Defining “The South”
in Gardening
In The South comes up early in the book as it should. Author Mark
Weathington defines the area from Northern Florida up thru North Carolina and to
the Virginias and then back to the west through Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi,
and Louisiana and over into most of East Texas. In Texas, the area comes almost
to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and stretches down to the Texas coast where it bends
along the coastline after encompassing Houston and goes as far as Galveston. Heat
and humidity mean longer growing seasons as compared to much of the country as
well as other factors that make things a bit different.
After a short
discussion of geography, type of soils across the region, and seasons, it is on
to “Design Inspirations” starting on pages 23-24. This is when you have to know
the type of soil you are working with, what your needs are in terms of what you
want in your landscape, your own limitations (start small and work up), and
numerous other factors. A lot of this is aimed at the type of garden/landscape
and how it might be created for your own particular needs. Through text and
photographs of lush areas that will take years to come anywhere close to, the
author inspires the reader with numerous possibilities.
A little over twenty
pages later, “A Southeast Plant Palette” begins on page 46 with a close up
picture of a flowering “Hartlage Wine.” A hybrid plant, it offers large glossy
leaves and burgundy flowers and is flat out gorgeous. This chapter takes
readers through various plant types such as annuals and tropicals, grasses,
trees, vines, and others including “planets for problem spots.” Each section has
numerous plants listed by their Latin and their common name along with their
details in terms of hardiness, height, when they bloom (if they do), need for
sunlight, and many other factors. In this colorful section, there are also tips
for using containers, the differences between an aggressive and an invasive
plant, and many other items of interest.
Beginning on pages
284-285, it is time to learn about “Southeast Gardening Practices. “ This is
where you learn how to figure out what soil you have and how to make it better,
compost (and all that entails), planting correctly, and maintaining things
while dealing with pests such as deer, rabbits, armadillos, Japanese beetles,
and more including giant and small mosquitoes. Also covered in this section are
various plant diseases, how to plant to avoid them as you can use some pants to
protect other plants, and dealing with weeds when flamethrowers are not an
option.
The book comes to a
close with a list of recommended reading resources as well as a general list of
resources for plants and supplies, and a two page list of places to go see
beautiful landscapes. Not only is the Dallas Arboretum not listed, the Tyler
Rose Festival is also not listed. In fact, Texas is totally and completely
ignored in the listing.
Despite that major
omission from a book that includes East Texas as part of its defined area, Gardening
In The South by Mark Weathington is a good book. Filled with an
informative text that includes plenty of side bar topics, pictures on every
page, and more, the book serves as a good resource as you consider your
landscape and the changes you would like to make for next year.
Gardening In The South
Mark Weathington
Timber Press
May 2017
ISBN# 978-1-60469-591-5
Paperback
320 Pages
$24.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public
Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2017
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