Resources at Old Town Library
Old Town Library has many print resources on site and available through interlibrary loan from Poudre Libraries' two other branches (Harmony and Council Tree) and through Prospector from other libraries in Colorado and southern Wyoming. If you have not used interlibrary loan or Prospector before, there are Library Aides stationed throughout Old Town Library who can help you do this. Poudre Libraries have several online resources available on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Films on Demand through the Poudre Libraries website, accessible from the computers in the second floor computer lab at Old Town Library and on your own computer, tablet, or smartphone with your library card number and PIN.
Books
These books are on the north side of the second floor of Old Town Library in the 631 - 635, 595, and 712 - 716 sections of the Non-fiction area. Some are in the Oversize section on the same floor, across from the Large Print book section, by call number.
Getting started:
635 Plants you can't kill: 101 easy-to-grow plants for beginning gardeners. Tornio, S. 2017 - This book, designed for beginning gardeners, offers advice on easy to grow, easy care plants from annuals to vegetables, with practical tips that are ideal for the high and dry conditions in Colorado.
635.0978 The complete guide to Western Plains gardening: Techniques for flowers, shrubs, trees, and vegetables in Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, northern Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, southern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, southern Alberta. Steiner, L. 2012 - This book includes gardening ideas for the beginning to intermediate gardener that are specific to the western United States and southwestern Canada, primarily in states and provinces considered part of the Great Plains. Gardeners receive general gardening information for the region and can use information targeted for their state or province and its growing conditions.
635.9 Sunset gardening in the Southwest, from the editors of Sunset Books. Brenzel, K. 2005 - Sunset magazine has long been presenting gardening and lifestyle advice specific to the western and southwestern United States. This book from the editors of the magazine gives gardening advice that places the high and dry climate of the Southwest, which includes Colorado, front and center. Garden plans that reflect the lifestyle and landscape of the region are included.
Colorado-specific:
635.09788 The Colorado gardener's companion: An insider's guide to gardening in the Centennial State. Torpey, J. 2007, 2015 - Both editions of Torpey's very Colorado-specific book give clear, practical advice to gardeners at every level on growing flower and vegetable gardens as well as maintaining successful landscaping in every part of Colorado, from the eastern plains to the Western Slope and from the Front Range to the Four Corners. This book clearly discusses all of the climate and soil conditions any gardener may encounter here.
635.90978 Rocky Mountain gardener's handbook. Newcomer, M.A. 2012 - NOTE: You must request this from Harmony Library. Library Aides are available to help if you have not placed a hold from another library branch before. Organizing 300 Colorado-friendly plants into 10 categories, this book includes clear planting and growing instructions and has three recommended plant varieties for each plant profile in the book, with photos and clear descriptions.
635.9528 High and dry: Gardening with cold-hardy dryland plants. Nold, R. 2008 - Nold's 2008 book on gardening in the inland West of the United States acknowledges that the plants that grow here successfully are not the plants you may see in gardening resources that are designed for lower-elevation, wetter climates. This book includes ideas for hardy annuals, bulbs, perennials, bushes, shrubs, trees, succulents, cacti and more and gives options for creating a long-lasting and beautiful garden that can survive Colorado's climate.
West and Southwest United States-specific:
631.0978 Western book of easy-care plantings, from the editors of Sunset. Brenzel, K. 2015 - This book from the gardening team at Sunset magazine and books discusses how to create and maintain easy-care gardens full of plants that do well in the often dry conditions of the western United States. Sunset gardening resources focus specifically on gardening in the West of the United States and organize their advice and tips by state and region.
635.9528 Native plants for high elevation western gardens. Busco, J. 2010 - Over 150 species of plants native to the western United States and which do well at high elevation, frequently more than 5,000 feet above sea level, are included here. This book, published with the Arboretum in Flagstaff, Arizona, is notable for discussing gardening and garden troubleshooting when faced with extreme temperature swings and drought.
Inspiration:
635 Under western skies: Visionary gardens from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. Jewell, J. 2021 - Filled with a strong sense of place, this book showcases gardens across the western United States and discusses how they were designed, how they are maintained, and how they capture the essence of their location in a way that is designed to inspire home gardneners.
712.6 Wild: The naturalistic garden. Kingsbury, N. 2022 - This wide-ranging book, filled with page-size color photos of each garden, showcases current garden design trends with an emphasis on ecologically-sound ideas and a nature-based approach. Gardens from around the world, including the western United States, are included.
