Alison Beck and Marianne Binetti. Tree & Shrub Gardening for British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. 2001.

British Columbia is across the continent from my home in Michigan. I found it fascinating to see how many shrubs and trees successfully grow in both locations. This shows just how many trees or shrubs can adapt to varying temperatures, soil, and precipitation rates.

The authors provide a information on the characteristics of trees and shrubs making it easy for even new gardeners to distinguish between woody plants and herbaceous plants. Then they talk about using woody plants in the garden or landscape followed by excellent information on picking out quality plants and planting them properly for successful growth. The remainder of the introduction covers pruning, propagating, pests and diseases. NOTE: This information may easily be found in other gardening books. I appreciate the convenience of having it in the same book containing tree and shrub descriptions.

Lone Pine Publishing created a standard description type for this series of books. They alphabetize the species by their common name but include the scientific name in italics. There is a brief summary at the top of each description that includes specific features to note, habit, height, spread, planting types, and growth zones. Then it presents a generalized comment on the plant followed by details on growing it successfully. Tips about using the plants are given along with recommended varieties. Pests and problems specific to the species are identified.

Recommendation

The pictures accompanying this information are excellent. In most cases, gardeners will be able to identify their landscape plants in this book. It is also easy to read. Needless to say, I give this book my highest recommendation. If you have read this column for long, you already know how much I enjoy Lone Pine gardening guides.

This book is currently available only at Lone Pine Publishing.