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Winners
Four gardening books published in 2008 have been awarded the
American Horticultural Society’s 2009 Book Award.
The winning books, listed below, were selected by the 2009 Book Award
Committee, chaired by Marty Ross, a regional contributor for
Better Homes & Gardens and writer
for Universal Press Syndicate who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and in
Hayes, Virginia. Other committee members were Scott Calhoun, a
garden designer and author based in Tucson, Arizona; Thomas Cooper
of Watertown, Massachusetts, former editor of
Horticulture and The Gardener
magazine; Jane Glasby, associate librarian for the Helen
Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture in San Francisco, California;
Doug Green, a garden writer and online media entrepreneur based in
Stella, Ontario; Doreen Howard of Roscoe, Illinois, a former
garden editor for Woman’s Day who
writes for various garden publications; and Irene Virag, a
Pulitzer Prize winning writer for Newsday
who lives in Fort Salonga, New York.
 Hardy
Succulents by Gwen Moore Kelaidis. Storey Publishing, North Adams,
Massachusetts.
“Hardy succulents finally get the close-ups they've long deserved,” says
Irene Virag. “Saxon Holt’s photographs are a stunning complement
to Gwen Moore Kelaidis's words - together they inform and inspire,”
Virag adds. “This book pushes the boundaries beyond what has been done
before on this subject,” says Doug Green. “There was a real
effort to pay attention to gardeners in colder climates where succulents
are a challenge,” notes Tom Cooper. “I was also struck by the
effective use of boxes and captions, which have lots of useful
information in them,” he adds.
 Heirloom
Tomato by Amy Goldman. Bloomsbury USA, New York, New York.
“Much like Amy Goldman’s previous books on melons and squash, this book
is pretty enough to be a coffee-table book, but it is also a first-rate
gardening book,” says Marty Ross. “It is authoritative without
being academic, and its photography and layout are exceptional,” says
Scott Calhoun. Jane Glasby notes that this book is “a celebration of
biodiversity, with notes on origins and physical details, and best uses
with appropriate recipes included.”
 Native
Ferns, Moss and Grasses by William Cullina. Houghton Mifflin, Boston,
Massachusetts.
“This timely contribution to works on native plants gathers together
information on important but neglected groups of plants not readily
found elsewhere,” says Jane Glasby. She also found the book’s
appendices very useful, “particularly descriptions and tables about
cultivation and propagation.” “Cullina’s plant portraits are fun to read
as well as informative, which makes this more than just a reference
book,” says Irene Virag. Doreen Howard adds, “It’s a gorgeous
book with first class photography.”
 Plant-Driven
Design by Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden. Timber Press, Portland,
Oregon.
“This book bucks a big trend in garden design that emphasizes
hardscaping over plants,” says Scott Calhoun. “I was particularly
impressed by the extensive plant lists and the authoritative, compelling
tone of the book,” Calhoun adds. “The authors constantly bring up the
idea of drawing influence from nature, reminding us we are all part of
something larger,” notes Marty Ross. Tom Cooper notes, “It’s a
useful and adventurous book, with terrific photography to illustrate its
ideas.”
Citation of Special Merit
The AHS Book Award is given to publishers for a single book
published in a specific year. However, the AHS Book Award Committee is
also recognizing two reference books, whose various editions have made
significant contributions to horticultural literature over time, with a
Citation of Special Merit.
Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch. Workman Publishing, New York, New
York.
Since it was first published in 1988, this book has become a gardening
classic, presenting a wealth of gardening knowledge in a clear and
concise manner. The second edition, published in 2008, builds upon the
original’s strong foundation while incorporating the latest organic
practices.
Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan M. Armitage. Stipes Publishing,
Champaign, Illinois.
Like the two previous editions released in 1989 and 1997, the third
edition of this treasured reference on perennial plants is a definitive
guide to the hundreds of herbaceous perennial species and cultivars
known and grown in North America.
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