BOOK REVIEW: PASSALONG PLANTS WILL MAKE YOU SMILE

Chances are half of your grandmother's garden is in this book. Especially if your grandmother gardened in the Southeastern U.S. This jewel of a book won the 1994 Quill & Trowel Award and for good reason; it's fun, full, and familiar. Steven Bender and Felder Rushing take turns telling story after story of plants they've seen in gardens but NEVER sold at any stores. And I'll solve the mystery right up front; you get these plants through knowing other gardeners.

Passalong Plants: 117 Plants with stories and photos.

I never realized how many bulletproof passalongs are in my garden. Perhaps that's why the garden made it through the drought with flying colors.

HERE'S A SAMPLE OF PASSALONGS GROWING AT TROPICAL TEXANA:

Arrowroot (Syngonium) from my mom's garden and from my brother's garden.

Airplane plants from my friend Laurie's garden.

My bottle tree along with native Virginia Creeper vines. I would never think to pass Virginia Creeper along, but it's in the book!

Canna(dark leaves), Elephant ears, and Mexican Firespike are all passalongs here in the Deep South.

They love all the rain we are having.

Lantana is a native passalong and it's in the book.

You have to worry about a plant that has more alias's than many criminals. This one goes by Mexicali rose, Cashmere Bouquet, stinkplant, and Clerodendrum bungei.

I got this shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) from my good friend Shirley. It blooms only in mild winters, but the foliage is beautiful and tropical in all seasons.

Walking Iris is quite a talented passalong. It will send out bloom shoots that hop,skip, and jump around your garden. Noone seems to mind. It's in the book.

Finally, daylillies are a nice passalong plant to share with others. I got this one (Vino do Norte)

from my good friend Bill.

And while I'm on the subject, let me Passalong this tip. You'll find other wonderful book reviews in our group thanks to Holley at Roses and Other Gardening Joys. Please go take a look. Thanks, Holley.

Until next month, Happy Garden Book Reviewing!

David/:0)

Sit down a spell and read a garden book!