Garden Book

Buried Treasure: Finding and Growing the World's Choicest Bulbs

Janis Rukasans (Timber, 524 pages, $49.95)

This thick book is much more than just a reference guide to rare and unusual bulbs. The author lives in Latvia and has been a plant explorer and bulb collector for more than 40 years, with amazing stories of travel and adventure on a quest for buried treasure. He has had to contend with armed rebels, the Soviet KGB and corrupt government officials as he hiked Ukraine and other remote areas of Central Europe in search of new crocuses, unusual irises and the most beautiful corydalis you'll ever see in photos -- and which I've never seen for sale at nurseries.

While marveling at his Indiana Jones adventures, you also learn a lot about growing, collecting and the history of different bulbs, including fritillaries, anemones and hundreds of different corydalis with huge blooms in brilliant hues. If you have no place exciting to go for vacation, save money on gas by staying home and settling down to read this book. You'll never look at a crocus the same way again.

-- Marianne Binetti