The Second Floor Librarians

poppy garden, by Leonard John Matthews on Flickr

On such a winter’s day, I’m not wishing to be in California. No way. Instead, I’m dreaming about being in my own warm & airy garden, among the green leaves and bright flowers, which is deeply textured by the light and shadow of my sunny day.

Sure, it’s the cold, deep-night of winter, but every morning this week, I have sat with my hot coffee under a bright light, and been transported into this dream with the help of a couple of great garden books I found in our Library.

One book is a beautiful new release from Portland’s Timber Press, The new low-maintenance garden : how to have a beautiful, productive garden and the time to enjoy it, by Valerie Easton. This is not only a how-to book which lives up to it’s title, but also contains plenty of photos of flowers and gardens that give substance to my fantasies.

The second book is Gardening among friends : 65 practical essays by master gardeners, edited by Barbara J. Euser. Reading this book is like lounging in front of a cozy fire with a gardener friend who is telling you about the plants she loves best, and why.

You say you don’t have a garden? Then check out another new arrival, Pots in the garden: expert design and planting techniques, by Ray Rogers, for inspiration. All you need is a pot, and a plant you can relate to, and voila! there you have your own live and beautiful garden!

Of course the library has zillions more books like these. You can’t imagine the size of the selection if you haven’t yet wandered through our gardening or landscaping sections.

Hey, just to prove it, I’m going to set up a display of gardening books this week on the Second Floor. Come on up and find your own inspiration and check it out! And for more browsing choices, ask a second floor librarian for directions to the gardening and landscaping books. It would be fun to help you with your own summer garden dreaming!

(And of course, don’t forget about the Gearing Up for Gardening series at the Corvallis Library! This is presented by the Benton Center and the Benton County Extension Master Gardeners. Find the pdf schedule here.)

Posted by Shannon,  a second floor librarian