# Guides to Flower Gardening **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591 "2005-07-14T23:33:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591/1 "2005-07-14T23:33:18Z")
My wife and I are doing great with vegetable gardening, but we’ve not been having a lot of luck so far with our flower gardens. Can anyone recommend a good book for amateurs on growing flowers? THanks! Daniel ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591/2 "2005-07-15T00:52:23Z")
Barbara Damrosch’s [_Garden Primer_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0894803166/qid=1121388557/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/102-4613973-3768157?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). (it also covers veggies, shrubs, roses, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591/3 "2005-07-15T01:22:52Z")
I see you live in Asheville. [_The Southern Living Garden Book_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0376039108/qid=1121389907/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/002-5634297-7676021?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by Steve Bender, and [_Month-by-Month Gardening in the South_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1563523299/qid=1121390024/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl14/002-5634297-7676021?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by Don Hastings are what you need. Excellent resources for Southern gardeners, adjusted to your particular climate region. Atlanta is right on the edge between “Middle South” and “Lower South,” while Asheville is in the “Upper South.” These books are my gardening bibles - I have friends in Asheville who swear by them as well. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591/4 "2005-07-15T01:37:08Z")
Hey, a perfect opportunity to suggest world-renowned rosarian (and a good friend of mine) Steve Scanniello’s new book, [Rose Companions.](http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?endeca=1&isbn=1591861225&itm=2) ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591/5 "2005-07-15T02:45:05Z")
Ditto on Barbara Damrosch’s book–excellent resource. Decide what kind of flower garden you want. I suggest you start small, because it can be overwhelming at first. I hope (since you have a veggie garden) that you are familiar with your soil, amount of light, moisture etc. I tend to emphasize perennials, with annuals for my pots on the deck and porch. I do use annuals to fill in gaps in my perennial border. good luck! It’s great fun and (dare I say it?) restorative. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guides-to-flower-gardening/312591/6 "2005-07-15T10:39:03Z")
You folks are wonderful! My wife is going by the library today, and I’ll ask her to look for these books. Many thanks! Daniel