Sometime between the last blizzard and the first bulb, gardeners get antsy. Whether you plan to tend a single potted geranium or train a climbing heirloom rose, you like to do your homework. This year stay limber by thumbing through the gardening guide that best reflects your expertise.

Beginner

Gardening for Dummies (www.amazon.com, $20)
Turn a black thumb into a green one. Terms as basic as mulch are defined without so much as a shred of judgment. Best features: checklists for what to stock in your shed and diagrams showing how to design a bed.

Intermediate

Reader's Digest New Illustrated Guide to Gardening ($35, www.amazon.com)
For gardeners who know the difference between an annual and a perennial, this revised edition of the classic best-seller covers all the bases — from how and when to prune shrubs and trees to planting a small orchard. It has a particularly thorough section on pest and disease control.

Advanced Intermediate

Taylor's Master Guide to Gardening ($60, www.amazon.com)
You know your hardiness zone, and you're looking for design inspiration and how-to guidance. This beautifully photographed reference from a horticultural authority covers the six regions of North America, the 1,000 best plants for every zone, and garden planning and design.

Expert

The Well-Designed Mixed Garden ($40, www.amazon.com)
Both your thumbs are dark green, and you're a connoisseur of plants, but you want detailed information about specific cultivars and the rules for combining them. This book is written by an expert for those who aspire to become experts in design fundamentals.