Books, Tools & Labels
Books:
If you are a serious gardener, you are probably also a lover of gardening literature, as the two seem to go hand-in-hand. After all, what are you to do in the throes of a northern winter when the garden is shut down? We are pleased to offer the following limited selection of gardening books. We feel that these are some of the most useful texts for gardeners that are located in harsh climates such as ours.
Please use the Printable Order Blank - Books as these items are processed and sent separately from plant orders. All book sales are final.
Designer Plant Combinations
by Scott Calhoun
One of the great rewards of gardening is creating pleasing and successful plant combinations. This soft cover book offers ideas from design professionals throughout this country. There are individual chapters dedicated to perennials, grasses, annuals, accent plant combinations, ground covers & woody plants. Included are plant suggestions for specific cultural niches and seasons, with alternatives for various climates. A nice assortment of color pictures & illustrations complements the written text. 240 pp. $18.95
Growing Perennials in Cold Climates
by Mike Heger & John Whitman
Unfortunately, this comprehensive hard cover book, which was released in 1998, is now out-of-print & no longer available. We are working towards a revised and updated edition that we hope will be available soon.
Growing Shrubs & Small Trees in Cold Climates
by Nancy Rose, Don Selinger & John Whitman
Here we have the most recent book in the Cold Climate Series. As with the perennial book, this hard cover text profiles 50 plant groups that are adapted to cold climates. The book includes more than 750 varieties of woody plants and more than 250 color photographs. It also includes a section dealing with the basics of growing shrubs & small trees. 448 pp. $49.95
Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota
by Lynn M. Steiner
This soft cover book helps gardeners identify Minnesota native plants and plant communities and demonstrates effective ways to use these natives in home landscape situations. A section offering basic gardening information for working with natives is helpful. One of the most valuable features of this book is the Native Profiles section which includes comprehensive descriptions of more than 600 native plant species. A pleasing assortment of color images supplements the written text. 192 pp. $24.95
Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates
by M. Hockenberry Meyer
Gardeners wanting more information on growing grasses in the north will definitely want a copy of this recently revised, soft cover North Central Regional Extension publication. It includes general advice on growing and using grasses as well as detailed hardiness information based on research done at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Numerous pictures & illustrations aid in plant selection. 40 pp. $9.95
Perennial Gardening Guide
by John Valleau
This soft cover guide describes ferns, grasses, ground covers and herbs in addition to standard perennial flowers. It includes over 1500 varieties and 500 color photographs. The text offers general advice on growing perennials and includes a detailed section on pest and disease problems. 143 pp. $11.95
The Perennial Care Manual
by Nancy J. Ondra
This practical, soft cover book gives perennial gardeners the information necessary to maintain an aesthetically pleasing, healthy garden. It includes comprehensive basic information as well as a guide giving specific details for 125 perennials. Following the maintenance ideas should lead to many years of garden enjoyment. Illustrations and color pictures supplement the written text. 384 pp. $24.95
The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer
by Stephanie Cohen & Nancy J. Ondra
In this book, two experienced gardeners offer organized and attainable advice on creating stunning new perennial gardens and redesigning existing plantings. The authors explain how to chose perennials that suit your site and how to assemble pleasing plant combinations to offer interest throughout the season. There are full color photographs and illustrations throughout the book. 310 pp. $24.95
The Well-Designed Mixed Garden
by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Tracy DiSabato-Aust is a designer who understands plant material, and we think that her book is one of the most valuable design texts to come along in many years. It includes an excellent section on design basics & also suggests a number of desirable plant combinations. In addition, she describes the design characteristics of wide range of plant materials. With over 250 color photos and illustrations as well as numerous helpful plant lists, this text has something to offer to all levels of gardeners. 460 pp. $39.95
The Well-Tended Perennial Garden - Expanded Edition
by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
This is the first comprehensive book dealing with perennial garden maintenance including techniques such as deadheading, pinching, disbudding, thinning, deadleafing and cutting back. This expanded edition includes more than 200 additional color photographs and a journal where you can record plant observations and maintenance activities in your own garden. Line drawings & 276 color pictures supplement the written text. This hard cover book is a must for the library of every serious perennial gardener. 384 pp. $34.95
Timber Press Pocket Guide to Hostas
by Diana Grenfell & Michael Shadrack
