Cold-weather reading can boost indoor gardening, ignite new landscape ideas

Winter is on the way, so hold off on pruning tender perennials and shrubs as a haircut now could stimulate growth. This means don’t get snippy with hardy fuchsias, tender salvias, Rose of Sharon hibiscus or abutilons.

Fall means more time for indoor gardening. Young people are growing the indoor gardening craze and you can jump aboard or encourage some youthful green thumbs with this updated, indoor gardening book: Tropical Plants and How to Love Them by Marianne Willburn.

Here’s a review sent to me by college student Dante Ayala, who is just joining the crop of indoor gardeners: “This houseplant book reads like a Hallmark movie. The author writes about growing tropical plants as if they were some Latin stud she met on the beach, describing them as good for a Long Term Commitment, warning you if they require High Maintenance Relationships or are simply Friends with Benefits. There are photos on almost every page and even my generation that mostly listens to audio books or searches the internet will find this book a funny read.”

The tropical plants discussed in this book include Begonias, Angel’s Trumpet and Abyssinian bananas that you may have used as summer patio plants and now want to learn how to overwinter indoors.

A second book to consider for autumn evenings is by a local author and will inspire a better designed winter landscape.

Growing Conifers by John J. Albers with photography by David E. Perry of Seattle is a beautiful book that teaches how to use conifers to create strong bones in the garden. It includes the basics of soil and placement but also adds an encyclopedia of conifer varieties. Most of the gorgeous examples of conifers were photographed in Western Washington gardens.

Albers has a magnificent garden in Bremerton and his passion for conifers and solid knowledge of horticulture is inspiring. After reading this, I’ll be adding more conifers to my own garden.

This story was originally published October 30, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Cold-weather reading can boost indoor gardening, ignite new landscape ideas."