Book Giveaway: Why Grow That When you Can Grow This?

Update 12-20-12: Congratulations to Bobbie Schmidt, the lucky winner of Why Grow That When You Can Grow This!

A little known fact about me: I paid for most of my college education working in beauty salons as a manicurist. In the process I learned many life skills, including how to give an excellent hand massage and the fine art of gossiping discretely. I also learned that at one point or another, most of us want what we can’t have. Curly-haired beauties yearned for stick-straight tresses, while those blessed with long, sleek manes pointed wistfully at photos of short, sassy dos.

It turns out gardeners suffer from the same kind of plant envy, often pining for the plants of their childhood or tropical specimens remembered from a favorite vacation—zones and cultural conditions be damned. Fortunately for us, in his new book, Why Grow That When You Can Grow This?: 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants, Andrew Keys shows us that we can enjoy the garden of our dreams, while still acknowledging the reality of our growing conditions.

The simple format of Why Grow That When You Can Grow This makes it easy to either read straight through from cover to cover, or to search for specific plants you’d like to rethink. Every few pages introduces a plant labeled as an everyday problem, which Andrew defines as ones that are “too much trouble, not right for our climates, or just plain predictable.” He then goes on to share three alternative plants that share key characteristics with the problem plant, but offer something more, whether it’s a longer bloom time, more drought tolerance or an overall jazzier appearance.

Andrew’s prose is lively and chatty throughout. Reading this book is like swapping plant recommendations with your best gardening friend and I frequently found myself smiling at the plant descriptions. Live oak is characterized as the “most venerable old professor at the garden school…and like that old professor, it can be a little messy and it’s not a fan of the cold." Which is true.

While I am familiar with many of the alternatives recommended, there are plenty of new ones I found intriguing. Instead of my usual choice of barberry (Berberis Atropurpurea) the next time I need a splash of burgundy for a drought tolerant garden, I’ll turn to ‘Bronze Butterfly’ shrub (Gastrolobium praemorsum), or as Andrew calls them, “big bonbons of chocolaty red-purple.”

Forget boring old barberry

 

In my next landscape plan I'm trying out 'Bronze Butterfly' shrub:

 Or maybe even ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius):

 

 Whether you suffer from plant envy, and are looking for regionally appropriate alternatives to grow instead, or you just need a little help climbing out of a plant rut, Andrew’s got you covered.

And now for the good stuff – Timberpress is providing a free copy to one lucky reader! For a chance to win, simply leave a comment by midnight on Wednesday, December 19th. The winner will be notified by email the following day. For a second chance to win, stop by Gossip in the Garden – Rebecca Sweet is giving a copy away as well.

But wait, there’s more! Besides being a talented writer, Andrew is a noted podcaster for Fine Gardening magazine. In what I can only assume was a fit of madness, he agreed to let Rebecca and me interview him with no restrictions on subject matter. Check out the link below to hear him talk about his new book, his life lifelong passion for plants - and  his misguided belief that in the event of a throwdown, cactus would kick some succulent ass.

Comments

[boZannical Zann]

So desirous of this book! I have internal diatribe about this subject all the time, really. My biggie is: for California, why plant Cotoneaster when you can plant Toyon (Heteromeles)? Same basic look without being invasive, after all.

Thanks for the opportunity!

[Lorna]

The book sounds great!

[Desert Dweller / David C.]

His book sounds right up my alley, since I've started (not finished) so many alt plant lists! The live oak thought - great. Barberry - even better!

You once a manicurist, in quiet gossip...you're so cool!

[Jeanne]

This book sounds perfect for me - will have to pick up if I don't win it! ;)

[Laura]

One thing I love about gardening is there's always room to learn more. What a genius idea for a book!

[Bobbie Schmidt]

Perfect subject matter for my garden. Need a big-time update for my back yard and this would be a big help.

[Heather]

We're still landscaping our new yard, and I love the idea of updated plants as opposed to all that's old hat!

[Laura]

This book sounds like a must for a gardener or a designer.

[Nancy]

Thanks for the chance to win a fun book. I'm just starting out in this gardening/landscaping adventure and this looks like a must have book!

[Jennifer]

This sounds like a great book, one that I not only need, but would use a lot. Thanks for the chance

[Kim]

Would love it if I won this book.

[Alan @ it's not work, it's gardening!]

I'm looking forward to reading this! Will it change my tendency toward "problem" plants? I wonder...

[Diane C]

Looks amazing!

[Pam Dale]

I am so thankful to folks who are willing to share their passion, so we all can discover the delights. Thanks for giving us all the insight and a chance to win.

[Susan]

Yes, please enter me to win - i could use this book. And thanks for the interview with the author.

[Jason]

I want this book - I need more ideas to fuel my agonizing indecision in the garden. I mean that!

[Cindy Davison]

I'm shouting with glee to get my paws on this one! Sounds delectable!

[Jan Walton]

That would be a great book for me! I spend too much time trying to nurture sick plants that don't like their environment.

[Laura C]

Thankful for the chance to win a copy! I tried columbines which were supposed to work here, but they sure weren't happy.

[Bobbie]

Thank you so much for the book, Susan. I know I will enjoy reading it and gleaning ideas, especially for the front yard where the installation of new steps meant plants were uprooted. The book will be a great help in chosing replacements, I'm sure. Thank you again .... :-) from Bobbie who's still surprised at winning.

[Celeste@target]

I would like to win that book but the deadline is gone ;-) Right now I'm pretty happy with all of the plants in my garden. However I am always looking for new plants to grow-whether they are herbs or fruit bearing trees.

I don't do so well with things like cabbage, because of the temperature where I am, and have adapted by growing something that is still a leafy green vegetable but thrives at higher temperatures.