The Southern Living Garden Book

by Steve Bender

When it first hit the shelves in 1998, it took the South by storm. After all, it was the first major, comprehensive gardening encyclopedia solely dedicated to the South. Now there's a new reason to celebrate. The 2004 edition is bigger, brighter, and bolder than ever, with more luscious photography, updated plant listings, and a special focus on native and heritage plants. Find the right plant for every place with Plant Selection Guides and 7,000 plant listings keyed to the Southern Living climate maps. With hundreds of practical hints and tips—plus some garden gospel from Southern Living's resident experts—this is the single most authoritative source for gardening in the South.

Key Features:

-New American Horticultural Society Heat Zone Map and plant ratings

-2,000 new plant entries

-More than 1,200 all-new, full-color plant illustrations

-More than 1,300 color photographs

-New Practical Guide to Gardening,

-70-page section of tips and techniques

-Updated list of mail-order nurseries and Southern public gardens

Genres: Gardening, Reference, Nonfiction, Plants, Nature

720 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Teri-K]

Best book ever for gardeners living in the area it covers. I recommend it to everyone and have never had anyone say they were disappointed in it. I've bought several copies because when I loan it to someone they really don't want to give it back. It has tons of useful lists - plants for shade, plants for cutting, etc., that I refer to a lot. It has detailed info on thousands of plants, including some stand out varieties, covering every type of plant you can grow here. And it doesn't treat the entire South as if it were all the same. I feel sorry for gardeners in the rest of the country, who don't have this wonderful resource. I really do. :)

[Ross]

This book is one of the best gardening books for the Southern US. It’s concise but covers a broad range of plants, and its zone system is more useful than the USDA hardiness zones, which don’t always give a good idea of how well a plant will perform in the South. It also has good information on houseplants. I use this more often than my horticulture textbooks from college, which I primarily use only for more obscure or technical information.

[Kelli]

I have this book with my cookbooks in my kitchen. It’s been so good at helping me identify my house plants and what care they need. It’s so easy to find each plant, plus I really love the drawings next to each plant. It helps a ton. And they are beautiful sketches too. It’s set up like a plant dictionary and each plant by the alphabet has a paragraph about it and a small drawing it identify it better.

[Alyssa Bohon]

OK, technically DNF, because this is a kind of massive encyclopedia, but the new edition at least (rudbeckia on cover, currently not pictured on Goodreads) is the book of gardener dreams - it's got beautiful pictures, the writing style is personable and lighthearted, the information is thorough and splendidly organized, and the whole thing is a pleasant informative experience. I borrowed one from the library but already have a used copy en route in the mail.

I can't imagine how much work went into ironing out every detail of this beauty, and I'm excited because it's especially for people like me gardening in the wacky humid south. I've swooned over many a lovely English garden book, only to sigh in realization that most of the advice wasn't for me. This one is. Of course, there's plenty of equally off-chart tropical south beauties in this book, but every plant is clearly coded for which part of the south it likes, and it's easy to navigate.

[Pamela]

Finally a book that addresses the special microclimates, garden needs, and plants for the South. It has useful and beautiful color photos as well as illustrations, excellent descriptions and advice on how to best grow and enjoy each variety. There is a section divided by season of bloom, as well as alphabetical listings of over 5000 plants suitable to Southern climates. There is a handy gardening terminology dictionary, and a resource listing.

The book is well structured for ease of use and thorough enough to be a handy reference for Southern gardeners at any level of expertise.

[David Ward]

The Southern Living Garden Book by Steve Bender (Oxmoor House 1998) (635.0975). Steve Bender, noted Southern garden writer, divides the South into five regions and then provides plant selection info for each area. Bender knows his stuff! My rating: 7/10, finished 2011.

[Lark]

My all-time favorite gardening book. I look up something specific that I need to check on, and before I know it an hour's gone by...

Thank you Ever So Much for having a picture of every plant listed - helps a lot.

[Barbara]

A great gardening guide for Southern gardeners.

[Robin]

Love it....I never plant anything in the yard without referencing this book!

[PKM]

Excellent book! It is great for novice and experienced southern gardeners alike. I'm spending too much time reading this book!

[Ally]

My first & still most favorite Garden encyclopedia. Excellent, comprehensive resource guide for the novice or experienced gardener. I use this as a companion to my gardening journals.

[Sarah Ryburn]

Also borrowed from Dora and good, too, although not as informative as Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide.

[Bookworm]

Loved the book! Comprehensive and helpful. Got it from the library and want to buy it for myself.

[Linda Harkins]

This garden book is so informative that I want my own copy!

[Theresa]

This is a great reference book for gardeners in the south. I refer to it constantly. Lots of color and B/W photos, plant selection guide, climate zone charts, resources, indexes, etc.

[susan]

Best gardening book for southerners. Great reference book. It is the first book you go to.