"Easy Container Gardens," by Pamela Crawford

If you had to choose only one container gardening book for your shelves, this would be a great choice.

Pamela Crawford, author and container gardening expert, is a woman after my own heart - a self-declared, plant serial killer. She has literally killed thousands of plants and luckily we can benefit from all the carnage by reading “Easy Container Gardens.”

“Easy Container Gardens,” is a book for anyone who already loves container gardening or wants to give it a try. The photographs are luscious and the container gardens are stunning. Clearly written and well organized, the book also has a sense of humor and honesty.

There are wonderful plant profiles and each plant is labeled with a blue or red ribbon to denote the level of care it requires. According to Pamela, blue ribbon plants, if fertilized with her brand of choice, "Dynamite," and watered as needed, won't need any additional care for "the full lifespan of the container." Red ribbon plants, she says, are similar in performance but "have some susceptibility to pests or require trimming or grooming every month or so."

One of my favorite chapters is on "side planting," which Crawford has pioneered. This technique uses wire baskets with coir linings which have holes cut into the sides where plants can be added, to create full-looking container gardens quickly and easily.

In addition to her baskets, I particularly appreciate her use of a very wide variety of planters. She uses lots of different shapes, sizes and materials - from a white porcelain basin to a concrete trough.

By her own estimate, Pamela has researched and tested some 10,000 plants for container gardening, and in “Easy Container Gardens,” she shares the information from her experience in an engaging and comprehensive way.