Landscaping:
712.6097 Western home landscaping: From the Rockies to the Pacific coast, from the Southwestern US to British Columbia. Holmes, R. 2011 - This landscaping design book, specific to the western United States and full of color photos, includes information on 42 landscape designs and more than 200 plants organized into three sections. "Design Portfolio" includes 42 landscape designs, "Guide to Installations" discusses how to install the plants, paths, patios, and arbors in the designs, and "Plant Portraits" includes over 200 plants that are native to or do well in the western United States.
716.6 Natural landscaping: Gardening with nature to create a backyard paradise. Roth, S. 1997 OVERSIZE - Roth's book covers how to create landscaping that looks like part of nature and not artificially designed. The book includes information on meadow and prairie gardens, woodland and shade gardens, water gardens, and pollinator gardens and the plants and techniques that work well in each.
Perennials:
635.932 Armitage's Garden Perennials. Armitage, A. 2011. OVERSIZE - More than 1,250 perennials and 1,300 photos are included in this exhaustive and expert guide to the flowering plants that do best in Colorado: perennials. Armitage also includes information on perennials grown for foliage and not flowers, including ornamental grasses, and has concise and informative plans, advice, and hardiness zones for growing perennials in a variety of settings.
635.932 Perennials: The definitive reference with over 2,500 photographs. Phillips, R. 2008. OVERSIZE - This reference-style book includes information on over 2,500 different perennials with photos. Each variety is described in detail with its own photograph and the authors cover planting, dividing, propagation, and combining perennials in settings from containers to borders to entire yards.
Problem-solving:
628.96 Attracting beneficial bugs to your garden: A natural approach to pest control. Walliser, J. 2022 - Not all bugs are bad for your garden! Walliser provides thorough information on beneficial insects, why you want them in your garden, and how to attract them to your garden. Beneficial insects can help keep "pest" insects under control and as a result, reduce or eliminate the use of garden chemicals.
635.049 Rodale's vegetable garden problem-solver: The best and latest advice for beating pests, diseases, and weeds and staying a step ahead of trouble in the garden. Bradley, F. 2007 - This book discusses everything from blight to bugs and soil issues to deer, the latter of which are a serious garden nuisance in the Rocky Mountain region. Practical tips for keeping issues at bay as well as dealing with issues as they arise are included in this authoritative book.
Pollinators:
595.799 The bee-friendly garden. Frey, K. and LeBuhn, G. 2016 - Bee-friendly gardens are not only naturally organic, pesticide-free, and sustainable, they are also beautiful, as they are filled with flowers that bloom from early spring to the first frost. Threats to pollinators, and especially to bees, are a serious concern right now and it is possible to create a garden of any size that will attract and nurture native bees in Colorado. If you want to do more than plant a pollinator-friendly garden, see the Colorado State University Extension Service section on the Additional Resources page of this guide.
595.799 Attracting native pollinators: Protecting North America's bees and butterflies. The Xerces Society guide. Mader, E., Ed. 2011 - A thorough presentation and discussion of pollinators in North America, specifically bees and butterflies, this book covers not only how to help pollinators through pollinator-friendly planting ideas, but also how to get involved in their preservation locally. For more information on this, see the Local gardens and pollinator projects section on the Additional Resources page of this guide.
Small spaces:
635.967 Raised-bed gardening: How to grow more in less space. Akeroyd, S. 2016 - With Colorado's typically poor soils, especially on the Front Range, raised beds are a way to garden that is both practical and beautiful. Akeroyd's guide includes several designs for raised beds and planting ideas that are not limited to vegetables and herbs.
635.9672 The crevice garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places. Seth, K. 2022 - Mountains and deserts, both of which are found in Colorado, are home to native plants that do well in rocky settings, leading to them being ideal for a crevice or rock garden design. This book includes not only design ideas, but also which native plants will thrive in a low-water, rock garden environment.
Xeriscaping:
635.9525 Xeriscape Colorado. Ellefson, C. 2004, 2013 - Both editions of Ellefson's book discuss Colorado-specific, low-water xeriscaping, for both the new and established xeriscaped garden or landscaping. Ellefson includes helpful tips on converting your current landscaping to xeriscaping and discusses concerns specific to Colorado, such as the ongoing drought and extreme temperature and weather swings.
