Botany for Gardeners - Book Review

The world of plants is one of mystery and wonder for most of us. How does the Passion Flower vine produce such a beautiful and intricate flower? What are all those parts of the flower called and what do they do? Memories from botany (the study of plants) classes from high school and college quickly become foggy after the last test is taken. But as our interest in gardening grows later in life, we wish we had paid more attention to some of those lessons learned. There is a really good book if you want to refresh your memory and learn about basic botany. And it's geared toward gardeners.

The book, "Botany for Gardeners, An Introduction and Guide," by Brian Capon is a very smart and readable resource for reminding us how things grow. Remember the wonder you had as a child about how that little seed could grow into such a big plant? This book takes you back to that wonder and answers your questions. You will also find explanations of how a plant feeds and waters itself. Remember xylem and phloem? You can now impress your fellow gardeners by being able to explain the difference!

The book is broken into sections explaining Growth, Organization, Adaptation, Functions, and Reproduction. It identifies the parts of a plant with pictures and drawings so that the next time you are admiring that beautiful flower, you can differentiate the anther from the stigma. All plants are pollinated in some form or fashion. Mr. Capon explains the differences. He explains why certain flowers are a certain color, why their flower parts are arranged in a certain way, and what this does to help in their pollination.

You may be wondering if knowing all this is important to your gardening success. The answer is no. To be a successful gardener we need to understand some of the requirements of our plants. Included here are their light, water, and nutritional needs. We need to be able to build a healthy soil. This book takes your plant knowledge a step further. For me, it increases my personal satisfaction of gardening by knowing how things work. I know light is essential to plant growth but how does it work? Why do those wildflowers always seem to be pointing to the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening? How do plants seem to know what to do at different times of the year? By asking these questions and then learning the answer, it only increases the natural wonder and enjoyment that gardening brings to our lives.

If you can't find it readily available you can order it. The publisher is Timber Press. The ISBN number is 0-88192-163-7 for case or 0-88192-258-7 for paper bound.