The American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation, edited by Alan Toogood.

For anyone interested in plant propagation, this book could easily become their “bible”. The first 55 pages concentrates on all the various methods of propagation (sexual-growing from seeds, hybridization, germination; and asexually-division, cuttings, grafting, layering) as well as tools and equipment, growing media, propagation environment and insects and diseases. The remaining 250+ pages follow alphabetical sections with specific plants listed under trees, shrubs and climbers, perennials, annuals and biennials, cacti and succulents, bulbs, and vegetables with specific information about how specific genera may be increased. While not “new” (published in 1999), this book’s information is up-to-date, clear, concise and has the fabulous color photographs that show each step of how-to that publisher Dorling-Kindersley is famous for. This is a book that I would recommend for any gardener’s reference shelf and one that I think would be referred to frequently. Sometimes it is just nice to reference a good, comprehensive book rather than spending time searching the web. And now, since I have good directions, I have no reason not to try twin-scaling and chipping those precious few Galanthus I’ve been growing…