Temple Square Gardening
Book: Temple Square Gardening
Authors: Christena Gates, Diane Erickson, Shelly Zollinger, Larry Sagers
Publisher: Eagle Gate, (Deseret Book Company)
2003
The gardens at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah are among the most beautiful in the world. They were designed to look lovely all year long, to be perfect from any angle and to need as little maintenance as possible. They were recently voted one of the top ten gardens in the world. Each year, more than a million people take the free one hour garden tour and long to have such gardens in their own yards. Now, three of Temple Square’s own master gardeners and a popular gardening writer, have teamed up to show you just how this can be done.
The book opens with a fascinating look at the history of the gardens, beginning with the initial city plan carried across the plains and moving forward to the current garden plans carried out by professionals and volunteers. And then the fun begins, as the authors teach the reader to create their own gardens. The second chapter covers the very basics of gardening, for those of us who think dandelions are the perfect flower. They even explain how soil works, why it matters and how to get your soil tested. The authors explain weeds and show you how to keep them under control, so your gardens are less work.
Next, the authors teach you to plan your garden, evaluating water and lighting needs, wind conditions and other issues that affect your garden and how to select a garden plan that matches the amount of time you are willing to invest.
The design chapter reflects the goals of Temple Squares gardens: “When we think about designing our own gardens, we want them to reflect the Creator’s method of design. This approach will bring out the natural beauty in the plants and given them an opportunity to shine as the Creator intended.” (Page 41) Graphs and illustrations demonstrate the patterns found in nature that can be re-created in our own gardens. Simple instructions are giving for implementing the teachings in your garden.
There is an extensive list of the favorite plants on temple square, with the information needed to decide if you can grow them in your yard.
Complete instructions, including beautiful photographs from the Temple Square gardens, walk you through the process of creating and caring for your garden, using non-chemical methods wherever possible. The instructions are so clear, even I can follow them, (and I can’t grow dandelions, although I love them) and yet my gardening husband and daughter found a great deal they did not know. This is a book for gardeners at all levels, and it gave me a sense of confidence that I could do this. It even made me long to rush out and buy seeds! Even if you have no desire to garden, this book is lovely enough to place on your coffee table, with its beautiful full-color photographs of the gardens.
The authors have impressive gardening credentials. Christena Gates was the director of Garden Tours on Temple Square for nine years, and is a garden designer there now. She is a master gardener. Diane Erickson is the director of Garden Talks in the Park program, sponsored by the church, and is a garden designer for Temple Square. She is an advanced master gardener. Shelly Zollinger has a degree in horticulture and is also an advanced master gardener, working full time for the church, while owning and operating a landscape design company. Larry Sagers is the co-host of a weekly gardening program in Salt Lake City and writes a gardening column for the Deseret News. He is a consultant to the gardeners at Temple Square.