Rick Darke. The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest. Timber Press. 2002.

People living in older city subdivisions or in rural areas often have to garden under the trees. While many appreciate the shade they have, others give up the idea of gardening because of it. Rick Darke's book will convince these people that they can have wonderful gardens that complement the trees rather than having to give up the idea of gardening.

Darke's first chapter introduces the reader to the aesthetics of forests. He talks about forests in a way that must be experienced by actually going out and walking through a woodland. Topics such as seasonal changes, light in the forest, the color cycles for both foliage and flowers, and of course, the ever constant presence of green. The author points out the changes that take place in forests as they mature along with the different plant layers. The differences in plants found at the forest edge as compared to the middle of the forest are talked about. The photographs illustrating his points will quickly remind you of your last wilderness vacation.

"Learning from a Woodland Stream" is a photographic journey showing the changes in the stream and its surroundings through the four seasons. You'll enjoy the wonderful photographs illustrating the stream in the different seasons and the close-ups of streamside plants. If you've never experienced the joy of spending a quiet afternoon sitting beside a stream or floating down it in a slow canoe, you'll want to do so after reading this chapter. It brought back many memories of family vacations in Northern Michigan and in the Big Horns of Wyoming for me.

Chapter 3 is titled "Designing the Woodland Garden." If you have a yard of trees, you'll want to study this chapter in detail. It teaches you how to create "rooms" in the forest. The photographs illustrate the author's teaching on making use of plant forms, light, and other characteristics of a forest. When you finish, I have little doubt you will view your tree filled yard in a totally different light. I really appreciate the fact that Darke doesn't tell gardeners how to destroy forests in order to create a garden. Instead he emphasizes working with nature.

The next chapter walks you through "Planting and Maintaining the Woodland Garden". As you might expect, it covers everything from acquiring the plants (not from the wilds, please), to starting your own from seed, transplanting them, and maintaining them through the seasons. You'll have to consider factors such as soil preparation, moisture and drainage just like you do with any garden. You might even have to weed your woodland garden.

The final chapter walks you through a collection of shade loving plants, shrubs and trees that may be suitable for your woodland garden. Although this 2chapter provides some information and wonderful pictures, I strongly advise you to pick up another book to learn how to cultivate the plants discussed. The lack of cultural information is a serious weakness, in my opinion.

Recommendation:

This book is a must have for anyone gardening in the woods. You may want to purchase The American Woodland Garden for a gardening acquaintance, or perhaps asking Santa to put it under the tree for you!