I used Growing
California Native Plants, by Marjorie G. Schmidt and Katherine L. Greenberg
to research plants for my front planter project. I used the second edition
(revised and expanded), published by University of California Press, Berkeley
in 2012. Schmidt published the first edition in 1980, and Greenberg expanded
and reorganized the work (Greenberg received a Certificate of Landscape Design
at Merritt College).
The book starts with an introduction to gardening with
native plants, including descriptions of California habitats and plant
communities. Native plant descriptions are organized into categories—trees,
shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs, vines, and grasses—followed by a plant
selection guide grouped by garden requirements, and described by species. For
example, I was especially drawn to the plant selection guides for Shade/Dry Situation, Coastal Conditions (being in the fog
belt), Deer-Resistant Plants (thanks
to my growing deer problem), and Under
Oaks (for my huge oak in the front yard) The reference section includes a
crisp, concise glossary; a reading list (including many of my favorite authors,
such as Peter Dallman and Glenn Keator); and additional references
for journals, references, botanic gardens, and plant and seed sources.
I love this book’s compact size, which can easily fit in a
purse or day pack on a plant-buying expedition; and its beautiful pictures and
illustrations. I also appreciate the tables of plant species, with information
about plant distribution, and physical characteristics. This information makes
it very easy to review and consider the merits of a particular plant for a
garden site.
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