Gardening is an art and a scientific discipline . It take not only intuition and a sense of aesthetics , but also solid selective information . Every skilled nurseryman benefit from both experience and scientific know - how , and most have shelves full of gardening book . gardener now have the sum up imagination of the cyberspace for opinion , ideas , and information .
While it ’s hard to single out just a few of all the excellent gardening encyclopedias and resources , the fall out record book and websites are among the best , according to the devouring gardeners who use them .
Garden Resources on the Web

GardenWebis an online residential area of and for gardeners . In addition to forums , blogs , and photograph drift , GardenWeb has an impressive collection of gardening resources , include a glossary of botanic term , a searchable database with flora paradigm and information , and a directory of gardens and horticulture organizations .
Cornell University ’s Department of Horticulture has aportal to gardening information from the shoal . Resources are divided into categories such as vegetable , flowers , fruit , conditions , territory , compost , pests , landscaping , etc .
The National Gardening Associationhome bid a prominent on-line aggregation of garden info , let in a pest control condition depository library , how - to telecasting , a weed subroutine library , a source swap , and works care guides . The situation also carries state - by - State Department gardening guides .

In - photographic print Garden Encyclopedias
American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plantscovers 15,000 plants and includes 6,000 picture . Entries hold in information about each plant ’s appearance , cultural requirements , pest and disease problem , cultivar , and generation . This 1095 - pageboy encyclopedia let in 310 pic and 26 Thomas Nelson Page on rosiness alone . American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is both a content - rich reference work book and a beautiful deep brown table book .
Rodale ’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardeningis the modish reading of what has perhaps been the most comprehensive guide for organic gardeners for over 50 years . In addition to updated sections on develop vegetables , trees , fruits , annuals , perennial , and shrub , this new variation cut across the latest thinking on earth - friendly gardening techniques , horticulture therapy , and organic pest control . Written by American gardeners for American gardeners , Rodale ’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening is a practical resource that deserves a spot on every gardener ’s bookshelf .

Dirr ’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs : An Illustrated Encyclopedia and Manual of Woody Landscape Plantsare two of many gardening reference books write by the fabled Michael Dirr , writer and professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia . A well - respected expert on woody trees and shrubs for the landscape , Dirr compiles comprehensive selective information on thousands of landscape plants in these two companion books . Many horticulture professionals and home garden enthusiasts obtain these books to be their most worthful references on tree and shrubs . Plus , reader - favorable layout make the volumes easy to expend .
Written by Donald Wyman , Wyman ’s Gardening Encyclopediaincludes comprehensive information on 9,500 plants . Well - organized and thorough , Wyman ’s Gardening Encyclopedia is full of well - research scientific information as well as the author ’s opinions and watching . The 1248 - pageboy bulk includes thorough description and grow data about Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , shrubs , yield , vegetables , flowers , herbs , and lawns . Wyman ’s Gardening Encyclopedia remains one of the most terminated undivided - volume gardening resources .
Gardeners are fortunate to have so many resources for get wind . on-line sources and mark volumes complement each other , providing a vast array of selective information and multiple room of accessing data point . In plus to the general resources noted above , gardeners can find photographic print cyclopedia and websites on specific horticulture subject range from aphids to zinnias and everything in between .
Lynne Lamstein garden in Maine and Florida and is presently work on a sustainable landscape painting . She has a degree in ornamental horticulture from Temple University .