Way beyond daisies, cuddle up with a good gardening book

However fitful this year’s spring, gardening books can inspire you for the growing season that’s under way. The worse the weather, the more time for reading — and armchair gardening can be wildly ambitious, taking you far beyond daisy borders and the cabbage patch.

Here are some possibilities that really are not just daydreams. The writers of the following colorfully illustrated books urge you to think camellias, palms, cacti and conifers.

““Beyond the Camellia Belt” (Ball, April 2007) is by William L. Ackerman, a retired research geneticist at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., who lives on his farm in Maryland, devoted to his “love and obsession” with camellias. Maryland is a bit chilly for these luscious blooms, but he says he enjoys the challenge of cultivating them here, and his research has helped develop hybrids that can be grown in places ranging from Nova Scotia to Iowa and Michigan.

His book says plenty about camellias’ beauty and fragrance. But, asked what he finds the single most gratifying reason for growing them, Ackerman told the AP in an e-mail exchange that it’s the welcome timing of their appearance.

“Camellias are unique garden evergreen ornamentals in that they bloom during the bleak days of autumn, winter, and early spring when many plants are dormant.”

““Palms and Cycads” (Ball, April 2007) by David Squire is a source of basic, helpful information on these two alluring plants that are botanically unrelated although they’re seemingly similar. In spite of their graceful image of tall trees crowned with plumes of curving leaves, Squire says, many palms “have a clump-forming or scrambling nature”; and cycads often have leathery leaves and short, woody trunks. Tropical or subtropical temperatures are essential for many palms, he says; in cool-temperate climates you’ll have to grow them indoors or in conservatories.

““Cacti and Succulents” (Ball, April 2007) by Gideon Smith describes about 50 species of cacti and more than 10 families of succulents, giving details of the characteristics and care of these often prickly but oddly beautiful plants. He also gives readers tours of notable garden collections in places ranging from Zurich to Phoenix.

“”Gardening With Conifers” (Firefly, paperback 2007) by Adrian Bloom points out that while conifers can be deciduous or evergreen, some of these so-called evergreens can glow with colors including brilliant powder blue, orange and yellow, even red and crimson. Conifers can also seduce with their aromatic fragrance, he points out.

If you’re overawed by the thought of giant Redwoods in your back yard, Bloom reminds you that there are plenty of hardy dwarf and miniature conifers — solace for those who are resigned to clearly being out of the camellia, palm tree or cactus belts.

Home Decorating Advice for Visually Impaired

Severe vision loss from age-related eye disease affects 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65, the American Foundation for the Blind says. And their experts predict rates of vision loss will double in the coming decades, due to the advancing age of the nation’s 78 million baby boomers.

To deliver needed information for families and individuals about how to manage vision loss, the AFB has developed a new Web site, at http://www.afb.org/seniorsite. Among its offerings are suggestions for home improvements “to promote independence and prevent accidents among older adults with a visual impairment.”

“We knew we needed to do something to help this large population,” said Judy Scott, speaking from Dallas where she’s director of the AFB Center for Vision Loss. “So many haven’t yet connected with a local agency. Hopefully they’ll find this useful. The first step is our center here in Dallas, geared for people with vision loss.”

As for making changes in the home, Scott said, “We wanted people just to know there’s some commonsense information that can help you and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Little things can make a huge difference.

“For example, in the kitchen, if your cabinets are dark-colored, use light-colored pulls. If your dishes are white, use brighter-colored place mats. If all your furniture matches, be creative with throws and pillows of different colors — all this helps locate pieces of furniture when you go into a room. In the bathroom, use contrasting-color towels instead of all white.

“These are sometimes just things people don’t think of,” she pointed out. “They say to us, ‘I’d never have thought of that — I can go right home and do that tonight.’ “

The site features videos and information about independent living and connects seniors with resources in their own communities. Its ideas for adjusting to living with low vision or vision loss can be as simple as keeping rooms well lit, and eliminating clutter.

Annual Air Conditioning Maintenance

The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute reminds homeowners that the time to think about their summer indoor comfort is now.

A sensible step to reduce cooling costs and improve comfort is to have regular service done on central air conditioning or heat pump systems, the institute says. A well-maintained system, coupled with energy-conservation measures, will reduce utility bills during the hottest months of the summer.