LINDA BEUTLER / "GARDENING WITH CLEMATIS"
	Clematis 'Josephine' has an especially fluffy double flower for a clematis.

"The Gardens of Emily Dickinson" by Judith Farr (Harvard University Press, $26.95). When Dickinson died in 1886, her obituary praised the flowers she grew and shared with her neighbors more than it dwelt on her poetry. Considered one of the greatest 19th-century poets, Dickinson sought inspiration in her two-acre plot; images of flowers and metaphorical musings on gardens appear throughout her writing. The reclusive Amherst, Mass., poet reveled in the first flowers of spring, cultivated jasmine, oleander and roses in her conservatory, and celebrated the seasons in symbolism and rhyme. While this elegant little book has a scholarly tone, it includes botanical prints and images of Dickinson and her family, lists all the plants she grew, and skillfully weaves together the famous poet's gardening and writing lives.
 
"Gardening With Clematis: Design and Cultivation," by Linda Beutler (Timber Press, $34.95). I love this book because it's written as if you're having a conversation with your best friend, who just happens to know everything there is to know about clematis. Beutler is a floral designer and founding member of the Pacific Northwest Clematis Society, and she offers strong opinions, exciting suggestions and plenty of gossip about clematis. Beutler seems to know every clematis growing in Portland, and she gives us a peek inside well-known public and private gardens to see how the clematis are used. Consider whacking down big-flowering clematis to grow along the ground, creating the most spectacular ground cover ever, or wind them with other like-pruned clematis for a succession of bloom. Best of all, Beutler demystifies this most beautiful of vines, writing "For me, clematis are not like family, they are family." My new goal is to grow each of her 10 favorites in my own garden.
 

	TIMBER PRESS
	Illuminated by summer sunlight, the graceful, arching foliage of Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' frames the entrance to a Northwest path, in a photograph from "Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses."

"Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses" by Rick Darke (Timber Press, $19.95). This little paperback is filled with color photos and practical advice on how to identify and cultivate grasses. If you don't have space on your bookshelf or in your pocket for Darke's much larger, earlier tome, "The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses," this will serve as a handy update and nursery-foraging companion. Much effort has been put into making this volume easy to use, including an index that includes common names, a glossary, nursery sources, plenty of photos and a list of grasses for specific purposes and conditions. Are you looking for an ideal grass for clay soil, to cut for arrangements, to hug the edge of a pond? After using these lists, turning to the photos, and reading how easy many of these grasses are to grow, you'll be convinced there's a grass to solve every landscape dilemma.

"Living With Wildlife In The Pacific Northwest" by Russell Link (University of Washington Press in association with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, $26.95). Wildlife biologist Link's first book, "Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest," is full of wisdom and practicality, so I eagerly awaited this second look at the juncture where critters and gardeners meet. It doesn't disappoint. Illustrated with black-and-white drawings of paw prints, skulls and the creatures themselves, Link's purpose is to prevent problems among mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and the humans that occupy their once pristine territory. He believes that by understanding the biology and behavior of each species, we can reduce or eliminate conflicts.

Link treats worrisome or perhaps aggressive creatures such as skunks and snakes with every bit as much respect, concern and appreciation as more appealing creatures like owls and great blue herons. Whether we like it or not, we live with rats, weasels and crows as much as the flickers, jays and turtles we cherish. For each species, there is public health, the animal's legal status and our own behavior to consider. Link offers expert information along with solutions. Readers dealing with the usual cast of culprits will find Link's squirrel-discouraging tactics and lengthy list of close-to-deer-proof plants especially useful.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net.

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