Greg Grant is an outstanding horticulturist. He served as extension agent for horticulture in Bexar County for a few years, writes regularly for gardening magazines, has been instrumental in many Texas plant introductions and is a prolific author of gardening books.
His newest book, “Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening” (Cool Springs Press, $19.99), presents short write-ups along with photos of each of the many vegetables and fruits that we can grow in Texas. It is a good basic text for any vegetable gardener and especially useful for gardeners new to the area or just venturing into vegetable gardening.
Grant is a master of weaving his East Texas roots into the text, which makes the book pleasant to read. Almost every specific vegetable section has an anecdote that will make you smile and most will contribute to your gardening success.
The sections on soil, pests, watering, compost, harvesting and getting started are short and to the point. This is the go-to guide for new residents and rookie gardeners needing to learn the basics of gardening in Central Texas.
My favorite of Grant’s books in terms of horticultural techniques is “Texas Home Landscaping” (Creative Homeowner Press, $19.99), which he co-wrote with Roger Holmes The writing is good, and photos help readers understand the recommendations. The best feature is the way authors Grant and Holmes address landscape planning, breaking the the residential landscape into manageable pieces.
This is the book for a homeowner who wants to do his own landscaping but is overwhelmed by planning the job in one piece. Isolate the parts of the landscape into front door area, shady side yard, area around the water feature and “no-water slope” like the authors do and the job becomes manageable.
Nearly as important as the design section, the authors have 16 short chapters in a section called “Guide to Installation.” With text and illustrations, they show you how to make the features in your plan a reality.
“Texas Home Landscaping” also offers a section on outstanding plants to use, presenting brief photos and brief descriptions of each. The choices include the Texas Superstars such as firebush, ‘Gold Star’ esperanza and vitex that Grant had a role in introducing to the nursery trade. The author understands the importance of drought tolerance, soil preferences and pest issues in our landscapes.
In 2011, Grant and William Welch collaborated on “Heirloom Gardening in the South” (Texas Aamp;M University Press, $29.95). Gardeners all across the South know Welch as a skilled ornamental horticulturist and author in his own right. His “Perennial Garden Color” and “Antique Roses for the South” are classics. “Heirloom Gardening in the South” is an expansion of an earlier version, “The Southern Heirloom Garden.”
“Heirloom Gardening in the South” discusses the various cultural influences in Southern gardens, including Native American, Spanish, African, French, German, English and Italian. One of the most interesting chapters is “Natives, Invasives, Cemeteries and Rustling.”
The detailed accounts of the large number of heirloom plants and the design section will help the gardener seeking a resource for creating his own heirloom garden, and “Heirloom Gardening in the South” will also provide a good read for folks who enjoy traveling through the South to view gardens and those who seek out historical accounts.
The book has all of the characteristics you would expect from a book Grant co-authored. It provides excellent horticultural information, good writing and affection for every part of the gardening spectrum.
Calvin R. Finch is a horticulturist and director of special projects with San Antonio Water System. Contact him at Calvin.Finch@saws.org.
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