The holidays are just around the corner, and there are plenty of terrific books for the gardeners on your gift list. Here are a few to help you get your holiday shopping started.

Hands-On:

• "Gardening Projects for Kids: Fantastic ideas for making things, growing plants and flowers, and attracting wildlife to the garden, with 60 practical projects and 500 photographs" by Jenny Hendy (Anness, 2011). Grow a hyacinth in a glass, spell your name in flowers, shape a den out of bamboo, make a mini-beast shelter - and more. Projects feature an at-a-glance 'you will need' list, growing times, simple step-by-step instructions and photographs showing what to do.
  
  
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• "Handmade Garden Projects: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creative Garden Features, Containers, Lighting & More" by Lorene Edwards Forkner (Timber Press, 2011)Lorene Edwards Forkner (Author)
  
  
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• Learn how to take found objects, DIY materials and other odd bits and turn them into unique garden furnishings. Turn fencing into a sculptural plant support, herb pots into a fanciful tower, or scrap metal into elegant edging.
   
  
• "The Naturescaping Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide for Bringing Nature to Your Backyard," by Beth O'Donnell Young and Karen Bussolini  (Timber Press, 2011). Worksheets and clear guidance help gardeners design an inviting landscape that is low-maintenance, helps plants reach their full potential, and provides a haven for beneficial bees, birds and butterflies.

Inspiration and Ideas

• "Continuous Container Gardens," by Sara Begg and Roanne Robbins (Storey, 2011). Beautifully photographed, it's full of suggestions for seasonal plantings, underplanting and combining colors and textures.
  
  
• "Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden," by Adrian Higgins (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011). Explore the 48-acre public Chanticleer garden in Philadelphia as it changes over the seasons.
  
  
• "Private Paradise: Contemporary American Gardens," by Charlotte M. Frieze (The Monacelli Press, 2011).  The author The author presents forty-one cutting-edge gardens, designed by some of the most talented landscape architects and garden designers working in the United States today. Rich photographs and illustrations emphasize design, climate and horticulture.

History and Information

• "How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables," by Rebecca Rupp (Storey Publishing, 2011). Why were Roman gladiators massaged with onion juice before a battle? How did celery help Casanova become a romantic legend? This book is a
  collection of little-known stories about the origins, legends, and historical  significance of 23 of the world's most popular vegetables.
  
  
• "Fifty Plants That Changed the Course of History," by Bill Laws (Firefly Books, 2011).  You may know of some of the plants that have had an impact on human civilization - rice, tea, cotton and tobacco, for example. But there are many more that might surprise you. Learn how agave was used to make poison arrows, bullets, tequila and surgical thread; sweet pea was used in genetic study; and white willow was used in both aspirin and coffins.

Fun

• "The Gardening Crossword," by Douglas Woods (Hill Street Press, 2011). Plenty of puzzles for the word and garden lover.
  
  
• 2012 Japanese Gardens Wall Calendar (Brush Dance Publishing, 2011).
  
  
• 2012 Dream Gardens Wall Calendar (Zebra Publishing Corp, 2011).

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