on Sunday and saw so many pretty early wildflowers! Toad lilies where finishing, the burgundy bloom trillium where everywhere, bluets, pussy toes, even some geranium were just beginning! I also found some gorgeous heuchura. Next hike I'll be taking a baggie with a damp paper towel and a little pair of scissors to take node cuttings of Heuchura!

I was mistaken about NIGHTS IN RODANTHE being written by MESSAGE IN BOTTLE author. Instead, it was written by THE NOTEBOOK author. Sorry.

I am reading BOTANY OF DESIRE by Michael Pollan, now into the tulip mania section. Fascinating. On my shelf sits the giant volume of Dirr's WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS, a REAL textbook on the subject. Instead of reading through it, I pick it up randomly and check what he says about some of the things I want to put in my garden.

And I agree, Rip Torn in the movie CROSS CREEK, gave his very best performance ever, and it was part of the charm of this movie. Mrs. Rawlings dealt kindly with the people she encountered in real life.

Another book I am LISTENING to is Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING....I have Audible Books on my GPS, and if I am doing something like pulling weeds or potting, pretty sedentary occupations, I can focus on a book recital such as this one. I think it is about 7 hours long, so while I am gardening for two days, I'll finish the book!!

Yeah, Dirr's book isn't a page turner, but lots of information. I look up plants I have or am interested in getting, or propagating if they are friendly to propagating by cutting or layering.

I'm reading Pollan's Second Nature right now. He has a unique writing style, not something I could read all of the time, but I like unique books like this from time to time.

Good idea on the audible books. That is my idea of multi-tasking! LOL

Now if I could just get past this pesky earning a living thing that interferes so with my gardening in what seems like the few days of ideal weather we have now and in the fall....

I am past the pesky earning a living thing, so far past it that I blush demurely and withhold for just how long. But today marks the 10th birthday/hatchday of my wonderful African grey Kimali (named after Joseph Kimani the Kenyan runner who attended USoAla and who died of heart failure several years ago). I had to stop working as a boat captain offshore in order to get him, but it was worth doing. He is a marvelous companion. As a result of retiring, I get to do as many things as my health and pocketbook allow. Gardening is now my pleasure and passion. My two grandmothers planted the seed for that many years ago. How fortunate I am to have such strong women to serve as my role models.

Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring is an enormously important work which has with-stood the test of time. Like Ms. Rawlings, Ms. Carson was a lady whom was way ahead of her time. The hell of it is, when we abuse our environment, other people or nations, or your own health.........well, sooner or later the bill comes due, and you gotta pay the tab. Aw, enough of that, my sugar snap peas are six inches tall, and the potato vines are emerging, not to mention the daffodils and tulips, and so I am born again for another Spring. Not a regional reference book, but may I heartily recommend Gene Logsdon's wonderful book "The Contrary Farmer".

Okay, your sugar snap peas is of great importance to my hubby, who is from Mass. and is gardening in Mobile for the first time. He was afraid it was too late---but we had to wait until the six big trees were cut and removed before he could plant anything.

Have not heard of THE CONTRARY FARMER by Gene Logsdon, but I am looking into it. I'm almost through w/ THE BOTANY OF DESIRE by Michael Pollan, very thought provoking book.

For now, it is back to locating/digging/fortifying/planting a new garden bed in the front yard. That is briefly discussed in a different thread. My goodness though, my muscles are so sore.