Flower Growing in the North - Practical Month-by-Month Guide

In this review of Flower Growing in the North, the bottom line is simple: this reprint brings George E. Luxton's practical, region-specific gardening advice back to life for gardeners coping with severe winters and short growing seasons. The book is best for northern home gardeners who need a month-by-month plan that relates planting times, winter protection and plant selection to the realities of a cold climate. The review finds the volume especially valuable because it compiles Luxton's popular Minneapolis Sunday Tribune columns into a single, focused manual that addresses problems most general gardening books overlook.

Key Features

• Month-by-month guidance: Each entry lays out timely tasks and planting windows so gardeners can plan seasonal work around a northern climate.
• Regional focus: Advice is tailored to very cold winters and short growing seasons, making it more useful than general guides for northern sites.
• Selection tips: The book discusses plant variety choices that are better suited to survive and perform in northern landscapes.
• Winter care guidance: Luxton includes practical instructions on winter protection for outdoor plants and on indoor care of house plants during the cold months.
• Seedling and propagation notes: The author explains how to grow seedlings and start plants indoors to extend the effective growing season.

Who It's For

Flower Growing in the North is aimed at home gardeners living in the Midwest and other cold-climate regions who need specific, seasonal direction rather than broad, year-round gardening theory. It suits readers who prefer concise, actionable advice they can apply in small yards, community gardens or hobby plots.

It is less well suited for gardeners in mild climates who do not face prolonged freezes or for those seeking modern hybrid cultivar catalogs, extensive color photography, or the latest plant varieties developed after the original mid-20th century publication.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Practical month-by-month format that helps plan planting and protection tasks through a northern season.
• Region-specific advice tailored to very cold winters and short growing seasons, making recommendations more relevant for northern gardeners.
• Consolidates the best of Luxton's popular newspaper columns into an accessible handbook.

Cons

• Originally published in 1956 and reprinted unaltered, so it lacks information on newer plant varieties and recent horticultural developments.

Specifications

Title	Flower Growing in the North
Author	George E. Luxton
First published	1956 (reprinted unaltered)
Publisher note	Minnesota Archive Editions digital reprint of University of Minnesota Press edition
Focus	Month-by-month guidance for cold climates
Intended audience	Home gardeners in regions with very cold winters

Our Verdict

Flower Growing in the North is a compact, practical resource for gardeners facing harsh winters and compressed growing seasons. Its month-by-month structure and regional focus deliver good value to northern home gardeners who want time-tested, actionable advice; those seeking modern cultivar listings or up-to-date research should supplement it with contemporary sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a modern edition with updated plant lists?
No. This edition is a digital reprint published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press edition and does not include modern cultivar updates.

Will the month-by-month advice apply to all northern states?
The guidance is aimed at Midwest-style climates and is most applicable to regions with very cold winters and short growing seasons; gardeners should adapt timing to local frost dates.

Does the book cover indoor plant care?
Yes. In addition to outdoor winter protection it includes advice on caring for house plants and starting seedlings indoors during the winter season.