Are you stuck inside, sneaking outside just long enough to see if anything in your garden is still alive in this Truly Texas Heat? This is the perfect time to catch up on some great summer reading. You can quench you desire to relax and read while planning your next foray into the flora of your gardens. There are garden books for planning, problem solving, and just plain good reading. So whether you are planning the ultimate fall perennial flower bed or just need to soothe your soul, check out some of these books to get you through until it rains (?) again.

     Probably the best reference books ever written on gardening are the selections produced by Rodale Press. J.I. Rodale, one of the first practitioners of the “new” organic movement, began his work in the 1930’s. In 1942 he published the first magazine geared toward organic practices with Organic Farming and Gardening. This early forerunner has now become Organic Gardening magazine. The book that I find most helpful is Rodale's "All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener." This is a new version of the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening first published in the 60’s. It covers everything from bed building to insect control to plant descriptions. Other books by Rodale Press include "Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials" and "1,001 Old-Time Garden Tips: Timeless Bits of Wisdom on How to Grow Everything Organically, from the Good Old Day When Everyone Did." If you want to learn what is happening on the cutting edge of organic gardening try any book by Dallasite J. Howard Garrett. His best book is Texas Organic Gardening Book. His books tell you the why, how, and what for in the big world of organic gardening. You can even listen to him Saturday and Sunday mornings on WBAP, 820 on your AM dial.

     Sunset Books Inc. present another good series of books. You may be familiar with Sunset Magazine.

     The two reference books that I use are "The National Garden Book" and "The Western Garden Book". They give you plant selections for special situations and plant descriptions from A to Z. A companion book to the western edition is "Western Garden Problem Solver". With this book you can solve problems by plant type or find the name of that weed you can’t kill! Another good section lists good and bad bugs. 

     A good starter on native Texas plants would include any book by Sally and Andy Wasowski. They have many good books out, including "Landscaping with Native Texas Plants." Filled with pictures and informative descriptions, it is must for garden designers with native plants in mind. Dr. William C. Welch, a horticulturist at the extension service at College Station, has written my favorite book. It is one that you can sit and read or use for reference. "Perennial Garden Color" is written from a southern gardener’s perspective. It defines and shows beautiful photographs of true heirloom cottage gardens. If you want to come to know perennials and old roses you have to have this book! Another book by Dr. Welch, "Antique Roses for the South" is just as well written and easily read.