Book Review by Graham Rice

[Maggi Young]

I imagine most readers will be familiar with the name of Graham Rice - he has written umpteen books and is very well known for his writing for the RHS, both in print and online, notably his reviews of new plants on the RHS website.
He even has time to be a radio DJ while dividing his time between his homes in England and America!

Graham Rice - "The Transatlantic Gardener"

A recent review from Graham really caught my attention because the subject of erroneous passed down "wisdom" in the field of gardening is something that has been raised quite often in this forum.

So, with Graham's kind permission, here is his review of

Coffee For Roses by C. L. Fornari
 

Gardeners often pay more attention to what they hear over the garden fence than to science. Of course, friends and neighbors often provide good advice but sometimes they’re way off the mark. In this “let’s get it straight” book, Cape Cod garden guru C. L. Fornari not only debunks many of the myths of gardening but details why they’re myths and then explains how we should be looking after our plants once we’ve thrown out the old wives’ tales. Let’s look at a few examples.

For sweeter tomatoes, water with sugarwater? No. C. L. explains that watered-on sugar is not even taken up into the fruits, but that for flavor choice of variety is crucial.

Daffodils poison tulips in a vase? No. C. L. points out that tulips are more sensitive to bacteria in the water than daffodils so the tulips collapse first. Just because the tulips were the first to wilt, it doesn’t mean the daffs made them do it.

Mothballs repel garden pests? No. Even assuming you can still buy mothballs, C. L. points out that there’s no evidence that mothballs repel squirrels, mice or any other creatures.

Goldenrod causes hay fever? No. It’s the inconspicuous flowers of ragweed, which often grows with goldenrod, that causes hay fever.

I need to do something before it spreads? Not usually. As C. L. points out, the mildew that attacks your phlox will not attack your roses.

Seal wounds on trees? No. Again, as C. L. points out, covering tree pruning wounds locks in moisture and encourages rot as well inhibits the natural healing process.”

Always put drainage material (crocks) in the bottom of containers? No. Actually, I was taught that before the invention of plastic pots it was a good idea to at least partially cover what was often a large drainage hole in clay pots because the soil really would wash out. Not any more.



You get the idea, really valuable science-based advice instead of hearsay. In all over seventy different issues are covered and I find I only disagree with C. L. on one:
 You should always stake a newly planted tree. C. L. says that’s almost always wrong but I disgaree, I'd say it’s almost always true. But instead of using a traditional 3-4ft high stake, use a very short stake to keep the roots secure and allow the stem to flex.

This is a really useful book, engagingly written, that will help us all become better gardeners and, as well as righting a few wrongs, Coffee For Roses also encourages us to think about, and perhaps re-assess, all our gardening techniques – and that may be its most valuable lesson.

By the way: Although most of the issues discussed relate to gardening in North America, British gardeners will certainly find Coffee For Roses by C. L. Fornari interesting.

PS Don’t put the coffee grounds on the roses, put them on the compost heap.

G.Rice

Coffee For Roses by C. L. Fornari by published by St. Lynn’s Press

Graham's Blog : http://www.transatlanticplantsman.typepad.com/
Graham Rice's RHS Trials and Awards blog : http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/trials_and_awards/default.aspx

[Gerry Webster]

PS Don’t put the coffee grounds on the roses.........

Why not?

[Maggi Young]

Why not?

That I won't know till I've got the book to read.

[Chris Johnson]

Sounds a good bedtime read.

For what it's worth, his last example I fully agree with: best to secure the root system from rocking but let the tree develop its own strength.

Chris

[Maggi Young]

Sounds a good bedtime read.

For what it's worth, his last example I fully agree with: best to secure the root system from rocking but let the tree develop its own strength.

Chris

I agree about the low level staking too - a sapling planted that way will develop a strong trunk much faster than one staked at a metre or so high. I favour a short  stake at a jaunty angle to the stem, not parallel.
Ian, you may well imagine, prefers to plant really little seedlings and let them do their own thing  - I can never decide whether he is really cunning or just idle!

[Chris Johnson]

Ian, you may well imagine, prefers to plant really little seedlings and let them do their own thing  - I can never decide whether he is really cunning or just idle!

Even better, they will establish more readily.

I suspect the former; doesn't strike me as too idle 

Chris

[Tim Ingram]

I'm with Ian too - we generally plant very small seed raised trees (a few are now 30 to 40ft tall) and don't need to use stakes. Having said that the Christmas gales were too much for the huge eucalyptus that got blown down, but this had developed several leading trunks and was always vulnerable especially in such wet soil. I think the big difference here is between your own private garden and the accepted wisdom of tree planting (say at somewhere like Kew) where trees get a five star treatment - there is a long and detailed article in The Plantsman about this but unless your garden is like an arboretum going to such lengths might distract you from other interesting gardening activities like making troughs or sowing seed (where I am much more rigorous).

[Paul Cumbleton]

Another really good book along similar lines is "The Truth About Garden Remedies - What Works, What Doesn't & Why" by Jeff Gillman. 200 pages of priceless, science-based advice for little more than £6 on Amazon.

[Maggi Young]

Another really good book along similar lines is "The Truth About Garden Remedies - What Works, What Doesn't & Why" by Jeff Gillman. 200 pages of priceless, science-based advice for little more than £6 on Amazon.

Ordered for £5.34 delivered! A good deal.

[Maggi Young]

A lot of us here will be growing our trees  from seed ( clearly we all believe we are immortal!) but for those buying a bigger sapling  or little tree from a nursery, say six feet/2m or so or taller, a short stake is a good idea.

[arillady]

I recently visited Myddelton House near Enfield, London. It was the garden of E A Bowles who was a crocus authority plus other plants. I now have a bee in my bonnet to seek out the three books - My Garden in Spring, My Garden in Summer, and My Garden in Autumn, Winter. But I have a hankering for the lovely old 1914 editions with the beautiful cover designs. They are all fairly dear but I will live in hope that some come up some time that I can afford. In the meantime I will try to bide my enthusiasm.