Book Review: The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide
The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide* by Jenny Rose Carey (Timber Press, 2022, 288 pp., $29.95)
by Susan Mulvihill
Flowers add so much color, interest and dimension to a garden. We fall in love with the ones we’ve seen in public and private gardens. But we often don’t realize the flowers might not be a good match for our conditions. We also might not be aware of some the many excellent choices available to us. We might need guidance on how to make our flower gardens a place of beauty as well.
Well, have I got a great book suggestion for you! Jenny Rose Carey has written a new book – The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide: How to Combine Shape, Color and Texture to Create the Garden of Your Dreams*. It will provide you with so much inspiration.
As she writes, “If you are interested in starting your own flower garden, don’t be afraid – just have a go. Everyone has to start somewhere. Making a personal garden is a wonderfully creative process. It involves finding flowers that you love, learning how to put them together, and getting them to flourish.”
Fortunately, this lovely book guides you through the whole process. Here’s a rundown of what you will find in each chapter:
In chapter one, “Your Garden of Flowers,” she suggests creating a flower wish list and explains the importance of botanical names. They will help you locate the specific flowers you’re after and to talk with others about them. Jenny discusses the parts of a flower and what their functions are.
She also looks at the role each type of flower will play in your garden. This includes bold colors, those that form a backdrop to highlight other flowers, and diminutive flowers for the front of beds. Jenny advises that you shouldn’t ignore the foliage of flowering plants: it adds a lot to the garden as well. She also takes a look at flower colors and what makes them a valuable addition to our beds.
Chapter two, “The Flower Gardener’s Calendar,” she emphasizes how important it is to be aware of when each type of flower blooms so you can create a progression of color and interest. She highlights favorite flowers for early to mid-spring, late spring and early summer, high summer, and late summer into fall. All of these include annuals, perennials and bulbs. There are also lists of the tasks you’ll want to perform during each of these components of a growing season.
In chapter three, “The Flower Gardener’s Palette,” the author suggests starting with a wish list and then doing your homework so you know if they are good choices for your garden. Fortunately, she has done all of the work for you by creating a guide that includes plant shape, the type of role it would play in a garden bed, height and width, hardiness zones, and the type of plant, such as annual, tender perennial and so on.
Chapter four, “Laying the Groundwork for Your Flower Garden,” gets down to the nitty-gritty: how to get started, matching the plant to your growing conditions (light, soil type, amount of water available), shapes and styles of beds to match your desires and garden style, pathways, and structures such as hedges and walls. I was also pleased to see that Jenny includes important information on conserving water and attracting beneficial insects.
The final chapter – “Putting Your Flower Garden Together: Preparing, Planning, Planting and Maintaining” – contains practical information for keeping your new flower garden growing well and looking fabulous.
“The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide” is filled with sumptuous photographs that are sure to inspire and excite you. I’m certain you will be adding many of the plants Jenny highlights to your wish list! This book is such a wonderful resource that will encourage you to plan ahead so you can create an eye-appealing landscape that brings you both joy and serenity.
You can follow Jenny Rose Carey on Instagram by going to her two accounts, @northviewgarden and @jennyrosecarey. Her blog address is jennyrosecarey.com.
* This is an Amazon affiliate link but it will not impact the price you pay.