Lewis Hill - The Flower Gardener’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long

The Flower Gardeners Bible

A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long

LEWIS AND NANCY HILL

Photography by Joseph De Sciose

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Gwen W. Steege and Nancy J. Ondra
Cover design by Alethea Morrison
Art direction by Cynthia McFarland
Text design by Kent Lew
Text production by Kent Lew and Susan Bernier
Indexed by Susan Olason, Indexes & Knowledge Maps

Text 2003 by Lewis and Nancy Hill
Photographs 2012, 2003 by Joseph De Sciose, unless otherwise noted (see )
Illustrations 2003 by Elayne Sears

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the authors or Storey Publishing. The authors and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

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Printed in the United States by Versa Press
10 9 8 7 6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hill, Lewis, 19242008

The flower gardeners bible : time-tested techniques, creative designs, and perfect plants for colorful gardens / Lewis and Nancy Hill.

p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-58017-462-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-58017-463-9 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Flower gardening. I. Hill, Nancy. II. Title.

SB405 .H536 2003

635.9 dc21

To our very special editor and friend, Gwen Steege, who has worked tirelessly with us on many projects with great skill, patience, thoroughness, and creativity, making it all fun.

In addition to Gwen, we are grateful to talented photographer Joe De Sciose, who made our words come alive with his artistic eye, and Elayne Sears, exceptional artist, who transformed garden concepts into colorful works of art.

Many thanks to the other skillful people who made this book a reality: Nancy J. Ondra, expert gardener and editor; and Cynthia McFarland, consummate art director and gardener. Thanks, too, to Kent Lew, for his wonderful design, and to Susan Bernier, for her skillful production.

We are grateful to Tobi and Sally von Trapp, who welcomed us into their beautiful gardens to photograph. And finally, a huge thank-you to John and Martha Storey, with whom we have greatly enjoyed working over many years.

Lewis and Nancy Hill
November 2002

I THINK OF FLOWERS THE WAY MOST PEOPLE THINK OF MONEYthere can never be enough! Flowers are happy creatures, such living marvels of nature. They share their joy with everyone who touches them or leans in for a whiff, so Im always looking for more creative ways to keep them close at hand. The Flower Gardeners Bible is the answer to my quest. Everything a gardener needs to know is in this book.

The late Vermont nurseryman Lewis Hill gardened for more than 40 years with his wife, Nancy. Together they shared their wisdom in The Flower Gardeners Bible, a book so filled with insights and hands-on experiences that no matter how long you have gardened this book still has something new to teach you. The best part is that the Hills garden journey is that of every new gardener. I found comfort in the telling of their own mistakes and was empowered by the detailed information on how to make a better garden and grow bigger and better flowers.

The first section of the book covers garden basics. Garden terms are defined, Latin names translated, basic propagation demonstrated, and seasonal jobs explained. The second section contains 23 basic garden designs to get the reader started on any site and location. The designs can be copied, enlarged upon, or filled in with your favorite flowers. The third and last section contains detailed plant portraits of more than 400 flowers.

Choosing a plant is a bit like screening a job applicantits easy to be fooled. It may take a year or two before you know whether the plants you purchased crawl, walk, run, leap, or blindly charge ahead. The plant portrait section takes away the guessing, and it also includes details only a couple with dirty hands from gardening and owning a nursery would know.

Most new gardeners limit their flower gardens to perennials and annuals, but the best flower gardens also contain a mix of bulbs, vines, and shrubs. The Hills knew diversity is the basis of a better garden so the plant portrait section also includes flowering shrubs, vines, and bulbs. The shrubs add year-round form; the vines add vertical appeal, especially in a small garden, making it feel larger. Vines are at home climbing in the background on a fence, a wall, or an arbor. And, early-blooming bulbs extend the seasons when tucked in between perennials and around shrubs.

The Hills attention to detail is what sets this book apart. Experienced gardeners will be pleasantly surprised at the expert advice they might not have considered. Because of the Hills, I looked inside the hood of a monkshood flower to see the pair of monkeys on sticks they described inside. Actually, I think they looked more like parrots. It is something Ill enjoy arguing about with my grandchildren.

It is my sincere hope that this book inspires you to plant a flower garden or, at least to grow more flowers. They give back in beauty and joy so much more than they require in care from a gardener.

SUZY BALES

Author of 14 books, including The Down-to-Earth Gardener, The Garden in Winter, and Garden Bouquets