Northern California Gardening
* Northern California Gardening by Katherine Grace Endicott
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Vol. 4, No. 7a Gardening 7/8/96
__ Northern California Gardening: A Month-by-Month Guide_ by Katherine
Grace Endicott. Chronicle, 1996 (0-8118-0926-9) $22.95
Since I became interested in gardening last year, I've read numerous
gardening books and found almost all more confusing than helpful.
Many books--with the exception of the _Western Garden Book_--could
almost be describing a different planet in terms of the climate and
available plants they describe, and most of them--even those
supposedly intended for beginners--give their information in a
convoluted fashion that only experience (and lots of mistakes) makes
intelligible. I wish _Northern California Gardening_ had been published
then, but at any rate, I'm very glad to have it now.
Focusing specifically on the needs of Northern California gardeners,
this is a very sensibly designed book that spells out, month-by-month,
just what gardeners should be doing. Each section is divided into
specific areas, encyclopedia fashion: in July, for example, there are
entries on Ants, Azaleas, Bee Stings, Berries, Bulbs, etc. At the
beginning of each section is a list of "key garden tasks" geared to
the different regions of Northern California, and each month has a
listing of what's in bloom and what should be available at nurseries.
Recurring information is repeated in each section, so there's no need
to read the book through or to keep flipping back to previous months.
Even though my gardening needs are quite specific--all I have is
containers--I found plenty of applicable advice. I also enjoyed
browsing through the entries and learning more in general. For
further education and assistance, there's also a thorough glossary of
gardening terms, a long list of mail-order supply houses, a list of
specialty publications and a bibliography, as well as an index and
several pages for notes.
The text is friendly in tone and very readable and Endicott, an
award-winning columnist for the San Francisco _Chronicle_, is not
embarrassed to admit that different theories about gardening abound
and that "the rules" are constantly changing. I also like her
emphasis on environmentally-safe pest and disease control, although
some pesticide information is included. I would highly recommend this
book to any Northern California gardeners who haven't completely developed
their own gardening theories and want to consult a knowledgeable source
for simple answers to simple questions--the kind of practical advice, as
Endicott puts it, "you would get from an experienced and enthusiastic
gardener who happened to live next door." *