New resources in the Sterling Morton Library

As I was zooming into the Sterling Morton Library’s Reading Room, I paused in mid-stride as my eyes wandered over the crisp, fresh book jackets of the new books enticingly (and appropriately) shelved together on the NEW BOOK SHELF. Skimming over the offerings, I’m reminded how this grouping represents the range of information to be found within our Library.

• Interested in a description of a specific hosta? Check out: The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell & Michale Shadrack


• Want to learn more about soils? Biological Diversity and Function in Soils just might be the ticket!


• Ever wonder about the impact and importance of prehistoric Native Americans as ecological change agents? Don’t miss: Prehistoric Native Americans and Ecological Change by Paul A. Delcourt and Hazel R. Delcourt


• Curious about green neighborhoods? Be sure to read: Skinny Streets and Green Neighborhoods : design for environment and community by Cynthia Girling and Ronald Kellett


• Puzzled by a spring wildflower blooming in your neighbor’s yard? You’ll flip over: Wildflowers in the Field and Forest by Steven Clemants and Carol Gracie


• Why do trees matter? Delve into: The Tree : a natural history of what trees are, how they live, and why they matter by Colin Tudge
  
  Whether it is a new book with shiny cover and unfolded pages or a slightly more rumpled work that attracts your attention, interest and time, I encourage you to visit the Sterling Morton Library and discover for yourself how we’ll change your world!
  

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

Are visions of a garden filled with hydrangeas, hellebores or hornbeams fluttering through your mind?

Perusing the plants available from The Morton Arboretum’s Members’ Advanced Plant Sale, you’ll see a host of dazzling trees, shrubs, vines, ferns and perennials available to members by advance order. Plants will be available for pickup on April 27 or 28. The list includes the heart-leaved hornbeam, blushing bride big-leaved hydrangea and the red lady garden hellebore. Whew! What a selection! Once you review this year’s offerings, I encourage you to visit the Sterling Morton Library to examine some of our resources that will help you make your plant selections and incorporate these plants into your landscape. Resources that you might want to examine include:

Armitage, Allan. Armitage's manual of annuals, biennials, and half-hardy perennials.
Dirr, Michael. Hydrangeas for American gardens.
Dirr, Michael. Dirr's Hardy trees and shrubs : an illustrated encyclopedia.
Dirr, Michael. Manual of woody landscape plants : their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses.
Dirr, Michael. The interactive manual and photo-library of woody landscape plants.
DiSabato-Aust, Tracy. The well-designed mixed garden : building beds and borders with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and bulbs.
DiSabato-Aust, Tracy. The well-tended perennial garden : planting & pruning techniques.
Duthie, Pam. Continuous color : a month-by-month guide to shrubs and small trees for the continuous bloom garden.
Flint, Harrison. Landscape plants for eastern North America : exclusive of Florida and the immediate Gulf Coast.
Haggard, Ezra. Trees, shrubs, and roses for midwest gardens.

In addition to these works, we have a number of other resources that will help you make your plant selections. Visit the Sterling Morton Library today!

Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : March's offerings

These are some recent articles that can be found within the journal collection of the Sterling Morton Library. Please visit the Library to discover the incredible botanical and horticultural resources that await you! If you are unable to visit the Library and interested in reviewing one of these articles, I would be delighted to help you at rhassert@mortonarb.org.

Bussolini, Karen. Winter’s promise. The American Gardener, v. 86, no. 1, p. 24-28.
Buds protect new growth and herald the coming spring while contributing a subtle charm to the winter landscape.

Hawthorne, Lin. Long-standing arrangements. The Garden, v. 132, pt. 2, p. 104-109.
Features showy, long-flowering plants that tolerate dry conditions.

Kiscellus, Linda. Right tree, wrong place. Chicagoland Gardening, v. 13, no. 2, p. 64-69.
Maintaing poorly sited trees and shrubs involves the expense of time, energy and money that could be avoided if better selections were made.

Kleman, Bill. Nachusa at 20. Prairie Smoke, issue 44, p. 1.
Nachusa Grasslands turns 20. Read about the early history of this amazing project.

Loven, Zazel. Your natural landscape. Organic Gardening, v. 54, no. 3, p. 52-57.
Use this guide to create a beautiful and well-kept yard that’s safe for kids and pets, inviting to wildlife, and free of risky chemicals, yet still no worry to your neighbors.

McLean, Kathleen. Do museum exhibitions have a future? Curator, v. 50, no. 1, p. 109-121.

Rice, Graham. Pretty peas. Gardens Illustrated, no. 122, p. 32-39.
Some of the most interesting sweet peas are featured in this article by renowned plantsperson Rice.

Rose, Nancy. Steel magnolias : hardy cultivars bring the fairest flower of the South to Minnesota. Northern Gardener, v. 135, no. 2, p. 24-29.

Szabo, Peter and Geza Meszena. Multi-scale regulated plant community dynamics: mechanisms and implications. Oikos, v. 116, no. 2, p. 233-240.