The Union
Home and Garden section - Saturday, July 20th, 2002
By Dick Tracy
(Dick Tracy is an award-winning garden writer and photographer, Master Gardener and former president of
the Foothills Horticulture Society.)
"Perennials for Northern California" and "Annuals for Northern California" are
two books (Lone Pine Publishing, $18.95 each) in which Tanem joins with Don Williamson to put down what he's learned about
the subjects before it's too late, "Thanking the Good Lord for allowing me to retain my memory after 71 years!"
If his name sounds familiar, it's probably because he's been on KSFO radio in the
San Francisco area for 20 years as "Bob Tanem in the Garden" and owned a large Bay Area nursery until recently.
Both books cover their topics like a blanket, and create a very, very beautiful
one. The photography is as outstanding as the cultural information, and both books offer a wonderful snapshopt of hundreds
of flowers right up front. That's a very handy reference for people like me who are often challenged to come up with the name
of a familiar plant.
Concise and comprehensive, these handbooks deserve a prominent spot on the gardener's
bookshelf.
