An Updated Classic
Pruning. The mere mention of the word can send both newbie gardeners and green-thumbs quacking in their wellies. It sounds simple enough – cut out the dead parts and trim everything else up to promote healthy grow – but it is a difficult task to perfect. Luckily, horticulturist Lee Reich has recently updated his classic how-to book on pruning, The Pruning Book, to help us all out.
What separates The Pruning Book from many of the other books on this topic is the wealth of knowledge given about the science of pruning. Rather than simply offer the standard advice – clip here, cut there – Reich explains in detail why you need to prune (it’s essential to an attractive and healthy garden) and how the plant is going to react to the different methods of pruning. He also discusses how the timing of pruning affects how the plant reacts and what happens when you prune flowers or roots, not just stems and branches.
I like books like this that assume the reader is intelligent and can comprehend the basic science involved. I prefer to learn why I am performing a certain step rather than just doing it and hoping for the best. The Pruning Book covers pruning techniques for not only shrubs and trees but also houseplants, topiaries and fruit trees so it is a much more comprehensive pruning manual than many others currently on the market.
My only gripe with the book is that is not exactly the kind of book you’d take out in the garden with you and refer to while pruning. Rather than colorful step-by-step illustrations of where to cut, The Pruning Book is really more of a reference book. No problem, I have other step-by-step guides I can take outside with me. The Pruning Book can stay inside where I use it as the comprehensive resource it was meant to be.
Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher, The Taunton Press, for the express purpose of reviewing it.
