A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast

by Lynn M. Herbert

Overview

Since it was first published in 1929, more than eight decades ago, A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast has been the authoritative go-to book on gardening for Houstonians and Texas Gulf Coast residents.

This fifth revised edition, written and edited by Lynn M. Herbert, has been entirely updated, expanded, and colorfully redesigned. In the process, information in the book was reviewed by over 100 professionals in related fields and by knowledgeable resident gardeners, men and women who generously donated their efforts to make this an invaluable resource for seasoned gardeners as well as neophytes and newcomers to the region.

This edition, still in its handbook format, propels its content into the twenty-first century with a new emphasis on environmentally friendly gardening and native plants, including:

Exhaustive plant lists describing the newest varieties as well as old favorites, with essential designations of plants native to the Houston and Texas Gulf Coast area

Easy-to-read tables, full of details about caring for hundreds of local plants

User-friendly information about your soil and how to make it most productive

Chapters on major plant categories joined by additional chapters devoted to in-depth tips on azaleas, cacti and other succulents, camellias, ferns, and roses, along with the all-new "Grasses and Bamboos" and "Palms and Cycads" chapters

A new emphasis on "The Edible Garden" with expanded chapters covering "Herbs," "Vegetables," and "Fruit and Nut Trees"

Complete landscape instructions on how to plan and design your garden to fit your lot and your lifestyle, from a shaded setting to a fragrant garden, an oasis by the Gulf, a container garden, or plants to attract birds and butterflies

Updated ideas on drainage, pruning, watering, and lawns and lawn alternatives

A newly revised look at coping with "Weather Extremes" such as freezes, hurricanes, or droughts

An encyclopedic index that includes both botanical and common names

672 pages with 435 color photographs of flowers, plants, and gardens - the cream of the crop from the coastal area

Beloved and consulted for generations and called by many the bible of Houston gardening, A Garden Book is now even more indispensable. This latest edition reaffirms the commitment of the River Oaks Garden Club to preserving our environment, promoting sustainability, and planting with a purpose.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780578091495
Publisher:	River Oaks Garden Club
Publication date:	02/16/2013
Edition description:	5th Edition
Pages:	672
Sales rank:	159,854
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.70(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword 8

Acknowledgements 9

Introduction 12

Section 1 Gardening for the 21st Century

Environmentally Friendly Gardening 24

Soil and Soil Improvement 32

Section 2 Envisioning Your Garden

Landscape Design 60

The Fragrant Garden 88

Shade Gardening 98

Gardening by the Gulf 110

Container Gardening 118

Tropical and Architectural Plants 134

Birds and Butterflies 142

Native and Invasive Plants 158

Arrangements from Your Garden 174

Section 3 Plants for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast

Trees 186

Shrubs 222

Vines 250

Annuals and Perennials 274

Bulbs 324

Groundcovers 354

Lawns and Lawn Alternatives 368

Grasses and Bamboos 384

Palms and Cycads 400

Cacti and Other Succulents 414

Ferns and Fern Allies 428

Azaleas 446

Camellias 458

Roses: Growing Hardy Landscape Roses Gaye Hammond 472

Section 4 The Edible Garden

Herbs 490

Vegetables 498

Fruits and Nuts 508

Section 5 Caring for Your Garden

Month By Month 532

Water and Watering 564

Drainage 576

Pruning 584

Propagation 594

Diseases, Insects, and Weeds 600

Organic Recipes for Fertilizers, Insecticides, Fungicides, and Herbicides 623

Weather Extremes: Hurricanes, Freezes, and Droughts 624

Section 6 Helpful Information

Conversion/Measurement Tables 629

Plant Nomenclature 630

Glossary of Garden Terms 634

Compost Appendix 638

Poisonous Plants 640

Index 644

Editorial Reviews

The River Oaks Garden Club's fifth version of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast is a wonderful addition to our region's horticultural resources and will quickly be on every good gardener's desk. This 650 page book is nothing less than an eye-popping encyclopedia of best organic practices for growing our region's many plants. Lynn Herbert's focus on organic soil, wisely-selected adapted plants, and nature friendly designs and techniques marks this as a fitting 2012 improvement of a distinguished effort begun by William Hogg in 1929 and last revised in 1989.

Bob Randall

I have been a member of the Houston Cactus and Succulent Society for more than 20 years and I am the owner of a well-worn copy of the 4th edition of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. As an avid gardener, I am eager for the new edition’s wealth of information about all the new plant varieties that have adapted to our growing conditions. I will definitely be trying some of them in my garden.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker

'After years of use, I'd worn the cover off the fourth edition of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. So I was truly happy to receive the fifth and completely revised version of this must-have book. And what a version it is. Lynn M. Herbert has written and edited 672 pages of the most comprehensive information available in book form on gardening in our special conditions. Color photos fill this encyclopedic volume that takes an environmentally friendly approach to creating healthy, beautiful and enjoyable gardens. Readers will learn the importance of good soil and the benefits of organics before delving into descriptive tables that reflect the amazing range of plants we can grow here. The chapters on hardy roses and edible landscapes are most appropriate for today's gardeners. Those on envisioning and designing a garden—and maintaining it through our weather extremes—are most welcome. Thank you, River Oaks Garden Club.

Houston Chronicle and Herald-Zeitung - Kathy Huber

"After years of use, I'd worn the cover off the fourth edition of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. So I was truly happy to receive the fifth and completely revised version of this must-have book. And what a version it is. Lynn M. Herbert has written and edited 672 pages of the most comprehensive information available in book form on gardening in our special conditions. Color photos fill this encyclopedic volume that takes an environmentally friendly approach to creating healthy, beautiful and enjoyable gardens. Readers will learn the importance of good soil and the benefits of organics before delving into descriptive tables that reflect the amazing range of plants we can grow here. The chapters on hardy roses and edible landscapes are most appropriate for today's gardeners. Those on envisioning and designing a garden _ and maintaining it through our weather extremes _ are most welcome.?Thank you, River Oaks Garden Club.?"
--Kathy Huber, Houston Chronicle:

“I have been a member of the Houston Cactus and Succulent Society for more than 20 years and I am the owner of a well-worn copy of the 4th edition of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. As an avid gardener, I am eager for the new edition’s wealth of information about all the new plant varieties that have adapted to our growing conditions. I will definitely be trying some of them in my garden.”
--Houston Mayor Annise Parker:

"The River Oaks Garden Club's fifth version of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast is a wonderful addition to our region's horticultural resources and will quickly be on every good gardener's desk. This 650 page book is nothing less than an eye-popping encyclopedia of best organic practices for growing our region's many plants. Lynn Herbert's focus on organic soil, wisely-selected adapted plants, and nature friendly designs and techniques marks this as a fitting 2012 improvement of a distinguished effort begun by William Hogg in 1929 and last revised in 1989."
--Bob Randall, Ph.D., co-founder and former executive director of Urban Harvest:

From the Publisher