Plant Life: Growing a Garden in the Pacific Northwest (ISBN 1570613052)

A Gardener's Life:
An excellent read! As an experienced gardener who is new to the climate of the Pacific Northwest, reading Plant Life was the perfect way to learn many of the nuances of gardening in this region. Valerie Easton not only speaks from considerable skill and practice, but also knows how gardeners think and the questions we ponder. Her essays amuse, inform and broaden your thinking, all at the comfort level of a neighborly chat over afternoon tea. Gleaned from the author's highly popular weekly newspaper column, the text is well supported by the top notch photographs of her own garden (taken by Richard Hartlage, a fine author in his own right - see "Bold Visions for the Garden"). For those who wish to expand their gardening horizons, or simply enjoy good garden writing, I highly recommend this book.

Year Round Garden Planning:
I'm so glad that I bought this book (irresistible cover!) and am getting acquainted with Easton's garden writings. Her advice makes good sense and the monthly "Now In Bloom" suggestions and photos are inspiring me to plant for a year round garden. How could anyone resist October's "Spooky Plants" list?

Intimidating, but inspiring!:
I received this book as a gift, being newly into gardening in the NW, and at first thumbing through I was a little puzzled. It appears to be more of musings then a 'real' garden book and I wondered how useful it would be for actual gardening. But once I started to read, I found this book to be such a delight! So many of the passages made me smile, so many made me want to laugh and all were inspiring. I really enjoy being able to pick this up and read a little on 'spooky' plants or the use of variegated leaves. This and the Western Sunset garden book are helping me make a great new garden here!

Excellent Book:
This collection of insightful and informative columns by Valerie Easton is very helpful in planning and working on a garden year-round. The "Now In Bloom" sections were very helpful too in finding plants to put in my garden. Best of all, the pictures are beatiful! Definitely recommended.

fun read:
Yep, this book is a fun read. It's not a how-to book. There's plenty of those out there if you want that. This book is Valerie Easton's commentary on what gardening is like in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, specifically), it's challenges, and it's beauties. I bought this book not because I live in the Pacific Northwest, but because I wanted to know what it would be like to garden there, where it is cool, moist and temperate, as opposed to my dry blazing hot summers or cold dry winters. It's nice to dream.