Clear, closeup photos of bagworms and spittlebugs teach you to recognize good and bad bugs. I keep this book close by my side. Southern Gardener's Book of Lists. When gardeners call asking about plants suitable for shade, sun or other specific sites, I often turn to this book. If you have trouble with voles eating your other bulbs, dump a handful of sharp gravel in the planting hole, so an inch or so of gravel surrounds the bulb on the bottom, sides and top.
Voles dislike the rocks and head elsewhere.
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Roses by Timber Press. Often, I interview people or visit gardens specializing in roses. Whenever I write about a plant, I research it in several books and online. I like learning about rose species such as the moss roses, named for the thick and feathery moss-like growth that covers the stems and buds and sometimes the back of the stems supporting the leaves. Moss roses are known for their fragrance.