635.9525 Waterwise plants for sustainable gardening: 200 drought-tolerant choices for all climates. Ogden, L. 2011 - NOTE: If you want the print version of this book, you must request it from Harmony Library. Library Aides are available to help if you have not placed a hold from another library branch before. Otherwise, the eBook version is available from Poudre Libraries on Libby. Ogden's book covers sustainable gardening that is very applicable to Colorado: low-water gardening. Ogden discusses not only perennials and ornamental grasses, both very common in the Colorado garden, but also bulbs, annuals, biennials, short-loved perennials, succulents, cacti, and woody plants, and how to plant, grow, and maintain them in dry climates.
Magazines
These gardening magazines are shelved alphabetically in the second floor reading area of Old Town Library in the northwest corner of the building:
Better Homes and Gardens - This popular magazine offers tested ideas, tips, and plans for gardening at home as part of its extensive content covering everything to do with the American home.
Garden Gate - This bimonthly magazine is entirely dedicated to gardening, with ideas, tips, plans, and expert advice on starting, growing, maintaining, and troubleshooting your garden.
Sunset - Sunset magazine, a longstanding regional magazine that publishes six times every year, focuses exclusively on living in the western United States and includes expert gardening ideas and advice specific to the region and frequently by state, including Colorado. Sunset magazine also publishes detailed gardening books covering the western United States, some of which are included in this guide.
Reference sources
Print reference sources are found in the second floor Non-fiction area and cannot be checked out. They must be used at the library.
Other reference sources are available online through links, included in the Periodical indexes and abstract databases section at the bottom of this page and on the Research tab of the Poudre Libraries website.
503 REFERENCE McGraw-Hill Science and Technology Encyclopedia. 2012 -This comprehensive science and technology, multi-volume, print encyclopedia includes over 7,000 articles on all aspects of science and technology, including gardening science topics such as agriculture, horticulture, and botany.
581.9788 REFERENCE Native Plant Revegetation Guide for Colorado. 1998 - This library-use-only reference book covers Colorado-native plants and gives ideas and advice on re-introducing Colorado native plants to gardens in every setting that may have been taken over by non-native species.
Curlie is a large web database maintained by volunteers, offering access to a wide range of gardening resources.
Online sources available through the Poudre Libraries website
These videos are available on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Films on Demand through the Poudre Libraries website:
Fresh food from your own garden 2015 - This video offers simple and practical tips for growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs and creating a sustainable, eco-friendly food garden at home.
Perfect compost: A masterclass with Peter Proctor 2012 - Composting is fundamental to creating a successful, sustainable garden and Peter Proctor, a master gardener, shows viewers how to start, develop, and maintain their own compost mix.
Permaculture. Journey of the Universe: Conversations series 2015 - Penny Livingston of the Regenerative Design Institute in California presents information on permaculture and its benefits, including biodiversity, and also discusses seasonal eating and community-supported agriculture.
DVDs
These DVDs are available in the Media section of Old Town Library on the first floor in the southwest corner of the building:
635 Perennial vegetable gardening [DVD]: With Eric Toensmeier. 2012 - This video presents the results of gardening workshops in diverse locations including Florida, Massachusetts, and Mexico and discusses perennial vegetable varieties that can be sustainably grown in several climates.
635.9528 Xeriscape by design [DVD]. Mannix, L. Fort Collins City Cable 14. 2008 - This very local educational video includes information on xeriscaping in Colorado and specifically in Fort Collins, covering planning, design, and implementation of a xeriscaped garden.
Periodical indexes and abstract databases
Periodical indexes, which allow you to search for articles by author, subject, or keyword, and abstract databases, which give you access to academic works by listing abstracts, or brief summaries of those works and ways to access them, are available online through the Research tab on the Poudre Libraries website. From this page, you can search directly for articles through the academic collection and databases at Front Range Community College by clicking on Magazines and Journals and then entering your search term in the search box. Good choices for search terms include the Library of Congress subject headings on the Home page of this guide.
The Research tab also includes a list of periodical indexes and abstract databases that you can search individually for articles on gardening in Colorado, on landscaping, on pollinators and conservation, on different types of plants, and on climate conditions, among many other topics related to gardening in Colorado. You will need your library card number and PIN to access these indexes and databases.
Some of the indexes and databases with information on plants, horticulture, how gardening impacts mental and physical health, and other topics related to gardening include:
EBSCO Academic Search Premier - Academic journals and articles, in multiple languages
EBSCO Environment Complete - Environmental topics, in multiple languages
EBSCO Explora - General research topics, in multiple languages
EBSCO MAS Ultra - Popular interest magazines, biographies, and primary sources
JSTOR Arts and Sciences - A large collection of arts and science articles, including articles on horticulture