When it comes time to choose a garden style, there are a number of things to consider.

Summer is my least favorite time of the year. The heat can make landscape chores unpleasant. This can be a dry time as well, meaning we have to find time to water those plants that need it. That is one of the reasons I choose easy care plants that can take the heat.

Summer comes early and stays late. Warm nights cause heat-loving vegetables like peppers to drop their blossoms. Flowers can become leggy and stretched, while edible crops may become unproductive. All of this led to the concept of heat zone listings for plants.

Interest on herbs and herbal healing continues to grow every year. Here are some books on the subject.

Often, spring-flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils are more widely planted than summer-blooming ones. Summer flowering ones, such as the cannas, are easy to care for. They can add beauty to the landscape throughout the growing season.

Container plants should be an integral part of every landscape scheme. Of the many reasons for growing plants in containers, portability is an important factor.

Gardeners are often looking for books on insects. Here are some of my favorites.

If you´re looking for a reliable flowering perennial for the landscape, you won´t go wrong with Firewitch cheddar pink.

If you love wildlife and want to create a wildlife-friendly landscape, here are some books that will help.

Our gardens are influenced by contemporary color trends.