Labor Day has passed, the kids are back in school, and as we enter the fall garden season I’d like to recommend two new garden books, both written by extremely knowledgeable, lifelong gardeners from Texas.

Good reading for great gardens

In the pages of Month-By-Month Gardening: Texas, Skip Richter guides us through the gardening year with common-sense advice for trees, shrubs, lawns, roses, annuals, perennials and edibles. I have known Skip for over 15 years and have learned much about gardening by following both his example and his teaching. We both relocated to Austin in 1998; as he was commencing his new job as the Travis County Extension Horticulture Agent I was frequenting the Extension Office as an eager yet anxious gardener, trying to figure out how to garden despite the layers upon layers of limestone in my southwest Austin backyard (ultimately the answers came in the form of native plants, raised beds, imported soil and layers upon layers of compost).

Skip’s comprehensive, easy-to-read book is laid out in a logical, month-to-month format, with practical tips and friendly guidance on the what-to and when-to throughout the gardening year.

Over the years I became a regular in the audience any time Skip presented on vegetable gardening, soil health or IPM (integrated pest management). This man knows his horticultural science and has a wonderful gift for imparting that knowledge with clarity along with a genuine interest in helping others to succeed. His comprehensive, easy-to-read book is laid out in a logical, month-to-month format, with practical tips and friendly guidance on the what-to and when-to throughout the gardening year. This excellent reference for Texas gardeners offers a holistic, earth-friendly approach to gardening, with an emphasis on prevention and problem-solving plus lots of color photographs and instructional boxes to support the plentiful how-to advice in every chapter.

The award-winning vegetable and herb garden at Lake Austin Spa and Resort

The pages of Trisha Shirey’s Vegetable Gardening in the Southwest are loaded with tips and techniques that she has used over the years to keep Lake Austin Spa Resort looking beautiful, welcoming and organic day in and day out. With the enviable title of Director of Flora and Fauna, Trisha helped transform the rugged, 19-acre Hill Country property west of Austin into an inviting oasis. Her skillful designs and plant combinations indulge all the senses, with a special emphasis on the showy vegetable and herb garden which provides year-round produce for the spa kitchen.

Harvesting ‘All Blue’ potatoes in the resort vegetable garden.

A lifelong organic gardener, Trisha draws on her extensive experience to provide methods for chemical-free pest control, formulas for natural plant tonics and recipes for homemade pest remedies. Each month’s chapter contains an at-a-glance summary of tasks that include planning, maintaining, planting and harvesting along with a comprehensive section on growing and harvesting over 40 edibles, as well as tips for growing herbs and edible flowers.

Organically grown edible flowers add a nice spark of color and flavor to salads, herb butters and deviled eggs

Suggestions for simplifying garden chores, caring for tools and protecting plants from heat and cold are accompanied by helpful illustrations and how-to charts throughout. Her attention to detail and her organized approach to planting and harvesting in concert with the seasons are evident throughout this thorough and thoughtful guide to growing vegetables.

One of Trisha’s favorite tools – a multitasking Japanese soil knife

Both Trisha and Skip are gifted educators and observant gardeners who skillfully guide us through the gardening year, reminding us to plan ahead and always focus on the big picture.