The Gardener's Guide to Weather and Climate

April 20, 2015
Science-geek gardeners will love this volume in Timber Press’s Science for Gardeners series. Allaby (Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate) is a fount of climate knowledge, starting with the cleverly stated difference between weather, a daily changing set of conditions, and climate, or long term weather averages: “ ‘Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.’ ” Knowing that will help any gardener to begin to talk knowledgeably about climate change, one important topic in the book. But gardeners will want the dirt on plants and how their growth and flourishing is affected by weather and climate, and Allaby’s book is less helpful on this score. He’s long on hard science, written understandably, in chapters on climate, weather, and soils, but he pays relatively little attention to problem-solving and protecting gardens against harsh weather. It’s science but with little to no horticulture. Color illustrations enhance the value of this book for the reference shelf; it’s probably best read in winter by those seeking the really big picture for their gardens.