When I was asked to review an advance copy of the newest
edition of Sunset’s classic Western
Garden Book, I jumped at the
chance. This book is an icon among
gardeners living on the west coast, and I wanted to see how helpful it could be
to gardeners here on Colorado’s Front Range, the eastern outpost of Sunset’s
territory. I’m happy to report that this book is a winner!
First and foremost, The
New Sunset Western Garden Book gets the science right. The information on
gardening, from soil prep and planting, to fertilizing, to pest and weed
control, is spot on. I appreciate that most topics are presented with options
so that I can make an informed choice.
For example, the section on weed control discusses various methods of non-chemical controls, natural herbicides, and chemical controls. The
information is well organized and the clean graphics make everything easy to
read.
And then, of course, there are the plants. The Plant Finder section has multiple
lists of plants for specific growing conditions, i.e. “wind-resistant” and
“deer resistant,” while the Grow section features informative articles on
gardening with veggies (love the big warm season/cool season crops chart!),
succulents, herbs, trees, native plants, and more. The
Western Garden Book has always
been known for its plant encyclopedia. The new edition has been updated to
include in-depth descriptions and care tips for 9,000 plants (with at least one
color photograph for every genus represented).
Wow.
The unique asset of The
Western Garden Book is their
plant hardiness zone system. Sunset has established 32 planting zones that take
into account multiple climactic and environmental factors (as opposed to the
USDA hardiness zones which are based primarily on winter cold tolerance) which
are fully described and mapped out. This can be a bit confusing at first
glance, but the concept is critical in the quest for creating regionally
appropriate and sustainable landscapes. A word to the wise: their zone system is still not site specific
enough to be an exclusive factor when choosing plants. For example, Denver’s
zone 2B rating would qualify us for planting a number of species of witch hazel
(Hamamelis spp.), none of which grow
well here. However, a quick check of the plants’ native origins – also included
in each plant’s description – is helpful. In our example, we find that witch hazel
is native to Japan, China, and eastern North America; not a good match to our
dry steppe region. The plant encyclopedia certainly provides all of the tools
you need to make great choices for your gardens.
But wait, there’s more. A complete glossary of gardening
terms and a name pronunciation guide are also included in The New Sunset Western Garden Book, as well as inspiring
landscapes and garden projects from across the West. This publication deserves pride of place in your reference
library – or desktop!
Now,
for the fun part, Sunset has
kindly provided five (5!) books to give away! Leave a comment letting me
know why you love gardening in the West and I’ll announce the winner on
March 20th (Yes, the first day of SPRING!).
The
winner will be randomly chosen by midnight March 19, 2012, and
contacted within 24 hours. If the proposed winner forfeits or does not claim
the prize by March 26th, the prize will be re-awarded based on the sponsor’s
sole discretion. All prizes will be awarded. Please provide your name and email
to enter this contest, so I can immediately contact you if you win. The winner
agrees to allow his/her first name to be mentioned in conjunction with this
giveaway.
The number of eligible entries will determine the odds of winning.
This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only, who are over the age of 18
years old. No purchase necessary to win. This sweepstakes is void where
prohibited by law. By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to these
conditions.
Disclaimer: This
is a sponsored post and the product was provided for me to review. All expressed
opinions are my own.
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