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Library in a Wicker Basket

© Georgene A. Bramlage

My library in a wicker basket is by necessity portable. During work hours, it goes where I go, usually occupying the backseat of my car or the floor to the left of my desk. The contents change, but not very frequently. Some of these books are new and hot-off-the-press, while others, now out-of-print, are tried and true old friends.

This 14 x 14 x 9-inch container holds a small number of books and catalogs, ones I refer to time and time again, that are the useful to me as I try to answer questions for clients, students and many times friends and neighbors met at the post office or library.

Design books are usually too heavy, cumbersome and technical to lug around so they are left near my desk for determined study. There are four design books that are my exception because they are fairly lightweight and contain simple, but thought-provoking ideas that most gardeners can relate to quickly.

• The first of these is Design for Gardens by Joseph Hudak (Timber Press, 2000, hardcover, 217 pp, 147 color photos, ISBN: 0-88192-441-5), a thoughtful, commonsense and practical book. It is an unusual find because it is written especially for American homeowners, from east to west coast and all places in-between, with all sizes of pocketbook.
• Bold Romantic Gardens by Wolfgang Oehme and James Van Sweden (Spacemaker Press; revised and reprinted 1998, 310 pages, ISBN: 1888931108, also available in paperback) is my next choice because it is an adventurous book that illustrates the reality of four-season gardens in modern situations. The photographs and diagrams easily become stepping stones for home gardeners in designing their own four-season landscapes.
• The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (Timber Press, 2003, 460 pp, 227 color photos, 25 color illus., 2 b/w illus., 1 map, 10 x 11", hardcover ISBN: 0-88192-559-4)is the newest book by this author who does a fine job in presenting ideas on how to combine plant elements to yield a unified whole. Her ideas are basically down-to-earth and ones which most home gardeners can relate to with ease.
• Continuous Bloom by Pam Duthie (Ball Publishing, 2000, 328 pages, ISBN: 1-883052-23-8320, hardcover), shows that it is relatively easy to keep perennial beds and borders looking good and in bloom from March through October in eastern North America. Two hundred and seventy-two of the best perennials, each with a full-color photo, are arranged in order of bloom time, giving necessary information for home gardeners such as: plant hardiness zone, height/width, descriptions of flower and foliage, bloom time, light and soil requirements, care, propagation, and potential problems.

The copyright of the article Library in a Wicker Basket in Landscape Design is owned by Georgene A. Bramlage. Permission to republish Library in a Wicker Basket in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.