Container Gardening Through the Year

For the gardener buying only one book on container planting this season, this delectable, concise volume is the choice.Starting with spring, British florist and writer Hillier (Container Gardening; The Book of Fresh Flowers) offers an irresistible selection of container plantings for all four seasons. Initially considering containers, he confesses a partiality to patinas, irregularities, moss and lichen and even suggests brushing new terracotta with yogurt to speed the aging process. Discussing plant selections, he examines light, soil and moisture requirements and offers valuable tips about shape, proportion, texture and color effects. Best of all are the sparkling, one-per-page planting suggestions in the main chapters. The sizes of the container alone and with mature plantings are given; components are labeled in Latin and popular nomenclature, with the number of plants required noted. Sun, soil and watering needs are listed, along with planting instructions and suggestions for feeding and long-term care. Encouraging the use of dwarf trees and shrubs, Hillier also delivers precise reader-friendly instructions meant to cover all issues, even advising that a fuchsia standard is likely to take two years of training before it flowers. Brief annotated plant listings round out this stellar, unfussy volume. (Mar.)