Garden against the cold A colorful crop of new books will help eager plant lovers turn the page on winter

Ah, February. Month of teasing thaws followed by freezing rain and snow. Twenty-eight days of schizophrenic weather that leaves even the most hardy of souls reeling. Thank goodness it’s the shortest month.

And thank goodness for indoor gardening.

If it weren’t for the flashes of green at our windowsills, the houseplants that have been coaxed out of hibernation by the lengthening days, the orchids that look like they may finally flower again after a year of rest, we might go mad.

A quartet of new books may help green thumbs weather the wait until tulip time.

In “Windowboxes: Indoors & Out,” ($16.95, Storey) James Cramer and Dean Johnson share not only their knowledge, but their impeccable taste. In the 15 years since they bought Seven Gates, their home in western Maryland, this pair of gardeners has planted window boxes as a form of fun and relaxation.

“We’re not shy about christening anything that holds dirt a window box,” they write in the book’s introduction. “Buckets, basins, straw hats, baskets – all have been pressed into service in the name of capital improvement. As far as we’re concerned, anything that grows is a candidate for a window box.”

Thinking outside the box is key to success inside the box.

At Christmastime, amaryllis put on a show inside, while holly and evergreen boughs make a festive statement outside. Their “winter resting box,” with icy twigs tucked into a painted wooden box full of moss, celebrates the bleakness of the season. But the sweetest box of all is a short, narrow indoor Easter basket, filled with rye grass. Tiny nasturtium seedlings sprout from eggshells filled with soil. It’s a testament to rebirth.

The stunning photography by Gridley & Graves is inspiring, and the authors’ clear instructions make it easy to bring your windowsill alive.

Rosemary McCreary’s “Tabletop Gardens” is just the antidote to a chilly day. The California author’s ideas are as simple as a lily or a fern sheltered in a bell jar, as tasty as an herb topiary, and as complex as a terrarium garden.

Her simple, elegant approach to containers elevates common houseplants to new levels of sophistication. In her “garden mosaic,” patches of creeping mint are tucked among smooth black river rocks. Her “desert garden,” a patchwork of succulents in a shallow tray, could make you reconsider the beauty of cacti.

Perfect for the novice, “Tabletop Gardens” gives easy-to-follow instructions, a primer on plants, and a tutorial on integrating gardens into your decor. Not all of it will thrive in a New England winter, but it will be fun to see what will work.

Beginners and seasoned veterans alike will enjoy the new “Workpacks” ($14.95) by Andrews McMeel Publishing. They focus on “hobby” plants, orchids and bonsai, which can be tricky even for experienced gardeners.

Each comes with a clear, attractive book on the basics of each plant, as well as a box full of tools that help in plant care. The orchid pack includes a spray bottle for misting the leaves, twist-ties to stake the plant, a hygrometer to check humidity levels, and polystyrene for potting.

Though the orchid tool kit isn’t exactly chockablock with necessities, the accompanying book by Katie Steel is informative, thorough for its size, and great when it comes to troubleshooting. Either workpack would make a wonderful gift.

The final gardening book is lacking gorgeous pictures, but it will tell you everything you need to meet the needs of your garden year-round. In “Month-By-Month Gardening in New England,” mother and daughter team Jacqueline Heriteau and Holly Hunter Stonehill give readers succinct yet comprehensive instructions on how to care for perennials, lawns, houseplants, shrubs, bulbs, herbs and vegetables.

Their schedule gives all of the necessary information, including soil preparation, fertilizing tips and light requirements, which makes it a wonderful introduction to gardening. But its ease of use, wealth of facts, and reader-friendly format also will appeal to old pros.

Of course, anything green looks good right now, but as most gardening enthusiasts know, there are plenty of pretty but impractical books out there. These four make for good reading, even if you’d rather be weeding.

Kristen Andresen can be reached at 990-8266 and kandresen@bangordailynews.net.