As the number of varieties continues to climb each year, it becomes more and more challenging to select Hostas for the landscape. This guide features 280 of the best, each selected for superb landscape performance. The written descriptions include botanical details that will aid in identification, cultivation notes and brief comparisons to 545 related Hostas. Numerous color images are included in this flexible bound book. 212 pp. $19.95
Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses
by Rick Darke
Gardeners will welcome this addition to the information available on this excellent group of plants. This handy, compact reference features a flexible binding and includes more than 500 species and cultivars of grasses. 320 high quality photographs complement the written descriptions. 228 pp. $19.95
Timber Press Pocket Guide to Shade Perennials
by W. George Schmid
If you garden in the shade and are looking to expand your palette of plant materials, we think you will find this book most helpful. This reference profiles more than 1,000 perennials in addition to handling a number of general topics relevant to shade gardening. More than 300 color photographs are included in this flexible bound book. 252 pp. $19.95
Tools:
Just as gardeners tend to collect plants for their gardens and books for their bookshelves, they also assemble a collection of gardening tools. If you aren't already familiar with the Wilcox line of gardening tools, we'd like to introduce you to them. We are happy to offer our two favorite tools:
Wilcox All-Pro Digging Trowel
This is our favorite tool for planting bare root or potted perennials &
bulbs. The strong one-piece trowel is manufactured from 16-gauge stainless steel &
has a sharpened point for digging. The blade is 3" wide & 14" long with a
comfortable red plastic grip. $13.95
Wilcox All-Pro Weeder
Another extremely durable tool, this one-piece weeder features a sharp "V"
end & an extra long handle for additional leverage. It measures 13" in length &
like the trowel, it has a comfortable plastic handle grip. $13.95
Please use the Printable Order Blank - Tools. We process and send these items separately from plant orders. All tool sales are final.
Labels:
Custom Engraved Plant Labels
If your collection of plants has grown to the point where you are having
difficulty remembering all their names, it is time to consider permanent labels.
In addition to growing and selling plants, we also fabricate and sell plant
labels. We have looked at many labeling systems and feel that, despite the
initial cost, this system proves itself very economical.
Our labeling system consists of an engraved plastic label atop a metal marker. The plastic is composed of a cap and core permanently fused together and is a textured, all-weather product. The label is two inches high with the length determined by the amount of text. This label will last decades in the garden, and even longer if the labels are removed and stored inside for the winter. The stakes are manufactured by See-Fine Marker Co. and are made from extra heavy No. 8 galvanized wire. We stock both 20" and 26" heights. The plate to which the plastic label is attached is made of 26-gauge galvanized iron and is inclined at a 45-degree angle for easy reading.
We offer four plastic colors: Bermuda tan surface with a dark brown core, ash grey surface with a black core, coal black surface with a white core and coffee bean surface with a white core. We offer one type style - Sans Serif Condensed Block. The standard size is 11/32" but can change type size somewhat for special needs.
We generally include only the scientific and common name of the plant, having found it best to keep the information to two lines for a cleaner look. We can add additional information on a given label, but it may require reducing type size and additional cost. Please include a written copy of the information exactly as you wish it to appear on each label as well as your choice of label color and stake length. We will be happy to work with you to establish correct nomenclature. Since our outdoor workload is so intense during the growing season, we prefer to work on label fabrication during the winter months.
We sell the finished label with either length for $4.75/each. If you prefer the label without a stake (as one might for hanging on a tree branch), the cost is $3.75/each. Full payment is due when the order is placed - MN residents please add 6.875% sales tax. If you wish the labels shipped, we will bill the actual costs.
Click here for our Ordering Information
What's New at Amergate Gardens!
Baptisia x bicolor
'Starlite' Starlite Prairieblues™ - USPP 19971
(Hybrid False Indigo)
Courtesy of Chicagoland Grows®
Brunnera macrophylla
'Emerald Mist' - USPP 20460
(Variegated False Forget-Me-Not)
Courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries
Dicentra
'Burning Hearts' - USPPAF
(Hybrid Bleeding Heart)
Courtesy of Skagit Gardens
Euphorbia polychroma
'Bonfire' - USPP 18585
(Cushion Spurge)
Courtesy of Blooms of Bressingham®
Hemerocallis
'Hush Little Baby'
(Daylily)
Courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
Schizachyrium scoparium
'MinnBlueA' Blue Heaven™ -
USPP 17310 (Little Bluestem)
Courtesy of University of MN
Ambergate Hours:
April 30 - October 17, 2010
Tues-Sun: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Please feel free to contact us at 952-443-2248 or 877-211-9769 if we can answer any additional questions about these products. Leave a message if we are not available. During the growing season, e-mail is perhaps the best way to make an initial contact with our staff. We are located very near to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and a visit to our nursery location would be a perfect complement to your next visit there.