2 books to help you understand the science behind plants
These two books will help you become a better gardener. They present the science of plants in simple words and make the knowledge available to the masses.
Having been struck by Covid and required to rest for long hours, I find myself very bored. After spending one and a half days watching shows on Netflix, I had enough of it. I wanted to do something productive. I am a budding gardener. I want to learn and improve my gardening skills. In fact, I hope, sooner rather than later, plants and gardening become more than just a hobby. To that end, I need to read and learn a lot about them. This includes understanding the science behind them as well. Knowing the science and the inner workings of plants can significantly improve your gardening skills. My initial idea was to write a series of articles (by combining the contents of the two books), laying out the knowledge in a much succinct format. For instance, I thought I’ll write an article on roots, another on stems, one on light, etc. But I just didn’t have the energy for it. So instead, I have written about what you can expect to learn from these books. Hopefully, this will help you in deciding whether you ought to buy the book(s).
Brian Capon — Botany for Gardeners
The title of the book is apt. It explains botanical concepts for gardeners. There are no unnecessary technical concepts. The author has written the concepts in an easy to understand manner. Even though there are some technical concepts, they were actually useful. The chapters are very well structured. While at first glance it might seem like a textbook, it is anything but.
The highlight for me in this book is the illustrations. All the illustrations (diagrams or photographs) were prepared by the author himself. The illustrations combined with the simple language make learning easy. My understanding of plant organs has been greatly enhanced after reading this book.
Linda Chalker-Scott — How Plants Work
I read this book after reading the previous one. Perhaps that is why I felt that this book was more of a free flow in terms of the way the chapters are structured. But that does not take away the fact that it does a tremendous job of arming you with great information. While there are a few overlapping concepts between the two books, it is still worth your while.
I feel this book can help you bring your A-game. One of the highlights for me is the myth-busting sections. Every now and then, there is a page on certain popular practices that are considered beneficial where the author explains, using science, whether that is the case. The book helped me learn extensively about plant growth and development (including nutrients, primary and secondary compounds, and light).
While the second book is my favourite of the two, the only reason for that is the order I read the books in. I would suggest the same to you as well. Read ‘Botany for Garderners’ first and then ‘How Plants Work’. The benefits of doing that are extraordinary (at least that was the case for me). You would look at your plants through a different lens and, hopefully, become a better plant parent.
