It’s spring, time to dig into the soil and a few good books to inspire and inform. These are worth putting your trowel aside for:

“The Plant Lover’s Guide to Dahlias” by Andy Vernon (Timber Press, $29.95) is one of the first books in a new series on specific garden plants. The format is large enough for showy photos, especially important for the flamboyant dahlias on these pages. I love that the flowers are arranged by color; flip through to find dozens of dahlias from crimson to cream, with a chapter on “Extraterrestrials” that defy categorization. The author is a British photographer who not only worships dahlias but knows how to grow them. Vernon includes the practicalities of dahlia growing from staking to storing tubers. Also new in the “Plant Lover’s Series” are books on Sedums, Salvias and Snowdrops, with more to come.

“Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping” (Time Home Entertainment, Inc., $29.95) is the third edition of Sunset’s take on how to create gardens. This one has a decidedly modern edge. From the starter essay on sustainability entitled “Tomorrow’s Garden” to a chapter on nature-scaping, the environment and habitat are considered as carefully as lighting and patios. The photos, as you’d expect from Sunset, are beautiful and plentiful, although most of the gardens pictured are pretty high-end. A little more realism would be welcome, along with more Northwest gardens in this California-dominated book. That said, no one book offers more information on everything from growing edibles to lawn substitutes, from saving water to laying paths.

“Pacific Northwest Foraging” by Douglas Deur (Timber Press, $24.95) may change the way you see the world. The Oregon author, a cultural ecologist for Native peoples, has a deep understanding of ecosystems and native plants. Which, along with a lifetime spent mostly outdoors, has caused him to see the natural world as a giant buffet table. Deur explains how and when to harvest wild plant foods from forests, fields, wetlands and shorelines. This celebration of the food growing incognito around us includes the familiar, like watercress and blackberries, and the surprising, like the needle buds on Sitka spruce and the reproductive shoots on horsetails. Don’t worry, Deur gives detailed instructions on identifying plants and their edible parts, as well as how best to cook and eat them.

“Trees Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest” by Mark Turner and Ellen Kuhlmann (Timber Press, $27.95) is a treasure of a field guide, thorough and well-photographed. If Deur’s book inspires you to snack on the world around you, this detailed guide draws you in closer to really look at, and identify, our wildly diverse flora. I could wish for a different organization than by leaf shape (compound, simple or none at all, in the case of our native cactuses), but since the book is all about identification, I guess that’s appropriate. What makes the book so useful is the wide range of plants included, not just natives. You’ll find ceanothus and willows that have escaped cultivation to grow on verges and vacant lots, making this book as useful around cities and suburbs as in the mountains and forests.

Also new and noteworthy:

“The Gardener of Versailles: My Life in the World’s Grandest Garden” by Alain Baraton (Rizzoli, $26.95).

“Handmade for the Garden” by Susan Guagliumi (Stewart, Tabori Chang, $27.50).

“Hellstrip Gardening: Create a Paradise Between the Sidewalk and the Curb” by Evelyn J. Hadden (Timber Press, $24.95).

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer. Check out her blog at www.valeaston.com.

Carleton Place Almonte Canadian Gazette

The Leeds and Grenville Small Business Enterprise Centre is accepting applications for the Summer Company program.

Summer Company is a young entrepreneur’s initiative focused on youth 15 to 29 years of age; in school and returning to school in the fall of 2014. It offers up to $1,500 in start up cash to help get the business running.

Over the summer months participants receive hands on business training, mentoring and coaching from successful business mentors in the community. Participants are expected to complete a business plan, work in their business full time, and attend meetings and training sessions. Upon successful completion of the program participants will receive an additional $1,500 to return to school. Summer Company is a great opportunity to learn what it is like to run your own business.

Last summer 15 young entrepreneurs benefited from this experience including: lawn mowing and gardening, landscaping, children’s camps, selling baked goods and specialty items on the various farmers’ markets. Other business ideas may include selling arts and crafts. Summer Company is a highly competitive program with a limited number of applicants being accepted across Leeds and Grenville. The application deadline is May 23.

Interested participants can go to www.ontario.ca/summercompany to complete the application and get started on their business plan.

For further information call the Leeds and Grenville Small Business Enterprise Centre at 613-342-8772 ext. 471.

CLEVELAND – Whether it’s cleaning up the yard and adding some pretty flowers or going all out with a total redesign, a well-cared for lawn can add up to 14 percent of your home’s value. Your landscaping project doesn’t have to be big or cost an arm and a leg to add value.

Angie’s List, the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews, asked highly rated landscapers about projects for every budget.

What can you get for $50? At this price range you might be looking at more DIY-type projects, such as buying and spreading your own bags of mulch. But there are a few tasks you can hire a pro to tackle.

• A flat of seasonal spring flowers, such as begonias, planted and mulched by a highly rated landscaper.
• Programming a sprinkler’s timer and an operational once-over.
• One application of fly repellent for an average-sized lawn.

What can you get for $500?

• A 3-D rendition of a new landscape design.
• Several applications of a fertilization and weed control program.
• Lawn mowed and trimmed and edged weekly for four months, for the average half-acre lot.

What can you get for $5,000?

• A wide variety of finished projects such as patios and retaining walls.
• Revamping a home’s front foundation landscape. This involves removing most, if not all, of the debris and plants already in the beds.
• Complete irrigation system in both the front and back yards.

Before you dig too deeply into hiring a landscaping contractor, take time to do two things:

1. Be clear about what you want to achieve. If you only want yard work, check out companies that specialize in residential lawn services. If you want design or installation services, you’ll need a full service landscaper.
2. Gather your ideas. Offer as much detail about your preferences as possible. For inspiration, print, copy or tear out images from landscaping websites, magazines and books.

When shopping around to get the most landscaping bang for your buck, always verify a company’s insurance and applicable licensing information. What they’re selling may sound like a bargain, but you might end up with a raw deal if they’re not following the rules.

Here are 5 questions to ask prospective landscapers.

1. Can I see your plan? A drawing is the best way to be sure you can envision what a landscaper proposes. Ask each bidder to provide a design sketch. They may charge a fee if you want to keep it, but they should at least be able to let you see it. In addition, ask for photos of projects they’ve done that are similar to what you want.
2. What’s your process? Ask about basic work practices and what materials and equipment would be used. For example, would they dig your patio out by hand or use machinery?
3. What’s your experience? Does the contractor have the experience, manpower and skill to handle your project? How long has the company been in business? Find out what kind of training the contractor and his or her staff have undergone. Do they belong to local, state or national landscaping associations?
4. What’s your guarantee? Reputable landscaping contractors should be willing to guarantee their work for at least two years, preferably five. Ask about separate warranties for plants.
5. How well do you communicate? Ask each bidder for the best way to communicate so you’re likely to get a timely response.