During the busy summer months, it’s hard for a gardener to find time for much reading.

Rather than lengthy prose about the best gardening practices, nifty ideas for expanding the garden, and new ways to integrate plantings and plants into the landscape, summer reading usually consists of scanning short, anecdotal pieces of garden literature.

Determining exactly how far apart seeds or plants should be set, diagnosing diseases and finding ways to remedy certain pests are all easily done with a few good references, in a few quick moments, on a break from the garden or other work.

Whether or not this is the time for reading detailed descriptions of gardening, one essential and enjoyable reference I’ve found this summer is a recent publication from Firefly Books, Jennifer Bennett’s “The New Northern Gardener.”

First marketed a decade and a half ago as “The Harrowsmith Northern Gardener,” this revised and expanded version is a must for those dedicated to gardening with plants that are meant to flourish in our climate.

Illustrated with gorgeous full-color photos of gardens, flowers and vegetables, the 10 chapters of this new book are packed with essential information for cultivating plants in northern lands.

Bennett, who gardens north of Lake Ontario in Canada, brings years of practical experience to her work. Her book starts with the basics and builds into more detailed discussions of cultivating individual plants. How-to diagrams throughout the book convey the down-to-earth gardening procedures and practices Bennett describes in the text.

“The New Northern Gardener” goes beyond vegetables and herbs, with an all-new chapter on flowers, both perennial and annual. An alphabetical, annotated listing covers more than 100 hardy perennial and annual species which flourish in cold-climate gardens. Bennett’s accessible style leads readers through the rigors of early and late frost, serving as a valuable resource for planning, planting and maintaining the northern garden. The author-gardener effectively targets and provides solutions for common gardening problems, such as our short growing season and difficult soil conditions.

If you are in need of a good comprehensive reference, look for Bennett’s new book. You’ll enjoy learning more about gardening, from sowing to harvest and beyond. Sections on herbal chemistry, beneficial insects, alternative reproduction techniques, and preserving and storing will interest all, whether longtime gardener or novice.

One of the best aspects of “The New Northern Gardener” is the up-to-date section on mail-order sources throughout Canada, England and the United States. Bennett provides listings for sources of plants, tools and gardening supplies. What a great resource to look forward to during the winter months, when accumulating gardening catalogs in search of new and interesting plants.

Jennifer Bennett, former garden editor of Harrowsmith magazine, also is author of “The Harrowsmith Annual Garden,” “The Harrowsmith Book of Fruit Trees,” “Lilies of the Hearth” and “Our Gardens, Ourselves.”

“The New Northern Gardener” is available in paperback for $24.95.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, c/o MaineWeekend, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.