Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening by Matt Mattus

Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening by Matt Mattus 

This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is A Gardener's Guide to Growing Flowers from Today's Favorites to Unusual Varieties. 

I remember when this book came out because I already had a copy. And, of course, at the time it was published (on March 10th), many of us were in the middle of beginning our lockdowns for the pandemic. I remember thinking what a shame it was because this book is not only beautiful - and man, I mean, absolutely gorgeous - but also so helpful. It's really a wonderful reference.

Another reason I knew this book would be so good is that Matt is such a true professional. He has decades of experience with his own garden and greenhouse, and you can read all about them on his blog called Gardening With Plants. It really is a wonderful online resource. So, if you haven't checked that out, make sure that you devote a little bit of time to that.

Now, if you start annuals from seed, you will enjoy Matt’s book. He talks about how to start over a hundred different annuals from seed. He also talks about things like summer bulbs and vines, which is a favorite topic of mine. I not only love to use vines as a vertical element in the garden, but I also think they're wonderful just ambling through the garden as a horizontal element, almost like a ground cover. So that's fantastic.

And then Matt talks about things like blooming shrubs - one of my favorite topics.  You get so much bang for your buck with blooming shrubs. They give your garden structure, and they're just so low maintenance. They're wonderful. So blooming shrubs are one of my go-to’s in the garden.

Here's a little bit about what the publisher says about this book. You will learn little details and cultural facts about these flowers that will help you grow them. You'll find helpful tips for things like growing annual poppies and biennials, which can be a little bit challenging. You'll learn about forcing flowers for winter blooms, which is enjoyable. In fact, one of the things that Matt talks about is how to force Lily of the Valley. That is a fantastic topic. And I'm sure now that I've mentioned it, it makes you very curious. If that doesn't do the trick, just trust me; this is a book you will want to have in your botanical library.

This book is 240 pages of a master class on flower gardening from a true master: Matt Mattus. I love the name and really love the book.

You can get a copy of Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening by Matt Mattus  and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $17