(Part 2) Best regional gardening & horticulture books according to redditors

https://neighborhoodgreening.org/

https://wildones.org/

Birdscaping in the Midwest: A Guide to Gardening with Native Plants to Attract Birds https://www.amazon.com/dp/0299291545

https://www.monarchgard.com/benjamin-vogt.html

https://www.amazon.com/New-Western-Garden-Book-Sunset/dp/0376038896/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1480631348&sr=8-13&keywords=western+garden+book

This older edition is better than the newer ones. The newer ones have less information and more glossy full color images.

It may seem "mainstream" but I have learned so much from my Western Garden book. It is not only an encyclopedia of plants but a guide to growing, pruning, pests/pest control, and even bed design. As a beginner, it will give you plenty of info on what you want to plant and probably inspiration to plant a few things you didn't even know existed! (amazon not necessary, you can find it at any bookstore/nursery)

The plantsman's bible is Dirr's Manual. It has a very horticultural slant, but is invaluable for someone truly dedicated to plants. It is 1300 pages of comprehensive plant knowledge and will tell you exactly how to germinate seeds of Trochodendron aralioides. The problem for most is that it has no pictures - only line drawings of leaf shapes. This is probably not the book you need, but is a tremendous resource for someone with a thirst for knowledge.

http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Woody-Landscape-Plants-Characteristics/dp/1588748685/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1408405815&sr=8-4&keywords=dirr%27s+encyclopedia+of+trees+and+shrubs

My favorite plant book for casual reading is Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs. It has color photos of seemingly every tree and shrub in existence, as well as discussions of their landscape value.

http://www.amazon.com/Dirrs-Encyclopedia-Trees-Shrubs-Michael/dp/0881929018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408405815&sr=8-1&keywords=dirr%27s+encyclopedia+of+trees+and+shrubs

When I was a budding plantsman, my father gave me a very useful book which I still refer to today. This National Arboretum publication gives a broad overview of all different types of plants(vines, annuals, perennials, evergreens, aquatic plants, shade trees, etc) and is a great way to come up with ideas of what to plant.

http://www.amazon.com/National-Arboretum-Outstanding-Garden-Plants/dp/0671669575

If you are more interested in just selecting plants online, Monrovia has an excellent website that lets you narrow down plants by requirements.

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/