For gardeners, winter is about planning for spring. Here are some books to help you do that

Winter storms are for winter reading, and December is a great month to forget the fallen leaves and turn the pages of a good gardening book. The only season when any garden is perfect is winter, when gardens exist in dreams of spring.

Here are a few of the newest garden titles that are now available for a cold winter night.

‘Plants for the Winter Garden’

This richly photographed book by Warren Leach — fully titled “Plants for the Winter Garden: Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs, and Trees to Add Interest in the Cold and Snow” — features the plants and trees that will add not just winter interest, but more like winter obsession with beauty, to your landscape.

Teaching the reader to observe the structure, forms and colors of the winter months is the first part of the author’s mission to encourage celebration of the winter season. Focusing on the winter blooming trees and shrubs, winter fruits and perennials comes next, followed by emphasizing structure and focusing on views from inside windows and at your entry.

There is also practical advice on seasonal care and protecting plants from the cold. The photos alone are worth the price of this book, if you long to find the beauty in every winter day.

‘The Water-Smart Garden’

Our climate is changing and this book by Noelle Johnson will help you adapt to higher water bills that go along with our warmer summers.

The author covers not just how to conserve water (building drought resistant soil, how to water efficiently) but also includes a chapter on replacing a thirsty lawn with groundcovers and gravel, plus how to harvest and store water for dry times.

This book has colorful images on every page with not just great drought-resistant plants but diagrams of water- saving techniques and conservation strategies. The author proves that being water smart doesn’t mean you must sacrifice beauty.

‘Your Natural Garden’

A nature-forward garden is one that is resilient and thriving with a more naturalistic look overflowing with a diverse community of plants. This beautiful book by Kelly D. Norris explains how to tend such a garden that fosters insects and wildlife and also how to design and understand the connection of this type of garden to the natural world.

If you are looking towards the future of gardening and landscape design, then this is the book that will teach you to grow a vibrant garden that works with nature. The lessons on when to cut back plants to preserve the landscape is just one of the practical chapters that will improve your garden.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.

This story was originally published November 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "For gardeners, winter is about planning for spring. Here are some books to help you do that."